The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-21
TRAGIC AFFAIR UP TOWN.

Intense excitement was on SaCuruay
evening created in the vicinity OF Forty
seventh street and Broadway New
York, by the rumor that woman had
murdered her three children and then
attempted to kill herself. In this i'll
stance the rumor appears to have been
but too true. At a later hour our rep0r-
ter visited the scene, and learned the
following facts
At seven O'Clock John Roth, Ger
man instrument maker, returned to his
home, one story tenement, IN Forty
seventh street, between Broadway and
Eighth avenue, and found woman
named Anastina Sch0tz, with whom he
has been living for some years past, In
state of stupor, at the foot OF bed, in
an inner room. On the bed lay her
three children-Caroline aged six years;
John aged two and half years, and
William aged fifteen months-apparent-
ly quite dead He attempted to rouse
the woman, but without success, and
then ran into the street and gave the
alarm. ..,..
Information of the affair was con-
veyed to the Twenty-second precinct
station house, and some officers were at
once despatched to the scene. Drs. j.
Lewis Smith and Robert Stewart were
called in, and did all in their power to
res,,scitate the children, but without
avail. and they then turned their atten-
ton to the woman. After lengthy
trial of various rcstOratives she began
slowly to revive, and ut n late hour
hopes were entertained Of her recovery.
The children, when found, were lying
upOn the bed in the order of their ages,
the girl first, and were dressed in their
best clothes, with hair neatly combed,
and laid out rs though for burial. The
appearance would indicate that the act
must have been performed with great
| deal of deliberatior on the part of the
| woman.
An examination by the physicians
shows no traces Of poison, and no marks
of violence are visible on them. Death
must have been caused in some manner
by suffocation, but how does not appear,
as the woman is still too weak to answer
any questions put to her. The boy,
Johnny, was seen upon the street 10y
the neighbors at as late an hour as five
o'clock. The woman, as we have stated,
when found by Roth, was quite stupid,
but was soon after seized with convul-
sions. An application of the stomach
pump revealed no trace of poison in
fact, nothing was found upon her
stomach, and in the opinion Of the ply
sicians her condition when found, and
subsequently, may have been the result
of excitement caused by the commission
of the terrible act. She is rather good
looking German woman, about the me-
dunn height, and twenty-six years of
age. A slight abrasion is noticeable
upon her left cheek, but how obtained
did not appear.
The woman, according to the state
ment of Roth, has been living with him
in the capacity of wife for some years
past. although they were not married,
and the two younger children were the
fruit of such cohabitatiOn. The girl
Caroline was born while she was living
with her husband-Schotz. The latter
is married to another woman, and is
living with her in another part of the
city. Roth states that for over year
the woman has been very extravagant,
and this has led to frequent angry dis
cussions between them. A few days
since he gave her twenty dollar bill,
and she afterwards informed him that
she had lost it. This he ascertained to be
an untruth, and taxed her with the fact.
An angry debate followed, and from
that time until the commission of the
murder she has seemed low-spirited.
There can be no doubt that while labor
ing under temporary insanity or depres-
sion of spirits she committed the act.
The Coroner has been notified to hold
an inquest to-day, when the affair will
be fully investigated.
The affair has caused the most intense
excitement in the neighborhood, large
crowd being collected in the vicinity as
soon as the fact became known.-N y.
Herald Of Sunday.