Body of Infant Found in River

The Marietta Times, May 16, 1889

Last Friday Mr. Henry Klostermeier, of Harmar, found the body of a female infant floating in the Muskingum River on the Harmar side opposite Elston's mill.  Esq. Guyton, acting Coronor, took charge of the body.  A post mortem examination was made by Doctors Eddy and McKim.  They found the child had been born at full time and alive, but there was nothing to indicate that any violence had been used to produce its death.

The investigation before Mr. Guyton, on the inquest, developed the fact that Miss Myrtle Ritchie had given birth to it on April 22nd, at the house of S. C. Rinehart, who lives on the Rathbone place in Muskingum Tp., about a mile above the city, where Miss Ritchie was employed as a domestic.  The mother swore that the child was born dead, that it was begotten in September last at room ten in the St. James Hotel, this city.  She says shortly after its birth it was covered slightly with earth in the yard back of the house.  Rinehart swears that the body smelled and he had it exhumed and that by his direction his hired boy tied a cord about the neck of the child and tied a stone to the other end and threw it into the river.  He says he discovered the remains by the dogs getting after it, and that he thought it was a premature birth, and that he at once discharged the girl.

The Coronor found that he did not know what caused the death of the child.  The mother is about 19 years old, quite pert and rather good looking, and hails from Long Run, Newport township.