The Trial of Hilda Rundberg
A young Swedish immigrant stands accused of poisoning her employer’s infant, but her testimony paints a portrait of a confusing household.
The second day of the trial of Hildegard Rundberg, the young girl charged with poisoning the infant child of Frank W. Parker, crowded Judge Humes' courtroom. Testimony for the state was finished, and the defense began. The general impression was that the case was taking a more favorable turn toward the defendant. Hilda, who had been in America but a little over a year, took the stand. Born in Sweden in 1875, she had come to America in 1891 and settled in Ballard. She took the job with the Parkers to learn English and the customs of the country. She testified that on the day the baby died, she was working when she heard it cough. She found the child with a brownish fluid running from its mouth. She called Mrs. Parker, who shook the child upside down and wiped its mouth with a sponge. Later, the baby grew worse, and Hilda was ordered to pack her things and leave without explanation. Hilda’s testimony remained unshaken under cross-examination.
“Although seemingly somewhat awed by her position and inclined to give way to tears, she bore up bravely and gave her testimony in a straightforward manner.”
This trial highlights the precarious position of domestic servants in the 1890s, who were often the first blamed when tragedy struck a household. The case serves as a reminder of the historical vulnerability of immigrant women, whose lack of cultural capital was weaponized against them in legal settings.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.