Show I P PARENTAL ARENT At SLAP SLAPS S ILLS INFANT NORWOOD PARK Ill Nov 12 UP Ralph UP-Ralph Ralph Koch 24 a W P A worker minded his infant son at home lome last night while his wife Marcia Marcia Marcia Mar- Mar cia 20 was at work at a roadside restaurant The baby Todd 4 months old was crying lustily Koch tried to rock him to sleep without success He turned on the radio hoping that music would help but the baby cried all the more He paced the floor loor nervously Finally distracted by the cries he slapped the baby on the side of the head The child gasped and lay quiet Frantic Koch ran four blocks to a state police barracks Tears in his eyes he stepped up tip to the desk and addressed Sergeant Irwin Schmidt I r think I killed my baby he said I lost my head because he cried too much and I slapped him Nothing matters now Two officers sped to Kochs Koch's home ut they were too late They found the infant dead apparently as a re result result re- re sult suit of the parental slap Mrs Koch collapsed when she learned earned of her baby's death She and her husband had hd been estranged and md reached a reconciliation only last ast Tuesday She was bitter toward him lim while being questioned by po- po lice ice He killed my baby she said I dont don't want to see him again Koch was held in technical custody custody cus- cus tody ody pending an autopsy and in in- quest |