The mystery of the dead child has to some extent been ferreted out. The child, as stated in our last week's issue, was found dead near a branch on S. Gould's farm in Dodge township, bearing marks of violence, and was newly born. The coroner and jury were occupied about three days last week ferreting out the matter. The suspected party was Mary E. Casteel, wife of James Casteel, and daughter of Henry (sic) Sebring. She made a confession before the coroner and jury, acknowledging that it was her child but denying that she killed it. It seems that Casteel and his wife have not lived together for two or three years, except last June he persuaded her to come back to him for a time. She says that on Feb. 22d, the child was born which she wanted to conceal from her parents, whose feelings she knew about the matter. The child was born in the hay mow, and it seems the mother left it there for a day or two. She went back to the house, got up in the morning and got breakfast. She denies using any violence, and does not remember of taking the baby to the creek where it was found. The verdict of the coroner's jury was that the child came to his death by having its neck broken at the hands of its mother, and yet it is not clear from the confession of the mother that the breaking of the neck was intentional, and yet it is hard to see how the mother expected to conceal the matter of the birth of the child and have it live. It is a bad case and the full details of the matter are unfit for publication. Mrs. Casteel is about 32 years old and was married to James Casteel, about three years ago, but lived together during that time but very little. Mrs. Casteel has been held to bail. The jurors were W.L. Defore, S. Gould and Edward Eackle.

Boone County Democrat March 1884
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Death Register lists burial at "Poor Farm"