Information having reached me through Messrs R.J. McCreight and corroborated by D. Jas. A. Young that a child of a white woman residing in a house on Rutledge Street known as St. Mathew's Parish had come to its death under circumstances of a suspicious nature and requiring legal investigation, I issued my warrant to E. Barnes, sheriff, or any constable of the district aforesaid on repairing to the premises empanelling and charging a lawful jury of inquest the following testimony was elicited from the following information from the following persons.

R.B. Johnson, M.D. sworn. Have examined the child by request of the coroner. I find no marks of external injury about its body. I see nothing inconsistent with the belief that it died naturally.

John Strickling sworn. Says the child has never been a well child since it was born. It is three weeks old this morning. The child had spasms last night, yesterday and the day before, and last week it had one. The mother of it is a daughter of witness and is about seventeen years old. It died last night about eleven o'clock. None but the members of the family were present. We sat up with it all night the night before. Had it been a white child I should have asked some one to sit up with us but was ashamed to do so as it was not. I have a girl in the house that has fits at which the mother of the child was some times much frightened. John his mark Strickling. <.p>

John Howard sworn. I live in the neighborhood of Mr. Strickling's house. I was at his house yesterday and saw the child have one fit and thought it was dying then. I intended coming back last night to sit up but a cloud coming up and looking like rain I did not come. I believe the child died a natural death, have no reason to believe anything else. John his mark Howard.

Rebecca Strickling sworn. The mother of the child is my sister. I was at home night before last. Last night I staid with Mrs. Lowery across the street. I was not present when the child had any spasms but I know it was sick night before last when at home. I slept up stairs and my sister and the child slept down stairs. I did not look at the child when I did come home just because I did not want to, & did not set up any at night for the reason that I had to walk to work in the morning. I work at Frank's the tailor and come home at night. Know of nothing else; never heard my sister express any dissatisfaction with the child or that she would like to have it out of the way. When I was about the house she seemed to think right smart of it. Rebecca Strickling