DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 1879)

Father LEWIS GERLICH (aka LEWIS KELLOGG) is arrested for murdering his 18-month-old son. Note that the father was a "pensioner" (apparently did not work), and that in that era especially, the father had the right to farm out a child (even a toddler) to another home without consulting the mother. I suspect that this mother had good reasons for not believing the father's alibi, but unfortunately, a lot of the "back story" is probably lost to history.

From the archives of the New York Times, May 4, 1879

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E03E6DE133EE63BBC4C53DFB3668382669FDE&scp=1&sq=A+father+arrested+for+killing+his+little+son&st=p

ACCUSED OF CHILD MURDER

A FATHER ARRESTED FOR KILLING HIS LITTLE SON.

PHILADELPHIA, May 3.- Lewis Gerlich, alias Lewis Kellogg, was arrested this morning in this city, on a charge of murder. The warrant for the arrest was issued by a Justice of the Peace at Norristown on Nov. 26 last, and was brought to this City Dec. 3. It charges that Gerlich took away his child and murdered it. Little is known of the case in this city at the present time. Gerlick and his family reside at Lonsdale, Penn. The child disappeared previous to the issue of the warrant, and a few days afterward it was found dead near the house, with every indication of having been murdered. Gerlich left his home about the same time and did not return. He is a pensioner, and has been in the habit of drawing his pension in this city. He has not appeared at the Pension Office for six months, but today he was at the Assistant Treasurer's to get his money. The prisoner stated this afternoon that in November last he lived in Flowertown with his wife and one child, a boy about 18 months old. He took this child away for the purpose of placing him with a brother, who lives about 18 miles from Gloucester, N.J. to bring him up. He came to the city, and stopped at a drinking saloon in Fairmount-avenue, about Third-street, and left the child on a cellar-door, on the outside. When he came out the child was gone. He looked about the neighborhood, but could not find the child. He then returned home and told his wife that he had taken the child to his brother's farm, but she did not believe him. He then left his wife and came to this city to draw his pension, and was arrested. Later in the afternoon Gerlick made an attempt at suicide. When the turnkey made his rounds he heard the prisoner groaning, and on making an examination found him bleeding from the throat. He managed to conceal a razor on his person when searched, and this weapon was used in an attempt to take his life. The injury is not considered dangerous.