Tri-weekly journal. (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1847-188?, 1848-02-22

MURDER OF CHILD BY ITS MOTHER, AND
SUICIDE OF THE MoTHER.-One of the most
painful tragedies, says the Rochester Advertis-
er of the 9Th inst, which has been our prov
ince to record, occurred in Irondequoit, about
four miles from this city, on Sunday evening,
being no less than the murder of an infant
child by its mother, and the suicide of the
mother by hanging The circumstances, as
far as we have been able to gather them, at
this early hour, are as follows :-On the even
ing in question, between and7 o'clock, Mrs.
Barnard, wife of Alanson Barnard, one Of the
constables of Irondequoit, requested her hus-
band to 90 to a neighbor's and procure pail
of milk Mr.. B. was absent something like an
hour, having stopped to talk, as is usual
amongst neighboring families, and returned
home between and 8 o'clock. On reaching
the door of his house, he was met by little
girl, some eleven years of age, who said to him
that she 'could not find her ma" Running
hastily into the house, he examined the beds in
the several rooms, the clubhouse, &c., making a
loud noise at the same time to attract the at
tention of the neighbors-one or two of whom
came ina few minutes BY this time light had
been procured by the little girl, and the house
thoroughly examined, and on proceeding to
the cellar, Mrs. Barnard was found suspended
by the neck with handkerchief to a beam
On looking further they discovered her infant
child, about eleven days old, lying dead in bed,
}, who appeared to have been strangled. From
the story of the little girl it seems that soon af
ter MIR. Barnard left, the mother remarked that
, she was sleepy, and would lie down for awhile
and proceeded to the bedroom for that purpose
when ii is supposed she strangled the child. In
{ short time she came into the room occupied
by the little girl, and told her to go and get in
to her place in the bed, and lie still-not &c
stir-when the mother undoubtedly proceeded
. to the cellar, and putan end to her own life as
stated above. NJ possible cause can be as
, signed for the commission of this rash act.
The mother wasan amiable, pleasant woman,
agreeably situated, and highly regarded BY
her family, and her friends. For some time
4 however, she had occasionally exhibited dis
3 taste for company, and went less frequently
: amongst her friends and neighbors, inclininl
: rather to melancholy state of mind. Ate
! the birth of her child, on the 26th ult., sh'
: was extremely cheerful. and recovered in healtl
G very rapidly, so much so that she had partakeI
l. of her meals with the family for two or thre,
!, days. On the day on which the sad act wa
! committed, she came to the table both at morn
ing and noon, and nothing was discovered dil
= s---...s 9. suauen NJ Of derangement produced
, by childbirth fever, she put an end to her owr
and the life of her offspring. She was about
'hirty-two years Of age, and leaves a husband
and four children. Coroner Frost held an in.
quest on the bodies yesterday, and the jury re.
turned verdict in the case of the mother ol
death from suicide, probably the result of in.
sanity; and in the case Of the child death from
some cause to the jury unknown. There were
no marks of violence on the child; but at that
age II could have been easily smolhered with.
out leaving any appearance Of foul play.