The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-02-06
Established in 1891
CHILDREN'S HORRIBLE DEATH.
Father and Mother Separated, Accus-
ed Each Other of Kidnapping.

Atlanta, Ca, Jan. 30.-A peculiar
lily sad fate has again played it's part
in the domestic entanglements of an
Atlanta family. Buried alive while
playing soldier" in trenches they
had dug Immediately under the front
porch of the home, the bodies of lit
tie Mack and Jack McAuliffe, aged
IL years and 9 years, were found
this afternoon by plumber excava-
ting to repair a gas pipe.
Leo J. McAuliffe, formerly of Au-
gusta, and Mrs. Eleanor Mcintosh
McAuliffe, parents of the little boys,
had each charged the other with kid
mapping the children, who have been
missing since January 18th. Last
week habeas corpus proceedings
were brought in the Fulton superior
court by the mother to compel the
father to produce the children, but
he was able to convince the court
that he knew nothing of their where
abouts. The negro maid, who cared
for the children, was suspected and
arrested at Mr.. McAuliffe's instiga-
ton, but she too, has been released,
her story being so connected as to
prove her innocence.
Found in Kneeling Position.
Mrs. McAuliffe entertained the la
ter belief that the two lads, whom
she thought had SIS each, sent them
by their uncle, Theo. McAuliffe, of
Augusta, had wandered off a spend
ing" expedition and were kidnapped.
She appealed to the Atlanta detective
force for aid, but was given, as she
said, but coldly superficial attention.
This week she employed a private
detective agency to aid in the search,
but nothing had developed until in
her absence from home this after
noon, w. W. Walden, a plumber dig
ging for an excavation for a gas pipe
uncovered a portion of the body Of
the smallest boy, Jack, who was ly-
ing on his face. Further investiga-
tion found the elder lad, Mack, who
was still in a kneeling position, hold
ing in one hand a sharp stick which
had been used in digging trench"
Children of: the neighborhood told
the story, after discovery Of the
bodies, of the pastime of the two Nc
Auliffe children for some time prior
to their disappearance.
For some days they had been en-
gagged, in their play at soldiers" in
making "war trenches" and it was
recalled that, in the forenoon and
again in the afternoon of the 18th,
the day they disappeared, they were
playing in the trenches" With this
information and further inspection
of the spot where their bodies were
found, it became plain that the earth
had caved in on the two little fellows
and they were buried alive while at
their play.
They had excavated their war
trenches" to a depth of about six
feet, and of sufficient width for NOV
ing about. The earth. where they
were playing was soft and the suppo-
sition is that the weight of the exca-
vated earth, piled on the side of the
ditch in which the children were
kneeling, as was indicated by the po-
sition in which the bodies were
found, was too great, and when the
side wall gave way a sufficient
amount of earth caved in to complete
ly cover both children and smother
any sound they may have tried to
make. Neither was able to move
away from the position in which the
earth caught him, and both were
smothered to death.
MIS-. McAunHe, VINO Since tne III
stitution of divorce proceedings be-.
tween herself and husband, has been
working at Camp Gordon, knew moth
ing of the discovery for an hour or
more, but was finally notified about
o'clock this afternoon. The father,
who is engaged in engineering work
at Valdosta, has been notified by
wire.
While having detectives scour the
state for her sons the mother slept
each night in the house under the
porch of which the boys were en-
tombed
Acting Coroner Owens announced
that he would hold an inquest On the