The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-23
INSANE BCTCIIERIES.

Bloody Tragedy in BrOoklyn-A Crazy Woman
Kills Her Son With n Hatche<-TerribIe
Struggle of the Murderess With her Daugb-
ter.
About twenty minutes past three O'Clock yester.
day afternoon young woman entered the Forty.
third street station house Butler street. and address
ing Sergeant Daniel Ferry, who was on duty at the
DESK said in an excited manner, "Oh, sir, my
mother has killed my brother Eddie" The on1cer
being accustomed to hear the term ''kiiiedn applied
in 80 many instances where the injuries are com.
paratively speaking quite trinlng, did not attach
the full sense Of the meaning OF the term once,
but directed Acting Sergeant Covers TO accompany
the girl and investigate the matter.
He was conducted to No. ia East Warren street,
where, on entering, he found q woman OF very re-
spectacle appearance seated quietly in q rocking
chair In the sitting room. Following the daughter
whose name is Mary Halpn) up stairs he was shown
into sleeping apartment, where horrible sight
was revealed. Lying on the floor, in space OF
about two feet. between bed and the window, was
the dead body Of beautiful boy about eight years
OF age the head was cut up In hightful gashes and
pool OF blood surrounded him, while brains and
pieces OF the skull were scattered over the floor,
Inquiry elected the following version of the tragedy
Catherine Halpn, fortyve years Of age, the mother
Of the murdered boy, she Also being his murderess,
family consisting Of four chldren~Mary Alice,
For the past seventeen years Ms. Halpin, who is
very deicaIelo0kiDg woman has been In poor
health and has from time to time been subject to
dts Of temporary arrangement but upon one occa.
sion only has shs exhibited any degree Of violence
In her manner towards her family heretofore.
The daughter Alice says that che was lying upon
her bed in another room on the same floor, about
three O'Clock yesterday afternoon when she heard
sse Sy anu on
room from which the cry proceeded, but found that
it was barricaded Alice then called to Eddie and
bad hfyrrf IN nnnn Ann fro.
there was no response to her summons from
within the girl, with .redoubled energy, ex.
burst down the barricades bv pushing open the
door. AS she did so her mother rushed out upon
her IN ar rsnt voa aaa ana e.
strike her daughter. desperate struggle ensued
between the insane woman and the brave girl, in
which the latter gained the mastery and wrested the
murderous weapon from her parent During the
encounter she received painful cut upon the arm
Before going TO the station house Alice called upon
her eldest sister, Mary, who was at her place OF
business Fulton street ana related the aiar to
of the insane, Mrs. Haipine washed the blood from
the Ratchet as soon as she could regain It, and then
Cured to mar the even tenor Of the household, in
the position in which she was discovered upon the
insane. Her version OF the occurrence Is that two
women entered the house and proceeded to Eddie's
roo that she followed them up stairs, taking with
that az she went into the room where her child was
she saw one Of the strange women Jump out the
window and another rush past her; that sne
struggled with her daughter Alice, whom she en-.
countered upon opening the door, nstaking her for
one OF the women that Killed Eddie. The Ofcer In
CURED how II was that the boy came to be lying
SO near the bed, to which she replied .4e was sit
ting the side OF the bed at nrst.u the prisoner
Is now IN custody In The cells OF the Fory.fhrd pre-.
olnct station house. Coroner whitehiIl who viewed
the remains, will hold an inquest thus morning.
postmortem will be made by DR.. Shepard.
STATEMENT OF MISS ALICE HALPlNE.
Mtsa Alice Halptne makes the subjoned statement
OF the shocking occurrence. which throws some fur
Their light upon the circumstances above related
My mother has been insane, or partly out or her
mind, for fourteen fifteen years past; at the
beginning Of her maady she was harmless,
but latterly abe has been growing worae, and would
get ugly In her languages II appears NOW that she