Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-07-12
midsummer Madness.

luz cases VI suuStiOhC uuiihS WIS NV
weather have been very frequent and ia
tai, especially in New York city where
more than hundred deaths from this
cause took place within two or three days
only. One of the saddest of these cases
was that of Margaret Elliott aged 40,
who murdered her own daughter, an on
ly child of seventeen years, last Friday
morning.
A week ago, Mrs. Elliott after long
walk in the middle of the day, complain
ed that the glare of the sun had affected
her head, and said that she was afraid
that she was going to be sick. The day
afterward, however, she arose from her
bed in apparently good health, and be-
gan her usual household work. Her
husband thought that his wife had been
mistaken in her idea that she had been
sun-struck, but he noticed a few days af-
terward that her speech was incoherent.
she appeared to have various hallucna-
tons; among others, mania that her
relatives and friends were endeavoring
to kill her daughter, Mary Jane Elliott
She repeatedly referred to this belief in
the hearing of her husband, and even
kept her daughter in the house for seve-
raj days. Early yesterday Mr.. Elliott
left his house to take walk, leaving his
wife and daughter busy making prepare
tions for breakfast. What follows the
mother relates herself.
Soon after her husband had gone
away, Mrs. Elliott gave her daughter
money and told her to go out after some
milk. The girl was about walking out
of the door with milk pail on her arm
when her mother called her back, saying
that she wished to warn her against per-
sons who were attempting to kill her.
Mrs. Elliott then locked the front door,
and took her child into the inner room
Then addressing her daughter, the insane
woman said that it had been great tri-
al to preserve the girls life from the ma
ny enemies who wished to kill her, and
that these foes were multiplying so fast
that it would be much better that her life
should be taken away by the mother who
gave it, than by murderous relatives or
friends. Mrs. Elliott then led her as
tonished daughter to bed, and after
telling her to lie down, seized her by the
throat. The Inflated girl, Mortified by
her mothers threats and by the fast
tightening clutch on her throat, gasped :
"Oh, mother, if you will only let me go
| will be a far better girl than ever be-
fore-I will indeedp' and struggled des-
perately for life. Relentlessly the insane
woman pressed down on her daughter
throat, and in a few moments the un,
happy girl was dead. Still cIasping hel
throat with her strong hands, Mrs. Eli
oft bent over her dead daughter for a
half hour longer, then returning to the
|, outer room, she began TO prepare the
breakfast.
Mr.. Elliott, returning home about
o'clock. found his daughter dead in the
, bed in the inner room, and informed the
police of the affair. Mrs. Elliott wal
taken to the Fourth Precinct Station
t house, where she gave Coroner Herman
t an account of what had taken place a
i the time she killed her daughter. Sh,
did not appear to regret the act, anC
manifested symptoms of insanity.
Mr.. Elliott has made the following
) statement: My wife never showed symp
2 toms of insanity before, but during the
g past week she seems to have a mania
5 that somebody was going to kill Jennie
: l at first thought nothing of it, and triec
] TO laugh the thing down even before
/ went out she talked about it; | neve
thought she was going to put hands OIL
7 the girl; thought she would attack M
first; she never made any threats agains
s the girl; l was not out of the hous
= more than an hour: when | went back
e | knocked at the door my wife said -
: who's there: :" it was not usual for he
o to have the door locked; she opened tn
e door and as she did so said, perfectl
d coolly; Little Jennie's dead p" que
/ not" | answered: g Yes, she's dead,
S said my wife; then followed my wifi
e into the inner room, and there l foun
t my daughter dead in the bed / suppos
J. my wife threw her on the bed and chok
n ed her.
6 A WHOLESOME LAw.-Under the law
! of the State of Michigan, rash fools, VIII
Intentionally or even in sport point an
g firearm at any person, whether loaded 0
e unloaded, are held guilty of a misdemear
or, and punished accordingly; and, i
case of wounding or death On accoun
- of such carelessness, the punishment
70 severe. We see it stated that since thi
/ law was placed on the statutes of Mich
lie gan, that State, which formerly had
\ case of injury by the careless use of fire
= arms every little while, has been almo;