Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-06-08

.IAAGnDYeIN WILLIAMSBURG "A mother i
murders her three children. n.-rJust before /
dAybreak Tuesday morning Michael Dwyes,, |,
., society cooper who has been 1on strike
for . numbered weeks, returned to his lodg,
ings. on the second floor OF the three story
tsgpemeut house M q s5 !, North Eighth street
ton. lie iSnnd his Wife pale from anxiety |
and want. surrounded by his. three little
children, waiting up for him She. said, as
he entered the room, So you've come at
last, Mike Is the strike ended 2 Dwyer
replied that he did notknow DOW it would be
until the papersL came out, containing a re-
port Of the action taken by the union at the
meeting the night before. On hearing his
,sspwer his wife urged him to lay down and
take some ret and be ready to 20 to work \
later in the morning, irrespective of any ac-
ton the union might take. DIVER said he
would Wait until the papers came out any
way before making application for work II
Mrs, Dwyer had half persuaded her hus~
band to leave the strikers, and in order that
there might be no further excuse for delay
she went from the house to purchase a pa
per. In . few minutes she returned, being
unable to find one ct that hour, and about 8
o'clock asked her husband to go out and get
paper He did 30, and while he was
out met 70 brother cooper named owen MUIR
ply, who had decided to give up the strike,
snd 60 to, work. Murphy accompanied
Dwyer TO his home, urged him to go to
work, Dryers wife joined Id the appeal Of
his friend, but Dwyer finding that the union
had taken no desided action, was obstinate,
and annoupced his intention of waiting few
days longer. Murphy left TO go to work and
Dwysr drawing chair near the front win-
dow sat devn.to resd the paper he had purs
chased; He had been in this position but
few nlinutes when,his wife came stealthily
behind the cha n, ,.armedwith heavy coop
ef's hammer, 'snd struck her husband ter
nble blow On the top OF the head He jump
ed from the chair. but before he could de-
hammer ct the base of his skull near the lett
ear. Stunned from the effects of the blows
and covered With blood, he rushed from the
reom, and crossing the landing, entered the
Iapartmsitt of man named Slavin, who liy-
| I'd ION the same .foor.. Mrs Slavil got a
yet cloth and was In the act Of applying it to
the wounded man 9 head. when his wife fol.
lowed him into the room and again rushed
| at him with the blood stained hammer in
| her uplifted hand. Mrs. 'Slavin' husband,
who is an old and feeble man, threw him d.
sslf between the, husband and wife, and af-
ter severe struggle succeeded in wrestling
the hammer from the latter and forcing her
out Of the toom, When Mrs Savin had
! tied cloth rodnd Dryers head he ran
hastily down stairs and into the street for
aid, fearing his wife would attack their chill
dren. "a few blocks from the house he en-
countered Seret. Fielding and officers Me-
Cue and Hyhes, OF the Fifth Precinct l
Sergt. Fielding, after learning the facts Of
/ the case, sent the wounded man to the sta
tionhease, and repaired himself to the house
No. 35North Eighth street. At the door he
met u decent, quiet looking woman in the
act Of leaving the house. The Sergeant
asked her II she knew q Mrs. Dwyer, and
j she said yes, that was her name. The Off
i Ger then asked about her husband, and she
j,replied that she had struck him because he
deserved it, that he refused to work to sup
1 port his wife and children. Thinking that
Dwyer was the only one assaulted, the Ser
gsant took the woman by the arm, and was
walking with her TO the station house, when
ed her children, and that they were lying
dead at the house. Fielding at once took
the woman back to the house, and, mount
ing the stairs, entered the apartments ofthe
DWyers. These consisted of three small
rooms. The front room, fourteen feet by
twelve, was used as kitchen and dining
room, and through . door leading from it at
the back was q small, dark bedroom. The
remaining room of the hal was used as a
coal hole and for lumber. Passing through
the trent room the Sergeant, still holding
dead at the house. Fielding at once took
the woman back to the house, and mounting
! he stairs, entered the apartments of the
Dwyers. These consisted Of. three small
rooms The front room, fourteen feet BY
: twelvef was used as q kitchen and dining.
| ond.kb,oucl Innr Lao d,no f.o,,, :. "a
the back was small dark bedroom Thl
renal ming room of the hall was used as
coal hole and for lumber. Passing through
the front room the Sergeant, still holding
I Mrs. Dwyer by the arm, paused on tn
: Threshold Of the dark bedroom. The onl
II light was that admitted through the door
way aud as. Sergt. Fielding stood at.th
r Threshold it was with difficulty he coul
+ discern objects in the room. Gradually hi
eyes adapted themselves to the gloom, an
+ he saw spectacle that made his blood ru
cold. Stretched on bed were the corpse
= Of the three children. Two of the bodie
!. reclined at the foot of the bed, while third
that Of Q girl about seven years of age, oc
d supieda position at the head. Blood staine
d the sheets and pillow-cases, and droppc
ii with dismal plash upon the floor. where
J. collected in pool and slowly made its wa
Il to crevice under the bed, and disappeare
under the floor. A single glance satisfe
u the Ssreean. that the children were dead
n A diliRent search resulted in the discover
OF two smoothing irons, which had eviden,
y ly been used by the mother in killing th
y children. One was found standing on a table
!, the other on stove. The bottoms of bot
o were clotted with human blood, to which
), few light hairs clung tenaciously.
The hammer with which Mrs. Dwyer str,ic
Is her husband was obtained from the Slavins.-
B, The names Of the murdered children are Jeu
Z my, Maggie, and Timothy. The girl was seve
= years Of age, her brother Jenny had reacho
Is his fourth year, aud Timothy was but abab
Y one year and nine mopths old. That the III
q fortunate mother was insane at the time of Il
III act there appears 10 be very lltlle doubt. A
y, tsr the birth Of her second child she had an a
ls tack Of typhoid fever which affected her bra
ID and obliged her confinement IN Flatbush Lun
! tic asylum for short time. Mrs. Dwyer
u. much younger than her husband, but they ha
ID PLY together since their marriage, in 1867 u
10 I'll the commencement Of tho coopers' strik
ls DWyer. though he drank sometimes, was an !
d dustrious man; and treated his family we'll,
" Alter the fryt few weeks Of the strike starvati,
!. stored them In the face. .. 70 q.
~ The rent Mas unpsid and that was u
he vsiahed on the mind Of Mrs. Dwyer, who W,
~ peculiarly ssnsltlte about money matters.
be in debt made her life miserable, anu WIN
i, the past few weeks her family was deprived
lie many OF the necsssarles Of life owing TO The
straitened circumstances. The following q
II count Of the murder was given TO reporter
W. MI. DIVER herself, Ia the Fifth Precinct 81
n / horl house I: s-g y',-
W Rspotsr- Have you lived pleasantly wi
, / your husband . ~ ~
VI Mrs. Dwyer-Well, yes; but don't think
had any great love Tor each other. was oH
se eighteen Wlmn n was married, and he was mn
older than that. But can honestly say tha