Body of Baby Found Inside Wall

From Franklin County comes the following chilling story, which appeared in the June 12, 1909 edition of the Adams County News:


The people of Blue Ridge Summit with deliberation and caution are quietly investigating a mysterious case up that way. It is wrapped about a small baby girl, a stone wall and some unknown parties.

The men working on the new road for Clarkson were nearly through for the night, and were some distance beyond the H.A. McComas cottage and were tearing down the corner of an old stone wall when they came across the find. It was a baby girl wrapped up in rags, a child of some weeks old and with its little head beaten in. The men extricated the remains gently and laid them on a flat rock and ran back to call the rest of the crew and show the find. The men responded promptly, running up the hill side. When they got there only the trunk remained, the head being gone. The remains must have laid in the wall for some time, it is thought, from the condition of the body.

The men buried the remains near by where it was found and marked the spot. They thought a dog might have come along and grabbed the head or maybe some hawk or buzzard. Anyhow it was gone and they could find no trace. Speculation is rife on the hills but definite clues are lacking.