The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-12
PARENTS ARE HELD
/ FOR CH|L0'S DEATH
Fort Madison Couple Arrested and
Will Face Grand Jury lnvesti-
cation Of Their
Case.
STORIES CONFLICTING
They Said First That Baby Was
Smothered to Death in Bed
Doctors Find Marks
on Baby.
STORIES CONFLICTING

fOfLl MADlooN, MdICu L.. "a
rested on warrant charging murder,
Earl Reynolds, aged twenty-five years,
and his wife, iona Reynolds, aged
twenty years, are being held in the
county Jail here, pending investiga-
ton by the police into the manner OF
death of their three weeks old daugh'
L ter, Irene Florence. The crime is al
legged to have occurred at the room
ing house conducted by J. l.. Meyer,
at 7241s Second street, early Sunday
M orning.
The arrest followed a chain OF cir
cumstances that has caused States
Attorney ]. M. c. Hamilton, Chief OF
Police Kennedy and Coroner Walter
Clements to believe the child came
to its death at the hands Of one or
the other or both Of the couple.
Verdict Of the coroner's jury, fol
lowing an inquest over the remains
this afternoon, held Reynolds and his
wife responsible for the death of the
child.
Examination by two physicians,
directed by the authorities, point to
the fact that the child met with
violent death. Marks about the mouth
and neck of the child prove that tho
child was in some manner given
poison Bruises showing the thumb
marks of a man also are in evidence
on the throat and shoulders of the
child. 1t also develops that the neck
of the infant was broken, the head
having been wrenched ON the body.
It was also brought out in the testi-
mony at the inquest this afternoon
that the body Of the child had been
thrown in the water of the river, aft,
er death.
Indications point to the most brut-
al crime in the history Of the county
and the officials are determined TO
fasten the guilt on the parties re-
sponsible for the death of the infant
Claim Child Smothered.
Reynolds and his wife. who are be-
ing held in the county jail pending
the outcome of the investigations. de-
clare that the child came to it's death
through being smothered in bed dur
ing the night. They assert that they
awoke at an early hour Sunday morn
bed beside them. The father as
serts that he then took the child
across the river and buried it.
The couple were placed under ar
rest by Chief of Police c. J. Kennedy
this morning on orders Of States At
torney j. M. C. Hamilton, after the
circumstances pointed to murder.
They were placed in the county Jail.
The varied stories told by the
couple to Mrs. Meyer, keeper of the
rooming house, and the police depart
ment, directed suspicion to them in
the disposition of the infant and led
to their arrest.
Mrs. Meyer was awakened early
Sunday morning by Reynolds and his
wife, who informed her that the child
had smothered during the night. and
that they had probably rolled upon it
The couple then informed Mr.. Meyer
that he had taken the child to the
Clements undertaking establishment
and had arranged for its burial. He
even stated as to the type and color
of the casket selected.
the child and was shocked by the
nonchalance of the couple in announc-
ing it's death. She phoned the Glenn
ents establishment to learn the time
of the funeral She was informed
that the body was not brought there.
Together with her daughter, Miss
Ruby Meyer, they telephoned to the
different undertaking establishments
in the city and were told at each that
the remains were not brought to
them for burial. Reynolds was in
the room at the time and pleaded |
Ignorance as to name Of the under. !
taker where he had taken the child. |
Start Investigation.
Hearing Of the case through the eX.
plantation Of the cause Of death over
the phone by Mrs. Meyer, Coroner |
Clements began an investigation. |.
Facts given him by Mrs Meyer con- |
WINGED him that something was wrong, |
States Attorney Hamilton was then |
called into the case.
He in turn informed Chief of Po- !
lice Kennedy of the facts surrounding |
the disappearance Of the child and |
the police official started an inyesti- |
CATION Sunday evening. At that time |
the whereabouts Of the body of the !
infant were unknown.
Chief of Police Kennedy visited the |
Meyer rooming house Sunday even |
ing and confronted the couple, declar
ing that circumstances pointed to
viola ton Of the law in the disposal of |
the child. It was then that Reynolds |
admitted that he had not taken the |
body of the infant to an undertaken, |
but stated that he had carried it |
across the river and buried 1t in d |
cemetery known as the Christian |
cemetery near Nauvoo.
"You had better produce that |
body" the chief informed the man.
When Chief OF Police Kennedy |
learned that Reynolds and his wife |
were planning trip to the home Of |
his parents, believed to reside near
Monmouth, H.. this morning, his |
suspicious became confirmed and he
advised the couple not to make the
trip out of the state as it would be |
2rima facie evidence of crime.
Returns With Body.
The chief OF police departed from