The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-04-10
Mystery Hides Identity of
\ New Born Baby Found
i'm Fence Corner.
PERHAPS LEFT TO DIE
Baby Dead when Found May
Have Been Left to Die
y There Several Hours.

( Neatly wrapped in brown paper, the
body of a newly-b born infant, was dis
covered early today lying in fence
corner by William s. Stretch, in the
rear of his home at All Grover street,
when he went out to hang up clothes
line.
The package closely resembled
parcel from a butcher shop, and think
Ing it might be meat, Mr.. Stretch tossE
ed it down until he had finished hang
ing up the clothes line, then carried
1t in the kitchen and handed it to his
wife asking her to open it and see what
1t was.
When Mrs. Stretch opened the pack
age and found that it contained the
dead body of baby she became hys-
terical. Her scream attracted her
husbands attention, and after one
look, he summoned the police depart
ment, who in turn called Coroner Tru
man 7. Parker. The body was turned
over to the coroner.
To Post Body.
A post-mortem examination of the
body will be made today by DR.. c. G.
Richards to determine in what man.
ner the child met its death, the cor
oner announced. Meanwhile every
possible effort will be made by the
police department to penetrate the
mystery which now surrounds the
death of the child.
/ Investigation by the police depart
ment has already revealed the fact
that the child was alive when born.
The problem which now confronts it
IS to discover in what manner death
came.
One of the most probable theories
is that the child was unwelcome and
that the mother in an attempt to hide
her trouble left the child there to die
of exposure. Another is that the child
may have died shortly after birth and
the body been disposed of in this man
ner. There are no bruises on the body
which would indicate that the death
was caused by violence, the coroner
stated.
/ Probably Dead as Hours.
The child, boy, which weighed be-
tween eight and nine pounds, had
probably been dead since Saturday, it
was stated. The body was blue from
exposure, although still in a state of
good preservation. The police believe
that it had probably been dead since
Saturday. This theory, was further
borne out by the fact that a thorough
investigation of the ground around the
place where it was found, failed to
show any foot prints other than those
made by Mr.. Stretch. Detective
Charles Rock spent more than an hour
searching for clues.
There was no clothing on the body,
through which it could be traced, it
was stated. The paper had apparent
" come originally from meat mar
ket. Inside the first paper there was
o second wrapper which had been
around a posted package, but from
which the name had been torn off.
There was a sticker,' however, bear
ing the word fragile"
In his statement to the police Mr..
Stretch said that he had been hang
ing up the clothes line for his wife
who intended to do the family wash
ing. As he got over in the corner of
the fence and the garage he CHANGED
TO see the Drown" package and think
ing it was meat which had possibly
been dropped by someone he thought
he would pick it up and take it in the
house so that if the owner called for
1t later it would be safe. He said that
when he picked it up the feel of the pack
age convinced him beyond doubt that
his first guess as to its contents was
right So sure was he that he did not
take the trouble to look inside before
handing it to his wife.
A check is being made by the police
department on all maternity wards
hare and in the neighboring towns.