The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-09-16
SINISTER SIGNIFICANCE
IN A SCRAP OF PAPER
Murdered New Born Infant Was Swathed in a
Piece of Wrapping Paper That Carried
A Tell Tale Address

Sheriff CharleS Sarmllle d CleW
which led a Pasquotank Coro-
ner's jury this week to recon-
mend that Mrs. Hulda Raper,
a AZ year old seamstress Of 3l3
w. Colonial Ave. this city be
held for the grand jury on a
suspicion of infanticide.
The piece of paper was wrapped
around the body of a well formed.
new born girl baby that was found
buried in shallow. hurriedly made
grave back of the Gordon Bean
factory on West Church
st. extended last Saturday morning.
The little red and wrinkled body
Of the new born infant was wrap
ped in torn piece of what appear
ed to be an old gingham apron.
And then wrapped i'm a square OF
heavy brown paper.
In faint handwriting on the
paper was an address: 3l3 w.
Colonial Ave. There was no other
writing or marks on the paper;
Just piece of ordinary stout kraft
paper.
At 313 W. Colonial Ave. lives Mrs.
Hulda Raper, a dress maker. Lives
with her a daughter, Mrs. c. Hunter
West who figured in scandalous
divorce case in the Superior Court
of this county about two years ago.
Lives with Mrs. Raper and her
daughter two boarders, George
Palmer. Il carpenter and his son
Raymond. an emplOye of the Pas
quotank Hosiery Co. The Palmers
are Mrs. Rapers boardcrs. Ray
mond works nights: his father is
employed days at the Gordon Bean
Harvester factory out West Church
st.
With the piece of brown paper
only an address as a clue,
Sheriff Carmine set about to find
out who had delivered packages at
the house at 3l3 W. Colonial Ave-.
withtns recent days Being hexty !
wrapping paper it probably made
conspicuous package which neigh
bours had observed going into the
house. Sheriff Carmine discovered
that Charlie Stafford, Il Poindexter
81. installment dealer in bedding,
rugs. draperies. etc, had left n
package at the home of Mrs. Raper
recently.
Geo. Palmer Not Interested.
To; Charlie Stafford went Sheriff
Carpiine with the piece of paper.
Stafford identified the paper as the
kind he ases in his business and
identified the writing, on the paper
as his own. He said il appeared to
be the PAPER tie' had used in wrap
ping an order for fonr sheets which
he had delivered to Mrs. Raper
some days before.
The body of the dead infant was
unearthed Saturday morning by
Stephen Bagley who has a pen Of
hogs near the spot. The newly made
grave with packing box ,upturned
over It was first discovered on Fri
day. Lister Markham, son of George
Markham manager Of the bean har-
vester factory, saw the grave Fri
day and wanted TO 20 into it. He
pointed it out to George Palmer.
Mr.. Palmer, told him to leave 1t
alone.
Placed over the grave to conceal
It was a wooden packing case that
came out of the factory in which
Geo. Palmer worked.
81 reckon somebody's buried a
dead dog in it and il you open it
up it will stink; don't want to
work around any stink" Palmer is
quoted as having said.
But when young Markham point
ed the grave out to Mr. Bagley next
day, Mr.. Bagley said: Get me a
shovel and DANCED IL don't open It
up: if you folks can't stand a little
stink, / can"
Mr.. Bagley carefully pushed the
shade into the soft earth, removed
a few hands full Of dirt and dis
closed a package. He lifted the
package out carefully with the
spade. From one end of the pack
age prOtruded the foot of a new
born babe. A crowd gathered.
George Palmer, at work in the
factory a few yards away, wasn't in
the crowd. He showed no interest
i'm the finding of the body of a new
born infant within a few yards OF
where he worked.
Tell Tale Pieces OF Cord
The sheriff and the coroner were
sent for. A cursory examination
suggested that the baby had been
born alive and allowed to bleed to
death. The umbilical cord had been
cut to within a few inches OF the
infants body and had not been tied.
Failure to tie the umbilical cord
promptly In the birth of child Is
fatal to the child.
Sheriff Carinine worked fast. He
traced the source Of the paper In
WI; h the tiny 1J0J vas wrapped.
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