The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-25
Il HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.
( A WOMAN MURDERS HER FOUR CHILDREN
AND HER MOTHER.
A Gnnst,y arfa Revolving Crime.

The most n0rflUle ana Snasl:y hiuFuer ever
perpetrated In Baltimore took place on Thursday
afternoon. Mrs. Catherine Marsh, residing in
North Central avenue. near Jefferson street, dc.
lbe:ately butchered her four children, the oldest
eight years of age and the Youngest two, by cut
ting their throats with knife. One she Killed in
the yard Of the school where he attended, and the
Others at her own home. She also iu1icted seri-
GUS but not necessarily fatal Injuries upon her
own mother The mu-deress is q years Cd. The
four children, her victims, were James, aged
eight years: Willie, between SIX and seven years;
Mary Jane, between four and llve gears; and
George. n little over two years OF age.
II appears that about O'Clock in the afternoon,
! Mrs, Marsh proceeded to primary school NO. l3,
on Jefferson street, near Caroline where her Old
es; child, named James. bright boy OF eight
| years OF age, was a. school,. She TOOK MIN from
ihe school.room, 1t Is sad against his wish, and,
! conducting him 10 shed in the yard, cut his
throat from ear to ear with large butchers knife
which she had previously borrcwed'!rom neigh
boring grocery store on the pretencc OF desiring
| TO cnt meat Leaving the chids body where she
had slain 1t, Mrs. Marsh then preceded 10 her
houc, with the knife reeEng with the blood OF her
| nrst.born concealed under her apron where she
found her mother, Mrs Nellie Dwyer aged SO, Sit
| tInr NJ the front window sewing. She at once
| approached her. and with the same knife cdt her
throat in such terrible manner as TO render it
| doubtful in the opinion Of the PHYSICIANS. II she
| can recover She then cut the throa's OF her
| three children-Wam, aged six years: Mary
Jane aged four years, and George, aged Two
wears The heads OF the children were nearly
severed from the bodies
THE BODIES As POUND.
Mary Jane and George were found IN the room
in which their grandmother lay, but William ap.
pears TO have been murdered whist engaged IN ID
swinging In the yard, rs he was found with his
feet hanging 10 the swing. Some children enter.
ing the yard caught n glimpse of the hoTriple
sight or !itr1e william hanging thus aad raising
an alarm, Sergeant Heard OF the eastern district.
hurried in 10 the house, where ne was shocked 70
nnd Drs. Dwyer with her throat friglltfnlly
cut; he also found two OF the chiidren
with their troats cut, and on going inc
the yard. he 'ound Mrs. Marsh there brandislline
the butcher knife within few feet OF the body OF
the child killed in the swing. He at once arrest
ed her and took her TO the eastern statlon-nouse.
where she remained until! after the coroner had
been called and held an Inquest, wien Captain
Keuney and Chief Detective Crone placed her In
hack ana conveyed her 10 JAIL she passing TO the
carriage very quietly, with her leaa oowed uoWn.
AT THE STATION HOUSE.
Whilst ae the station house gentleman had an
interview with the unfortunate woman. She was
seated In corner OF the lookup, with her hands,
covered with blood, clasped across her knees. On
being asked If she wanted anything, she desired
drink OF water, which was given her. She
seemed calm and collected In her manner, and
In answer TO queries said she was born in County
Kerry ireland, aud was q years OF age. To the
question il she had any recollection or what she
had done, she answered, "l have now; they were
goirg 10 take my children away from me-theY
were peckiug at their necks." On an expression
OF pity for her unfortunate condition, she burs:
into tears and exclaimed "0h. my children -
AFrER TIE TRAGEDY.
The scene at the house after the tragedy was OF
a most melancholy description. The bodies or
the murdered children, oil remarkably good lonk-
ip,r 1ar ci, cI IIa. an Ia.
Ing In which they were killed. which was neat
and clean. The scene OF the tragedy was visited
by several thousand persons during the afternoon
and evening, and OF those who succeeded IN get
ting into the house but few left with dry eyes.
AT rue scHoo..nousE.
The body Of William, killed iu the yarl OF
public school No. l3, was not discovered until the
school was dismissed, when there was Srea. con-
sternatiou among the children. The body was
carried home by the police aul placed beside the
other children.
THE NANIAC MOTHER.
Al The inquest held over the bodies OF the mur-
derel children OH Thursday afternoon II was
stated by one .: the witnesses that Mrs. Marsh
had been addicted TO the use OF strong drink. The
testimony Of the witness has been reluted, and IN
conversation with the father OF Mrs. Marsh this
morning, the reporter OF The American was in
formed that she was stranger 10 strong drink,
and 1t was with difficulty size could be induced 10
take 1t even when ordered by physician. The
relatives 0i the unhappy woman are SOrely ErleNCu
that such statement has been made public,
when there was no foundation for such, and it
has added fresh fuel to their already poignant
grief.
Mrs. Marsh, during the night, wept bitterly at
intervals, aud for moment would appear 10 re-
alize that something dreadful had befnilen her,
but at no time did she seem 20 know that she had
actually slaughtered her darling babes. This
morning she was raving maniac, and coy
slant watch IS being kept upuu her lest size
should do herself an injury. She speaks in an In
coherent manner, rambling from subject TO sab
ject. and all totally foreign 10 the one which has
almost paraly1ad the senses U! her family.
PREPARATIONS FOR BURIAL.
On Thursday night the bodies OF the murdered
children were neatly prepared FOR senuitUre, and
this morning they were laid side by side in tile
parlor, and their appearance, rs they lay side by
how cal!ous it nigh! have been 70 pity, could fail
to express pnlsat!pns or sorrow. TIE youngest
Child was placed on tic right and ;hc eldest on
in The hands of the little lnnOcents were placed
white flowers, offerings from mothers III The
neighhorhood, and had 1t not been for tile up:nis-
taxable death signs imprinted upoh the flesh OF
the children, the spectator would have almost
been compelled 10 admit that they were quietly
sleeping, Instead OF being husheu in the sleep y!
death.
RAvrSG MAD.
On Saturday Mrs. Marsh was rariug mad.
TIE 44NTICS OF Il RADICAL JUDGE.