Evening star., 1953-11-09
County 10 Seek
And Destroy
Hidden Wells
Death Of Girl, 3,
Spurs Drive in
Prince Georges

moved today to seek out anc
destroy death traps such as thl
poorly covered abandoned wei
which took the life of a 3-year.
old girl Saturday.
Montgomery Morrow, county
sanitarian, said he believes thu
hazards exist in nearly every
part of the county. Authorize.
urged the public to help find anc
report such menaceS.
1t appeared that new legisla.
ton for tighter control on vel
building would develop as police
and health department officials
pursued a two-way investigation
in the wake of the death of jerry
Lyn Ridgeway.
The child. daughter of Mr.. anC
Mrs. Harold E. Ridgeway, of l.
Glenn street, Suitland, drowned
in 10 feet of water. She fell ir
when a decaying wooden cover
topped with 18 inches of eartf
and snow, gave way under hel
feet.
Police Push Probe.
Mr.. Morrow opened his inves-
tigation today. Police still are
investigating and what they
learn will be turned over to the
States attorneys Office at Marl-
boro for possible action.
The we'll in which the child
drowned is in the front yard al
the home of her grandmother
Mrs. Johanna Ridgeway, 23
Glenn street.
Mrs. Bessie 1. Kidwell, the
child's maternal grandmother
who lives at l3 Glenn street
discovered the open pit and set
off the search which led to re-
covery of the body.
"They are the most dangerous
Of all because there have never
been any regulations governing
such wells on private property,
except when they could be con-
sidered health menaces," Mr.
Morrow said, discussing water
wells.
Mo-, RaaA OrJiro-oo
The county has had sanitary
code since 1889, he added, con-
tanning definite rules for septic
tank systems. New regulations
by the State Board of Health ap-
plying to both sewage and water
wells become effective Novem-
ber 16.
It was revealed, meantime
that the we'll involved in the
girls death was to have been
covered with concrete, but for
some reason this was not done
E. L. Stowe, 20 Randall road
Suitland, a contractor, said he
built the house at % Glenn
street about IL years ago. He
installed a septic system with q
tile field outlet. he said. But
he added, he knows nothing OF
what occurred afterward, except
that his business partner, George
Jones, told him he had hired q
man to dig the pit into which
the child fell.
William E. Edwards, a colored
handyman who lives in Forest
vile, told police that a man liv-
ing in the house in 1943 hired
him to dig the we'll. He said he
had forgotten the mans name
but Mr.. Jones was living with
the elder Ridgeways at the time
Dug 13 Feet Deep.
Mr.. Edwards said he dug the
well to 13 feet, bricked it up to
within two feet of the top, and
fitted it with a wooden cover. He
said the man who hired him told
him that a concrete cover would
be poured later.
Mr.. Stowe said he believes Mr.
Jones is in Guam.
Neighbors said the wooden top
was in place several years and
that during that time several
cats and dogs fell through into
the well. Just when dirt was
thrown over the cover could not
be determined. Neighbors said
it was at least a few years ago
because nobody remembered the
pit was there.
The Suitland Citizens Asso-
citation will take steps to help
authorities prevent a recurrence
of Saturdays tragedy. Daniel j.
McGillicuddy, the units presi-
dent, said yesterday that a spe-
cial meeting may be called to
discuss the matter before the
groups regular meeting Novem-
ber IT.
HOmeOwnerS Warned.
Mr.. Morrow urged home
owners. especially those who
came to the county some time
after the houses they occupy were
built, to get in touch with his
Office if they don't know whether
there is an abandoned water
well or an old dry we'll on their
property. He said his office has
records on water wells, because
for years permits have been re-
quired to build them. He added,
however, that the records do not
pinpoint the locations.
Funeral services for Jeryl Lyn
will be held at 10 am. Wednes-
day at the w. w. Chambers
funeral home, SIT Eleventh
street Sc. Burial will be in
Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Johanna 1Ridgeway. the
child's grandmother, collapsed
when the girls body was recov-
cred Saturday. She was taken tc
Providence Hospital suffering
from shock. Her condition today
was listed as good.