Infantcide – A young girl, Ann Suter, gives
birth then kills infant son
Suter, Infant Child of [Miss Ann Suter]
Spirit of Democracy,
August 17, 1875
It seems as though Lee township
was selected this season as the territory on which all the murderous crimes
were to be committed. I have just learned some of the particulars form the
Coroner, Esq. Muhleman, of the crime of infanticide,
committed by a young girl by the name of Suter,
living in this township with Mr. Fred Witchey, the
particulars of which I suppose you will get through the report of the officers,
in all probability before you receive this.- John,
Sardis, Ohio, August 14, 1875
Suter, Infant Child of Miss Ann Suter- 2nd obit
Spirit of Democracy,
August 17, 1875
We learn that Miss Ann Suter,
of Lee township, charged with killing her infant
child, has had a preliminary examination and has been required to answer at the
next term of Court. Bond $ 300
Suter, Infant child of Miss Ann Suter- 3rd Obit
Spirit of Democracy,
August 17, 1875
Coroners Inquest Upon
the Body of a Child Found Dead in
On the 4th, the dead body of a male
child was found near the residence of Frederick Witchey,
in Lee township, this county. John Muhleman,
Esq., Coroner of the county, was notified and immediately summoned the
following
Jury:
Isaac Gehring, Jacob
Marty, Peter Rahm, Fredrick Haldman,
Randolph Marty and Samuel Grossenbacher.
The Evidence.
Joseph Ingold, being
duly sworn, testified as follows:
“ I left the house in
the morning to go and cradle oats; going down the run about fifty yards from
the house, saw between two logs, wrapped in a dress, what I supposed to be a
child. Then went back to the house to inform the folks; returned immediately
and found it to be a dead child and carried it up into the house.”
Miss Ann Suter
sworn.- “ I am the mother of the child; it was born about 1 o’clock a.m., on
the 4th of August, 1875; it was born alive; I wrapped it up in my
own dress, which I don’t know whether I had off or on; went to the light, which
was on a barrel, for the purpose of getting a pair of scissors to cut the cord;
took it to the light with me, then turned back with the light and babe and
scissors to the bed; then cut the cord, after which I found the child to be
dead. I wrapped it up again and laid it behind me and kept it until 4 o’clock
a.m. I then got up and took it out through the orchard and down into the run
and laid it by a stump; it wasn’t light enough to see. I then went back to the
house again. While it was wrapped up and I went to the light and back my wishes
were that it would die; and during my pregnancy my wishes were that it would be
still-born, but I never had any intention of killing it. I believe my wrapping
it up was the cause of its death.”
Dr. E.A. Wehrman sworn- “Examined the body of the (male) child. I found the
heart normal and the lungs floated, I believe the child died of asphyxia,
caused by violence, partly.”
The
Verdict
“After hearing the evidence, we do find that
the deceased came to its death by, or was caused by, violence partly, by the
wrapping up by its mother, Ann Suter.”