The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-05-08
Horrible Domestic Tragedy.
AN INSANE MOTHER KILLS HER TWO cHrLDB

AN INSANE MOTHER KILLS HER TWO CHILDREN.
Annie Hennessy, age 26, murdered two
of her children in the tenement-house,
No. 81 Third-st., last night. Six years
ago George Hennessy, shoemaker mar
ried Annie Hogan. Their married life
has been a very happy one. She bore
now aged years; George Hennessy, age
3 years, and Francis Hennessy, age 3
months. Since the birth of her last child,
Mrs. Hennessy has become very melan-
choly, and has expressed herself as fear
full of her salvation hereafter. Both her
husband and herself are members of the
Roman Catholic Church. During Lent
her attendance at church was constant,
but she said she could not regain her
faith in her redemption. She told her
husband that she feared for her chill
dren's life beyond the grave. Her parents,
living near by, noticed their daughters
hallucination, and had many consulta-
tions with her husband as to the means
to be taken to dispel her melancholy.
There were no fears felt, however, that
she would ever harm the children.
Her husband went to his daily work as
usual, yesterday morning, and remained
in the shoe-shop all day. On returning
to his home at p. m, he was surprised
to find the door of his apartments to the
fifth story locked He knocked gently
at the door several times, and then, not
finding himself admitted, endeavored to
break down the door, He had broken in
one of the pannels when his wife sud-
denly opened the door, and told him to
walk in. She did not manifest any sur
prise, however, at his violent action or
offer any explanation of her own conduct
in not opening the door when he first
knocked She said nothing as he entered
the room, and after he had sat down in a
chair began walking up and down the
room in an agitated manner. He thought
that her conduct was very singular, but
said nothing
His daughter Teresa came into the
room from an inner apartment and clam
bered into his lap He then asked his
wife where the other children were. She
did not reply, but walked across the
room. Horrifi d by an awful thought
that came to him, he looked around the
room and saw the hand and part of the
arm of child protruding from some
clothes which covered the top of large
wash-tub. Springing across the room he
lifted the clothes, and there upon pill
low saw the forms of his two youngest
children, both dead. Almost overcome
with horror and grief he asked his wife
if she had murdered the children. Still
she would not speak to him, but kept
walking across the floor. He sat down
on chair and there remained motion
less for over an hour. He then again
asked her if she had killed the children.
At this demand she stopped in her walk,
and, turning toward him, said, "It's all
right, George" She then told him that
he must not leave the house; that he
must stay there with her to watch over
the children.
He attempted to persuade her to allow
him to go for a physician, and after an
hours conversation with her at last
gained her permission to bring physi-
clan who had been in attendance upon
her for month previous, DR.. Thompson
of No. 544 East Twelfth-st The husband
was afraid to leave his daughter with the
insane mother, and accordingly took her
into the room of neighbor and there
left her. Hennessy then went to Dr.
Thompson and brought him to the house.
The physician at once saw that the wo-
man was insane, and sent information of
the murder to the Seventeenth Precinct
Police. Upon examining the bodies of
the children Dr. Thompson discovered
that they had both been strangled to
death by their mother. She had then
taken their bodies and had placed them
upon the hot stove, severely burning
both bodies.
The insane woman was taken to Belle
vue Hospital, and the bodies of the muir
dered children were placed in the
Morgue Coroner keenan, was requested
to hold an inquest.-N, I. Tribune.