The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-06-03
Assaulted Her Husband and MSuIr. MSI
deTed Her ChiIdFen.

New YoRK, June 2.-soon after the
family Of Michael Devine, Of no. 95 North
Eighth street, Brooklyn, consisting Of
himself, wife and three children, aged
seven, four and two years, arose Ibis
morning the vile stepped behind her hus.
band and struck him on the head with a
cooper's adze. He wrested the weapon
from her aud ran 10 the station house TO
have his wounds dressed. The officers
were sent 10 secure the woman, and on
arriving at the residence, found the chill.
dren lying on the floor dead and their
heads beaten 10 q jelly with q fat iron.
The woman being asked why she had
killed the children answered that she was
going 10 heaven and wanted them 10 20
before her. The fathers wounds are
thought to be fatal. Devine Is cooper
and has been on strike Tor q week past,
and thinks that led to his Wiie's insanity.
Michael Devine, the husband Of the
murderess, Is cooper, who has been on
strike with his Union Tor the past six
or eight weeks, The deprivalions thus
necessitated in the family were the cause
ot numerous contentious between the
husband and vile, and It is believed that
In the end 1t resulted in oyetturninE her
mind. She was in the asylum about
q year ago, bnt when she was released II
was thought she was completely cured.
Devine would doubtless have returned TO
work had he not feared the Union. The
scene In the room after the tragedy was
one that beggars description. The murder.
ed children were lying side by side, the
blood and brains slowly exuding from
their skulls. The bed clothes were soaked
and heavy with the esickening stain. The
body Of little Tim was not so badly man
gled as were the bodies Of the older chill
dren. From the terrible wounds found
on Maggie's face and skull It Ia. evident
that the mother must have pounded the
childs head with a flAt.iron Tor several
minutes. Jimmy, the four. year old boy,
Is also horribly mutllated. Mrs. Devine
expresses no remorse, does not cry, and
says the children are better dead than
alive.
In answer to questions OF the station
house che said II am a ,murdoresss I
have defed The law, bit my little ones,
| tuauk 1oui are IN heaven. ! have often
felt like killing myself, and I knew II l
wentfrst and LEFT them behind me they
would eaet reach heaven. You ace, sif,
my husband would not 60 to work. l
warned him to 60 and yet he persisted;
my brain Is not quite right sometimes,
apd that's the way II happened I took the
lives OF my children. II was Tor their
souls sake. First / killed the baby, my
little Tim; he was one year and Q months
Old; IL took the baby first 'ibecante
he was lying nearest 10 me; he made
some noise; ! think he cried quit, but Il
did'not last long. bit Maggie second:
she woke up and said "Mama;" I said I'll
10 me, Maggie9, then Isput her out Of her
trouble; Maggie was. Q good girl; she told
me many times she would 90 to Heaven;
once ! asked her whether she would feel
bad II i should drown her In the river;
sne said no, for she should GO to Heaven.
Then ! took Jenny; he woke up and
moved, go l turned him over TO let the
blood run out oil his head faster, They
were good children. ~
ItiShardly possible that the husband
will survive his Injuries, ,ol, a