The New York herald., 1870-11-17
A MANIAC MURDERESS.
The Bloody Hand of In
sanity.
A Mother Murders Her Youngest Born In q
Tenement Houae-Narrative Of the Crime
Her Arrest and Afniction of tho Fam
lily Scenes at the Station
Houss-Tho Inquest-Another
Lunaho Proclaimed.

/
Houss-The Inquest-Another
| Lunaho Proclaimed.
| A heart-broken father, an insane wife, doctor,
| coroner jury, afflicted relatives and few SYM
pathzing bystanders oongregated yesterday at the
| Sixteenth precinct station house It was q sad
scene but the object OF the assemblage was sadder
still an inquest on the body OF murdered child,
the blood stained hand being that OF the mother
that gave 1t BIRTH
Such sights are not In this great city, yet sell
dom has more heartrcnding spectacle presented
Itself than that beheld yesterday. Margaret Adair
dellcate-l0okng woman, just about The prime OF
life but upon whose slender form time and circum-
stances HAD not dealt generously was Joined in we'd
lock to William Moore, some eight years ago. Mar
raret was native OF Ireland and was said to be
respectfully connected. Her husband, 'longshore-
man, worked on tho piers and was occasionally
compelled to be absent frem his little home ar 331
West Twenty-sixth street. sometimes two or three
days In succession But this fact does not seem
to have caused dissension, and from all accounts the
family-for there were q little boy and two girls,
aged seven Ave and two years-lved harm0niously
up to Tuesday night, wnena
TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY
destroyed its peace-perhaps forever. The youngest
child that should have been the pet and pride OF the
ing and weeping came where happiness had reigned
supreme
The story as narrated at the inquest in the station
house. was indeed heartrendng. In the little ONCE
Off the sergeant's desk, before which many cul-
pri has bowed hls headin the little Office the inquiry
touching the death innocent one was to be held
A table covered with paper, writing materials and
few journals stood In the centre There were few
chairs scattered here and there. cheerful fire
burned brightly In the CRATE, throwing out COM
Portable glow around the room. The Coroner,
doctor aud police captain were there waiting
patiently for the witnesses
But there was another occupant in the oflce for
whom the gladdening heat had no comfort-one who
was deaf to the sweet warblg Of Birds blind to the
beauties Of the clear blue vault above, impervious
to the delightful influence Of bright, crisp su-
tumnal day-one estranged from home. who
should never again listen to the geefu prattle Of her
In ant child, heretofore the most
EERAPTURING MUSIC
to her ear. Margaret Moore sat near the fire, gazing
vacanty at the red-hot Goals She was prisoner,
ana was unconsciousy awaiting the result OF the in
quest Occasionally the poor woman stared around.
1t was alf-mquistlve, longing, meaningless look.
Her hands were clasped, but now and then she
nervousy rubbed Them and plu cked ar her faded
have had It's effect upon her. Her face was hag-
gard-looking, and the deceptive rosy tinge OF con-
sumption had begun to settle on her cheeks. Poor
woman the object OF deep compassion, sat there to
''Has my husband conner" she suddenly asked, as
mot 'sU vet, I'M Maggie" iamlliarly replied Captain
Petty, adding in q soothing toAe: "ne'll be here
BY and by the door Of the station house opened,
and the tramp OF many feet warned the Coroner
tey 'y we're a the once a h eee
was William Moore. What meeting Of man
and wife; wile-.ne one, head and heart racked
OF their infant chlid The look that passed between
them was M painful 70 al VINO saw It There was no
nent characteristic.
with mingled tones OF despair and affection.
There was no answer, but she looked at him long
and earnestly. In followed her brother, Robert
friends and police oilicer. The room was nearly
full. with the wonted formality the Coroner and
startling coldness at all inquests, matter how
rioe the crime or narrowing the circumstances. SO
cayea In the Official routine OF an inquest-medical
men, coroners, juries and the poce-seen TO have
little time for sympathy. but instiactlyey proceed
was empaneed. Up went their hands and they
to render verdict according to the evidence
Next in order was the viewing OF the body. Accom-.
panied by the Coroner the jury descended in single
lille down the steps that LED to the cells below. it
Gagged, with little prospect Of escape, as the large
y,
spectacle met their gaze that X
APPALLED, THE sToUTEsT HEART
Through little window the light OF day came
streaming, disclosing to view the body of the inno-
cent victim in all its gore. II lay upon bench and
was slightly covered At the slgnt OF the fatal and
horrld gash across the throat, with the blood crisp
and hardened around the spot and over portion or
the lace, the jury shuddered. Not word was
spoken: Each man was wrapped UP in painful
Re.enierlng the once, the inquest was COM
mcnced. Tho prisoner preserved the same vacant
mi hnf m of hnr
husband and niece. The Corouer first summoned
William Moore to tell his story. The poor fellow
grof was not The less sincere. The regular type OF
plain, honest longshoreman, he took his seat OPP
lis nat in his hand, and with voice tremuIoas With
emotion, he frankly began his tale. On sunday
night last he got orders 10 go to work. He went
accordingly, worked all that night and next day
and arrived at home abou, eleven O'Clock on Mon
day night. When lie came to the house he knocked
at The door (the apartments occupied Dy the iamiiy
were the two front rooms on the third floor OF q
tenement house,. His wife answered from the
inside "You can 90 where you were oil night"
o thing she never did beiorc. After letting him in
she asked him whit men he had been walking WITH
for, addcd she, ''lve been watching you from the
window and saw you gong up and down the street
| with men making up plot to carry me away.n
moreover. there was something the matter with her.
Botn retired. Next morning she was diatory in
/ making the breakfast and seemed TO regard the
clock ntently for some time, saying, come mere TIL
| you near the clock speaking to me- She did not
light the fire as usual, and appeared to be unc0n.
| sclous Of her acts lie made breakfast himself and
! went away, nor did he return until about
| ten O'Clock in the evening, the intelligence
Of the dreadful event having been communicated to
| him by his brother-in.law. He first went home and
thence to the station house to see the Child. His
! wife the prisoner had acted very strangely at
| times and had had frequent attacks, during which
| she seemed not to know what she was doing. But
he had never heard her talk about killing herself or
| anybody else. The weapon used In numbering the
child was his razor which always lay top or the
closet. Ills wife, lie said, had ever been very tenn
perate woman. During the recital Of the foregoing
was u Mary Adair bright little rri about fourteen
years OLD, and niece Of the prisoner. She gave
her evidence clearly and without hesitation,
| setting forth that she lived at No. 252
West Twenty-eighth street. She went to see hei
aunt at haf-past three O'Clock on Tuesday, and
found her sitting In the rocking chair lamenlng and
crying out that she was going to be arrested. Hei
aunt then told her that when she was cOmD1ng ilel