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INFANTICIDEi]a the C harge \\. •!. Perkins, III«Wife Hr.ii Daughter. Who Lire in Pleasant Grove Township—ThePrU*»ii#*r* in Jail.A few days ago Mrs Kmma Fort, wife of a Pleasant Grove farmer dropped some remarks concerning her brother-in law W. J. Perkins, her sister and bis wife, and her niece, Mary Belle Perkins, a young girl aged 18 years, who recently entered the employ of Ira Redfearn as a domestic. On the strength of these remarks, Squire Stafford had Mrs. Fort brought before him. when she stated that she was living with Mr.Perkins’ family last March—their house having been burned—and on the 10th of that month a child was born to Marv Belle, which was immediately thereafter strangled by the girl with the assistance of her father and mother. With this information Squire Stafford ordered the arrest of the three persons and their preliminary examination was held yesterday afternoon at Pleasant Grove. J. J. Dillon of New London, appeared for the defense and trial was waived. Coun ty Attorney Dodge deputized J. G. Long to represent the State, and upon his demand, the father of the girl agreed to show where the cbi’d had been secretly buried, but protested his innocence of any crime, claiming that the child died a natural death. His wife and her daughter, th- mother of the dead child, also denied having done any criminal act. The body whs found wrapped in an old dress and packed in a small box which was buried and covered with old timber, brush and other stuff so that it could not possibly have beeu found*The remains were brought to the citv#last night by Constable Jas Miuard, anti the girl and her father came with Constable Martin, and they are now in jail awaitiog the investigation of the erand jury. This morning a post mortem examination of the child was made and the fact established that it was alive when born, and that it was a large, healthy and well developed child.When the girl was arrested she said the charge of infanticide was an infernal lie. Her father claims that he knew nothing of the death of the chi;d. and the mother stated that the child was born dead.The girl who is accused of the murder of her illegitimate offspring is IS years old. quite illiterate and does not understand the gravity of the offense. The father owns a small farm of forty-eight | acres three miles west of Pleasant Grove Township, is about 38 years of age and has several children, the girl in question being the eldest. The neighbors do nut give a very favorable report of the general reputation of the family, and some of them intimate that another crime preceded the one for which the arrests were made yesterday.I
Newspaper Details
Burlington Daily Gazette
Burlington, Iowa, US
Tue, Apr 19, 1887
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Karen K.
IA, USA 15 Feb 2018
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