New-York tribune., 1874-08-01
A CHILUS TERRIBLE MAMA.
MORBID IMPULSE FOR BABY-BURNING.


MORBID IMPULSE FOR BABY-BUkNlNu'
A YOUNG GIRL ATTEMPTS TO BURN HER EMPLOYERS
CuLD-sHE TRIES THREE TiMEs TO DESihoi
HOTEL IN WEST FARMs-HER DETECTION AND
CONFESSION.
A girl named Henrietta Marble, age ID,
living with her mother Mrs. Sophia Wdroc' "'i"",
dressmaker at No. 4SEIst Seveneenthst was aIIe'e"
on Thursday night by a special officer oi tne inrS
fourth or fremont Precinct charged with arson i"o
girl WAS taken TO fremont and there arralgned pore
Justice Wheeler of the With District Police 'our' ~
the examination then held, the following strange i"
were gathered. The girl Henrietta was empoyeu "
Mrs Stern Of HobOken. two weeks ago. 10 at'chu no'
child, baby OF eight or nine moh'hS' s
Stern IA passing the Summer at L"opoiu hp
pe,s hotel in West Farms, where, among o'her
Doarders, are Mr. Frank and MS Ian'hy
Of New-York. During the first week OF INC he" eo,
wants engagement Mrs. Stern found her lhcoinpceon'
but concluded to try her week longer before dsehas
ing her. The duties OF the servant during TINS the
were mainly to tend Mrs. Sern's child On "eunesuay
morning servant in the hotel. named Rachel III plss
ing along the second floor scented smoke and breaKhs
open the door Of q hallroom which Mr.. Frank had en-
gagged and usually occupied found the room hed Win
smoke the bed on fire, and in the middle OF the peu eiS
ing iusy, Mr.. Franks little child. aged SIX months
Rachel rescued the baby which was almost suneca'eu
by the smoke and giving the alarm. succeeded IN eAtih
gushing the flames before they had done
much damage The fire caused little comment
Many theories OF it's origin natural under the cir
cums,ances were advanced and accepted, and the
matter would have received little notice but Tor snDse
quent events A few hours after the excitement had
subsided, dense volume of smoke was observed pour
ing forth from Of the dningroom closets OF 'he
hotel and the door being broken open pile OF taoie
linen was discovered to be burning. An Investigation
ndt In faaff
had been emerging from the diningroom just as
the smoke from the closet discovered l was con-
sdered impossible, however by Mr. Frank and by Mrs
Stern that she could have been Implicated In the nrst
attempt at incendiarism. Her youth and generally
quiet and obligiDg manners, as well as
the expression OF her face, which was that OF simple
minded candid. and truthful girl forbade such terrible
suspicious. But half hour later Henrietta was OBJ
served stealing away from closet in one OF the halls,
and almost Immediately aiterward smoke was observed
issuing from that door, and small quantity OF cothlhg
was found burning inside Henrietta was thefeupoh
seized by Mr.. Appel the proprietor OF the hote ana
taken before Mr. Frank and Mrs. Stern, TO whom she
confessed the three incendary attempts. When Mr.
Frank demonstrated with her and said that she might
have burned his little child she calmly replied that sue
knew that wanted to burn 1t up! Mr. Frank in hor-
ror at this strange acknowed questioned the girl
closely and became convinced that she was the victim
OF q terrible morbid impulse for COLLABORATING ana
houseburnng almost irresistible in Its influence as
the mania that assas the Boston boy murderer. Jesse
Pomeroy She admitted quietly and calmly, as If 1t were
a mere ordinary incident OF life, that she had at
tempted TO burn q number Of other children and had
set fire to nearly every In which she had been in
obedience TO the impulse She had tired TO kill
Mrs stern's baby because she loved it, but she had
never liked Mr. Franks baby. and the moment she saw
II asleep in bed the idea seized her to burn H. and she
instantly lit the match. She would not designate any
other families with whom she had lived, claiming to
have forgotten their names except that of Mrs Kinney
of Tarrytowp, with whoml she stad two weeks. She
was once seized with the idea OF burning
Mrs. Knney's baby, but Mrs. Kinney had been
very kind TO her. and at the moment the morbid Impulse
seized her. the thought also REQUIRED OF how sorry Mrs
Kinney would be- and the impulse was conquered Hen
reta stated also that she had lived for month In the
family of Dr. Uhng. who is now serving term OF i'm
prsonment the State Prison for an attempted fraud
upon an insurance company by OF the coffin OF
bricks but lshe added simply. there was 10 baby
there" When asked subsequently by a reporter why
she wanted to burn Mr. Franks child she replied in the
same compacent way III just wanted to burn It,"
Mrs. Stern was completely overcome by the danger
her child been in. when these statements were made
by Henrietta, and she discharged the girl at once.
Through the neglect of either Mr. Frank or Mr. Appel,
both OF whom failed to report the matter to the police,
the dangerous servant allowed TO depart and was
not until Thursday that Mr.. Frank became aware that
it was his duty inform the police authorities. Capt
Steers the Thrtyfourh Precinct at fremont at once
sent special officer to the girls residence at No AS
East Seyenteenthst. She found and taken to Tre-
mont The mother is a dressmaker, and is very poor
She was with grief and terror on hearing
the nature of the charges against her daughter.
Justice Wheeler, having examined Messrs. Frank and
Appel relative to the charges. called the girl herself TO
the witness box when she made confession substan-
TALLY gwen above The Justice held her In 81 900 bail
to await the Of the Grand jury 1t Is understood
that an inquiry to her sanity will be made by
order OF the court early day. In her cell yesterday
she oaned and wept loud enough 10 be heard plainly
in the sitting above The child Is small for her
years thin, and frail in body, and has pretty face,
with very dark brown hair and large black eyes. She
looks both intelligent and kindly and she shed tears
while ackno wledgng to the reporter the crimes which
she had already confessed In court Sac was engaged
by Mrs Stern from intelligence Office at second-st.
and the Bowery.
THE TROUBLE IN MISSISSIPPI