The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-25
THE MELANCHOLY NURDERESS.
The Condition Of Annie Hennessey Yestsr-
day-She Says that God and Angels
Told Her in q Vision to
Kill the Children.
The COrOner's Inquest and Yer.
dict Of the Jury.

Annie Hennessey, who murdered her children In
ut OF religious frenzy, remained at the Bellevue
Hospital yesterday. She was confined In one or
the cells which are set apart for lunatlcs. She ap
peared very unhappy When her husband came to
see her she scarcely recognized him, and when he
came the second time, she said, Everything was
all right" and asked him ITO take care of the chill
dren,n as II nothing had happened. He kissed her
wildly and anectionately, but she stared at him
vacantly and as If he were stranger. From his
crazed wife the wretched man went to look at the
remains or his children and to think how he had
dotted on them and loved them. There they lay
before him ifeless charred, black from the fire on
which they were roasted. They looked sweet even
in death. smile rested upon the face OF the
younger child and the father kissed II passenateIy
Annie Hennessey is woman about the middle
height, SLIM with q long, sallow face, large gray
eyes, that are deeply sunk and have . strange,
weird lustre and thin, pale lips. At first she
seemed to be quite Indifferent in regard to her
fate. but In the afternoon she folded her hands
together whenever one OF the physicians ap-
preached her cell and prayed him. in touching
accents to let her CO. Two
SISTERS OF CHARITY
visited her, and then came some relations. Sh8
spoke to them In incoherent hollow Whispers and
In low tone that 1t very diflcult to under.
stand q word she said When the reporter or the
HERALD and DR.. Farrngt0n-who had already ex-
amined her In the morning-visited the cell in the
afternoon the poor mother mentioned her children
for the first time.
"Oh my children, oh my children" she moaned
in o low tone, ''oh my poor chldren!" The ex-
preston OF her face was heartrenlng and her eyes
filled with tears.
"where are they ?" the Doctor asked.
She paused awhile, and gazed ON him with look
Of deep anguish. "Ohl oh! they're dead" she
moaned in the same low tone, and wringing her
hands, ~ killed them; burnt them"
She buried her head in her hands and s0bbed.
'Why did you kill them ~ the Doctor asked.
She was still weeping, but she raised her head
and said, in the same hollow, unearthly tone, 1.-THE
Lord and the angels appeared before me In
vision and told me to do 1t. The Lord mOti0ned
me to do 1t and SADLY when looked at my chill
Il ld it," There was pause. She sobbed pite.
ously "Oh, my chiidrenl Oh, my poor Ghildrenp'
"oh no,n she moaned, gazing listlessly at him.
~ held the Oldest first over the fire. lShe wrung
her handsl Yes, l did. Oh, my children Oh.
And then you held the other one over the IRE Pr
Yes, yes " she signed, moaning again, "Oh my
Words could not convey an idea of the anguish
that was expressed in these simple words as
"How long did the Vision remain with you i'
"Oh, God and the angels stayed all through un,
I'll It was all over" she replied earnestly. She
folded her hands and prayed for her children.
would have fallen had the Doctor not held her.
She implored every one who s came near her TO-
mother could have uttered the word as she
uttered it. The reporter was told that she had
been truly devoted to them, that she had seemed
| thought that she had killed them whlried wildly
S Sa 1er wnn be ana when she was
she hid her face in her hands and wept a long
time, until at length she laid her head upon the
pillow and sank into repose.
BURIAL OF THE CHILDREN.
The children were buried yesterday by their
tary. When they were found dead they lay with
their arms entwined round each others necks, and
AT THE INQUEST.
The following is the testimony which was elected
at the inquest hold by Coroner Keenan,
George Hennessy, residing at 81 Third street.
testified that deceased were his children last even
ing about ha-past seven O'Clock came home ana
quarter OF an hour or twenty minutes; INV wife
then opened the door and saw the two children
wife said Everything was ali right-Tm happy
now;n asked her what was the matter with the
children; supposed that she had been washing
Them she said, Everything Is all right; they have
gone to heaven; don't say anything to any 0ne;'
she prevented me from looking at the children
:
wrong with them; then went to them ana found
them dead; she went on her knees and prayed me
not to touch them to 60 outside the door; then
went out for Dr. Thompson and returned with him
to my house; he then notified the police at the
station house; since the last child was born nv
wife has acted different from before; about six
weeks ago she said she dying and sent me for
DR.. Thompson; several times she has sat up all
night and prayed good deal; she used to say she
S'" sn'''s sas sx Mas XIX Ef aalSti
Surgeon Farrington who has the case OF Mrs.
Hennessy, testified that she suffering from in
sanity, and he believed her to have been insane.
when she took the lives Of her children.
Professor Janeway says he has examined Mrs.
Hennessy, who, undoubtedly, is insane, and was in
that condition when she took the lives OF her chill
dren; she has suffered from religious excitement,
and the debility from fasting may have induced the
insanity.
wooster Beach, NJ D., who made an examina-
ton OF the bodies OF the deceased children, tes-
titled that they were terribly burned about their
heads. necks and chests, which may have been
caused by thrustng them head foremost through
one OF the openings in the top OF the stove.
THE VERDICT.
The case was then submitted to the Jury, who
found /" that the deceased children came to their
deaths from suf0cation and burns at the hands OF
ing from attack of insanity, at 81 Third street,
on the 23d day OF April, 1871
For the present Mrs. Hennessy remains in the
care OF the commissioners OF Charities and COrrec-
ton, under treatment, but how her case win finally
be disposed OF remains Tor the proper authorities
to determine.
AN ECCLESIASTICAL CONFLICT.