Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-05-07
DOUBLE TRAGEDY.
A Crazy Mother s,ransles and Roasts
Two Children.
From the New York World April o.


A Crazy Mother s,ransles and Roasts
Two Children.
From the New York World, April "a.
A neartrending and utterly incom-
prehensible double tragedy was enacted
yesterday in the upper floor of the FIVE
story tenement house No. 81 Third
street, in the killing of George and
Frances Hennessey, aged respec lively
three years and five months, by their
mother, Annie Hennessey, good look
ing, intelligent, well-conducted woman,
only 26 years of age.
Mrs. Hennessey was the wife OF
George Hennessey, journeyman shoe
maker, and both were born in Ireland,
and were married six years ago. Their
marital life was one of sobriety,
frugality, and affection. Mrs. Hen
nessey, it is stated, never touched d
glass of liquor in her life, and her
husband had a horror of inebriety- In
addition to the virtues enumerated,
Mrs. Hennessey possessed that of
being capable of taking care of her
household and rendering her home
happy and inviting. Her Children
were as angels to her, and were her con-,
stant care, and their cleanly appearance
and good looks were envied by all the
mothers who knew her, The husband
bore the reputation Of being steady
artisan, and worked hard at his trade,
earning good wages, which were dis
posed of economically, and the couple
had. already laid by considerable
savings.
Mrs. Hennessey's accouchement of
the third child, girl, Frances, five
months ago, was a difficult one, and
uterine trouble mani tested itself, fol-
lowed by sympathetic mental disorder.
Her physicians counseled care, cheer
fulness, and attention, and the husband
appeared to be devoted to her, and the
symptoms, which were those of acute
.melzncholia, mingled with tinges of
religious exaltation, seemed to abate.
Both husband and wife were rigid Cath
olics, and followed the ordinances of
their religion with great exactitude.
The Lenton season this year was OBJ
served by Mrs. Hennessey with more
than necessary rigor, her devotion and
penitence approaching ascetlcism, and
it is said that she was frequently coun-
seied to avail herself of the indulgencss
granted to women requiring stimulants
and good nourishment, but that she
refused.
On Tuesday Mrs. Hsnnessey was
prostrated with melancholy, and yes
terday morning, instead of preparing
her husbands breakfast as was her
wont, sat in chair half-dressed, and
seemed to be in great distress. Her
husband did not pay much attention to
her, as he had all along at
tributed her condition to ill-health,
and had stated to his and her friends
and relatives that he thought Annie
was going to die, she acted so strangely.
Hennessey returned from work about
P. NJ, yesterday, and found the door of
his apartment locked. After knocking
at the door about half an
hour it was opened by his VIE, who
appeared perfectly calm, and said,
"George, the children have gone to
heaven; come and look" Hennessey,
whois a simple, good hearted fellow,
quavered as his wife led him to the bed
room, and was completely prostl'ated
with horror on seeing the bodies of
George and Francis in a wash-tub, APP
parently covered with blood Maria,
the eldest child, who is four years old,
was safe in bed and asleep. Hennes
sey, who was unwilling to raise an
alarm and expose his wife, went I'M
mediately to DIR. Thompson, his family
physician, in East Twelfth street, who
returned with him, and after pronounc-
ing the children dead, went to the
Seventeenth Precinct Station House,
and Capt. Walsh promptly arrested the
murderess, who had lapsed into COM
plete idiocy, and had the bodies re-
moved to the station-house.
A police surgeon found that the I'M
fortunate children had been first
strangled with tape, and then held
down on stove till the skin was burn
ed off their heads. breasts, backs ard
arms, thus giving them bloody and
horrible appearance. They had appa-
rently been dead several hours, and it
is conjectured that the unfortunate
mother took their lives shortly after
noon, and after holding their bodies on
the stove, placed them in the washtub,
and sat down and watched over them
till her husband arrived. Mrs. Hen
nessoy, who is fine woman Of rare and
uncommon beauty, sat speechless as III
GISuCO III U1C du tuO
station-house, totally regardless of
what was going on around her and in
different to the horrid spectacle of her
murdered children, who were placed
near her IN the washtub in which she
had laid them. Her insanity was so
evident that her removal to Bellevue
| Hospital was ordered, and the bodies
of the children were removed to the
Morgue. AS she was about leaving the
station-house. she began a rambling,
incoherent rhapsody in relation to the
murders, and said that she sent her
babes to Heaven by strangling them,
but finished her version of the tragedy
abruptly, and relapsed into silence.
The husband, who appeared to feel his
position acutely, was allowed to go
home to take care of the surviving
child Maria, the only one who escaped
the promptings of the demon in her
mothers breast.