Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-25
\ Woman Ailis Two Of Her Children
And then Destroys Herself.

KALAMAZOO, 'Aug. 13.-During the
late hours of Sunday evening and the
early hours of Monday morning. a Mrs.
Reckard, of the town of Oshtemo, in
this county, committed the most hor-
rible murder known TO the annals of our
country, and ended the drama by self
destruction. She got up in the night,
telling her husband that she was
nervous ana couid not sleep, and that
she would SIT up for while in an al
joining room until she could get quiet.
She proceeded To write some letters, aud
her husband, waking up about an hour
afterwards. inquired how soon she was
coming to bed, TO which she replied Sin
short time, and he again went to
sleep.
1t seems that soon after she went to
an adjoining room, where two of her
children were sleepiRg@-Willie, a BOY
of six. and Eta, girl of eight--and
with razor cut their thrOats. With
such a horrid desperation was the deed
done, that only the bone prevented the
severing of their heads from their bod
les. The struggles and hard breathing
OF the poor children, unable to make
loud noise, awakened n brother of 10
who was sleeping up stairs, who inqui-
red what was the matter, and was told
by his mother nothing" and was bid
to go to sleep. She seems then to have
gone back and forth between the bed
room of the children and her sitting
room several times, and then cut her
own throat. Her struggles again awak-
-ened the lad up stairs, who, becoming
alarmed, aroused his father, who got
up and went into tin sitting-roOm,
where he found the kerosene lamp turn
ed down low. Turning it up, tracks
and smears of blood were discovered all
around, and suspicion of the terrible
deed flashed across his mind. Going to
the children's bedroom, the,most ghast-
ly sight met his eyes, his two children
lying side by side, weltering in their
blood, and his wife lying across the foot
of the bed with her throat cut from ear
to ear. The bed was flooded with blood,
and it was running npun the floor in a
1t would seem that she did not cut
her own throat at the children's bed |
side, but after she had murdered them, !
walked into bedroom adjoining
After turning down lamp in still an
other room-for tracks of blood were |
seen all over the floor, and taking the
razor which she had used upon her |
children, drew it heavily across her
own throat, laid the bloody weapon on
the pillow, and with a GOODNESS, delib-
Grafton and fortitude which it is almost /
to comprehend, while the
blood was rushing III torrents from the /
wound, made her way out of the room
into that of her children and laid her
self down upon the same CORY bed as if
TO sleep. Both children lay with their
faces to the wall. One of them had
evidently struggled while the knife was
at its vitals, for the blood was spatter-
ed over the clothes, aud the mothers
arm and hand We're ensanguined with
the precious life current. ,- ~
This sad occurrence took place at the
Oshtemo side track, about six miles
west of this place, ON the Michigan
Central Railroad. The unfortunate
woman was the wife of Alexander Reck-
ard-a well-to-do farmer. The house
IS a large brick one, but few rods
west of the side track.
A coronet's inquest was held this
forenoon, and the verdict given was in
to the above facts. She was
insane, though of that
character which is too subtle TO be sus-
Dected even by her own family. She
appeared well and cheerful on Sunday
afternoon, and was out walking with
ler husband and two children, But
t is believed that she had medita-
ed the act for some time. On the eve
hing before she committed this terrible
Iced, she gave away to different mem
oers of her family great many articles
etc, though curious enough,
40 suspicion was aroused. The lett ers
found on the stand are all well written,
both as regards penmanship and Ian