Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 198, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1915 — Child’s Death Due to Poison, Coroner Finds. [ARTICLE]

Child’s Death Due to Poison, Coroner Finds.

Hartford City, Ind., Aug. 20.—A post-morten examination today of the body of 9-year-old Dena Baker, who died at Montpelier Wednesday under suspicious circumstances, which led to a thorough investigation by Charles Rutledge, coroner, and L. F. Sprague, prosecutor, revealed that the child’s death was due to carbolic acid poisoning. The mouth, throat and alimentary canal and about threefourths of the wall of the stomach were found to have been badly burned and corroded by the action of carbolic acid. In addition to the acid bums the physicians found that the child had suffered a number of other injuries. They found nine large welts on her left leg, six large welts and bruises on her right leg, five or six bruises and abrasions on her left wrist and hand, and a number of bruises on her back. A bruise on the back of the head was also found.

The authorities are still conducting a rigid investigation to determine definitely whether or not the bruises and marks on the body were sufficient to have caused death and whether or not the child took acid to end her life and “be with the angels',” as it was reported she frequently threatened to do, or whether the acid was given to her by some person through a deception practiced on the child or by having it forced down her throat. Zona- Zike, a cousin, testified that she had seen the stepmother, Mrs. Baker, chastise Dena, her stepdaughter. Others have testified that the little girl was obedient and seldom merited correction. The step-mother was examined for two hours and a half. She denied the girl had been treated cruelly. Other witnesses, however, said the stepmother whipped the child * with a razor strap. The girl’s screams were heard by neighbors living several doors from the Baker, home, according to their testimony.