Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-25
Baby Death Probed;
Mother Was Freed
In IA Fatal Beating

III UUUu OVuuuuuA
Maryland State police today
were investigating the death of a
2-year-old Waldorf girl whose
mother was acquitted in District
Court on grounds of insanity in
The death of another child
an 1914.
The mother is Mrs. Mary Chris
tina Orencia. 81. former Dis
trict resident, who was released
from st. Elizabeths Hospital less
than three years ago after being
confined there for nearly seven
years.
This was Mrs. Orencia's third
child to die under tragic circum-
stances. The first death occurred
in 1910 and was ruled accidental
The latest death was that of
her daughter Magdelene. who
died at 3:45 pm. Tuesday in
Providence Hospital shortly after
being brought here from her
Charles County home.
Autopsy Findings Revealed.
{ DR.. Richard M. Rosenberg,
District deputy coroner. said an
autopsy yesterday revealed the
girl died from ruptured liver
and ruptMed inteStines. The
mother told police the girl fell
from her crib Tuesday morning
and injured her head.
DR.. Rosenberg said he would
issue an incomplete certificate"
in the child's death pending
completion of the police investi-
cation. He said the autopsy
also showed the girl had bruises,
about the size of a 25-cent piece
or smaller, on her forehead. each
knee, lower back. front OF her
right leg and on her left hip.
None was severe. he said.
The coroner quoted Mrs. Oren-
cia as saying she was in the
kitchen when Magdalene fell
from her crib about 8 am. Tues
day. but she did nothing for her
because the child said she wasn't
hurt. About IL am. however,
a social worker visiting the
home, noticed the girls condi-
ton, according to police, and
suggested calling doctor. A
Waldorf physician ordered the
girl taken to the hospital.
Investigation Under Way.
Corpl. Noble K. Collision of
the State police barracks at
Waterloo was assigned to the in.
veStigation and visited the Dis
trict Morgue this morning for
further information. He said he
would take no action in the case
until he completes a thorough
investigation for a couple of
days"
-Corpl. Collision, took photo
graphs of the dead ehild's body
aud obtained photostated copy
of the transcript of the second
degree murder trial of Mrs. Oren.sI
ca, in the fatal beating of a.
daughter. Aurora. 8. on February
u 1914. He also was gathering
data in the first death. g
sCorpl. Collision said he had not.
vet talked with Mrs. Orencia.
She has not been taken. into
custody. Il
Mrs. Orencia. a former resi-
dent of the 800 block of Mount
Vernon place NV, was found
not guilty of a murder charge
By a District Court jury on No
vsmber %. 1914. ! In that trial,
she was charged with beat
ing the girl to death with
chair rung because her crying
annoyed her.
AFTER the acquittal, she was
ordered committed to st. Eliza
beths Hospital. She remained
there until June 6. 1851. when
she was released after several
unsuccessful attempts to gain
her freedom She was described
then as a social recovery"
Mrs. Orencia is the wife of a
Filipino cook, Constantine r.
Orencia. SO. who works now in
a Waldorf restaurant. They
were married when she was IA.
Police said they have five other
children. three of whom were
being taken care of by welfare
authorities. The other two live
at home with them in Waldorf.
Police. during the investiga-
ton of the 1914 death, discov-
cred that the couples first-born
child. Ronald. died August 90,
1910, when he was 20 months
old.
That baby, the records dis
closed. had been admitted to
Children's Hospital the previous
January II and treated for in
juries which Mrs. Orencia said
at that time were the result of