Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-10-27
PLAY
SUSPECTED IN
. CHLD'SDEATH
Poison Or Starvation Thot.
Responsible For Gran
vile Tragedy.

as the result of the death Of Margaret
hottke, the 7~-year-old Child whose
BODY was found near a straw stack on
the Walter Zimmerman farm near
here on Thursday.
>Qhe stomach OF the child was sent
TO Dr. r.. r.. Iadd, state chemist, at
the agricultural college at Fargo yes
terday by DR.. Stone of Balfour, cor
oner FOR McHenry county. who con-
Quoted a post-mortem examination
before the funeral was held here yes
terday.
Margaret Kottke was the IL
legitimate child of, Mrs. Arthur Kot-
ike who married kottke about six
years ago and lives with him and
their three children on a farm near
Granville. 1t is, claimed the child's
father was a transient who left these
parts before her birth, which occurred
about a year before her mother be-
came Mrs. kOttke.
Mistreatmcnt Claimed.
A. P. Simonson, deputy sheriff Of
McHenry county, who conducted an
investigation, states that MIR. and Mrs.
kottke had never given the child
proper attention since they were mar
ried. y
With the arrival of the Kottke
children, their treatment; of the little
49, w " lAipIOte anu ldoLt uuO
the child went to live with Mr.. and
Mrs. Walter Zimmerman, neighbors of
the Kottke family. ~
Last Tuesday evening, according to
the story told by the Zimmermans,
the child went to drive the cattle
home just before milking tirpe. She
did not return, No search was made
for her until Wednesday evening
when the Zimmerman people madg
known tho foot %Lo< %1,o oL;1l ,.ro.-
missing. Several neighbors assisted in
the search and Thursday morning her
BODY was found near a straw stack on
the Zimmerman farm.
Starvation Suspected.
Deputy. Sheriff Simonson notified
Coroner Stone who decided an in
quest was necessary. The coroncr's
jury convened but adjourned the
hearing pending the result of a post
norton examination by the coroner
The deputy sheriff states that DIR.
Stone found there was no food in the
chlld's stomach and he is inclined, to
believe that her death may have been
caused by starvation. He is reported
to have discovered some foreign. sub
stance that may have been'poison and
for that reason sent the stomach to
DR.. add for examination.
May BE Poison.
l. Upon the analysis reported by DR..
be adopted by county officials, the
deputy sheriff stated yesterday.
The general belief prevails That
neither the Kottke family or. the Zim-
norman family gave the little girl
proper treatment and that both par
ties may be implicated should GRIM
inal prosecution be commenced.
Was Object of Pity.
I. The child was a bright little girl and
has long beenian object of pity in this
neighborhood where her unfortunate
position was known to many. Indig-
nation. against the Kottkes has been
Very fprcnonnced .for sometime and
was greatly aggravated by the girls
death. /:
The funeral of the girl was. held
here yesterday, interlmentt taking place
at III Granville cemetery.
Coroner Stone, when interviewed
over tho long distance phone Sunday,
stated that the details surrounding
the child's death would certainly war;
rant criminal prosecution.
Prosecution Is Probable.
II examined the child's stomach"
he said, land found that she had,been
starved. Her death may have been
caused by starvation and exposure,
but l had doubts as to whether or not
there We're traces of poison in the
stomach and for hat reason sent the
stomach to DIR. Ladd. The thinner
mar people were just as inhuman in
their treatment of the child as the
k2ttke family, according to informa-
ton / a secure. The inquest will be
resumed the fore part of the week
n any move toward criminal prose-
cutions will depend upon the findings
OF the co-oner's jury. Right now it
looks as though someone is respon-
sible for the child's death, and if so
they will certainly be prosecuted: The
little girls death is the most horrible
thing that has ever happened in Nc
Henry county."