The Detroit times., 1912-02-28
Will CHARGE WOMAN
WITH DEATH OF BABY
Ghiefoflpaiiee =SaFsAMafFaHt
Will Be Issued For
Mrs. Wildsmith

I. ANN ARBoR, Mich, Feb. 2S.-After
re had questioned Mrs. Mary Wild
smith and her brother, George, al
length yesterday afternoon Chief OF
Police Gage. OF Ypsilanti.. declared q
warrant wsiid be issued today charg
Mrs. wildsmith with the murder
OF her 1l-months-old adopted child.
The officers are satisfied II was the
woman who beat the infant which died
, in Ypsilanti Saturday night. Mrs
Wildsmith and her husband, Bert
were brought face to face in the coun
~ jail yesterday and quarreled bit
terly.
Don't tell me you didn't know the
baby's arm was broken the husband
said. you know you broke IL last
Thursday when you beat II with
broom stick
Mrs. Wildsmith's denials carry less
weight as the investigation continues.
Her brother, George, who lives next
door TO her, told the officers that he
had never seen Wildsmith beat the
child, but admitted he had seen his
sister pound II severely.
Wiidsmith says he returned TO the
nurseries the other babies his wlte
took home, because or her harsh
treatment
The ll-months-old baby which was
adopted by Mr.. and Mrs. Bert Wild
smith, OF Ypsilanti, some three or
four months ago, was found dead by
DIR. Clark, OF that city, last Saturday
evening, when he was called by Mrs.
Wfidsmith to administer medical at
tention TO the infant. DIR. Clark saw
Immediately that the child had owl
IDENTIFY been dead several hours. Inc
foster mother told him that the BABY
had died from injuries inflicted upon
Il by the foster father on "Wednesday
and Thursday, and that because OF
his brutal treatment OF IL, she nad
hit him over the head with poker
and driven him from the house.
She succeeded by her story In
working up q pretty clear case against
Wildsmith, whom, she said, had skip
ned out when she attacked him. The
local sheriff's force sent out descrip-
lions OF the man to all the cities with
in 500 miles, and on Monday received
word that he had been taken into Gus
tody In Kalamazoo, where he formerly
lived. Evidently he had made no par
ticular EFFORT to escape, as he walked
from Ypsilanti TO Ann Arbor Thurs
day. having no money, secured a job
shoyeling snow and spent the night
I'm jail. He left the next day for Jack
son via a Michigan Central freight
train, and secured snow shoyeling
lob there for which he was paid 90
cents. He spent Friday night In jail.
and Saturday caught freight train
for Kalamazoo where he made no Ell
fort to conceal himself.
When arrested and told for what he
was wanted he talked freely about the
AFFAIR. accusing his wife OF beating
tho baby. whom, he claimed she did
not like. He told the officers that his
wife ha' hit the baby on the arms
with am handle, breaking. the
arm. and showed genuine emotion in
the discussion al. the affair.
When he was brought TO Ann Arbor
early Tuesday morning, he was con-
fronted by his wife. and each &C.
cused the other Of the awful crime.
However, there was marked diner
ence In the demeanor OF the couple
Wildsmith showed by his actions that
the death OF the infant touched him
deeply, and tears rolled, down his
cheeks as he recited his story. On
Pthe other hand, the wife cursed as
she reiterated her statement concern
ing the death of the baby One fea-
ture did not escape the attention or
those who witnessed the strange
meeting In the county Jail, and that
was that the woman never raised
her eyes to the man. who loked stead
lily at her during all Of their talk.
Another thing was that while the
woman discussed the killing Of the In
FAINT without sign OF emotion, several
times the man choked and sobbed aud
tears rolled down his cheeks. In no
particular did the story OF the two
agree. wildsmith claims that the
trouble which eliminated In the death
of the baby, started over the manner
in which he cleaned the snow on the
porch of their home on Thursday
morning. He states that his wife did
not like the way he did the work,
and that she threw a milk bottle at
him, hitting him on the head.
During the alteration the baby
started TO cry, he said, and the wom-
an began beating II. She then grab.
bed a butcher knife and rushed OF
Wiidsmith, and he grabbed the hanc
that held the knife and threw her
down. Securing he-knife,- he de-
clared, he allowed her to arise and
she grabbed a poker and attacked
him with II, and he left the house
She threw his suitcase after him, and
he made up his mind to leave home
for good, and started on his way TO
Kalamazoo, his former home, where
he believed he could obtain work.