The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-06
AN UNNATURAL MURDER.


-TRoUBLE AND CRIME IN BEAUTIFUL
HoAE--THE MOTHERS LAST TERRIBLE RE-
SORT.
The Cincinnati Gazette, OF Yesterday, con-
tsins the following particulars OF horrible
chiid-murder and an attempt at suicide in
that city: An unparalleled murder took
place in one of the beautiful homes of our
city early yesterday morning, accompanied
by an attempt at suicide The flct itself j.
beyond precedent, aud is circumstances arc
among the most painful in the annals of
crime. A young mother, alone in her own
bedroom, with GOODNESS and determina,i IN
beyond belief, deliberately cuts the throa Of
her only child, and then attempts her own
hGs- The unhappy fa.eils which this trag-
eeiy destroys j. comp ed II Charles l.. Per
X ms, J ulia Perkin- mis- vie and C.lara Pc.
kins, the only child. Mr. Perkins and his
~ife were married about tour Years ago. ia
Seville, q. Their daughter Was born in C,v-
iHgton, where they have lived nearly ALI
their married life, since December. 1871.
MT. perklns is member OF the
firm of DeCamp, Perkins * I.evov, No. 9I
Maln street, manufacturers and dealers ina
|saddlery. Two months ago he moved into the
house now stained with his child's blood
No. 3O7 West Ninth street, three doors eass
OF Mound. IL Is new three story brick
Mrs Perkins is . years old, a native OF
Missouri, but has lived in this State a con
siderable portion of her lite. Clara. the
murdered child, was a liItlS girl OF uncoir-
mon bsauty. She was of fair compilations,
Light hair, and had graceful figure ard =
pleasant manner, that made her very at
tr3c,iVe. Said one OF the neighbors ..She
was the pretIiest child ever saw All the
noiShDors were crazy to get hold of her ana
KISS her, she was such a little beauty
M uwrR hr.wr~ 10.
lived, further than that there was no outward
token OF any thing wrong until now. But
on Tuesday night there was an unusual
scene beneath their roof 1t ia not all re-
Eeated yet, but it appears that Mr.. and Mrs.
Perkins had quarrel that lasted all night
and that Mr.. Jacob Clare of Bethel, Ohio.
who was visiting at the house, was present.
and participated in some way in the trouble.
The nature of the quarrel is not known.
Mrs. Perkins resolutely declines 10 speak of
it. Her husband says he had suspicion,
and that he accused his wife, but declines
20 say what the suspicion was, or OF Shas
TIC accused his wife.
THE BLOODY WORK OF THE MORNING.
Ate O'Clock yesterday morning, after a
sleeHless night on the part of al; except the
innocent child, whose waking was but TO bg
tor an eternal sleep, Mr.. Perkins left the
house, leaving Mr.. Clare there. II see-1s
probable that the agreement arrived ut was
tba Mrs. Perkins should leave her husband
and go to her friends in the country, but
this is not known from the confession Of
either party, but IS deduced from other
statements. At 4 O'Clock in the morning
Mrs. Perkins, With razor, attempted the
lie OF her child, but was frustrated perhaps
by Mr.. Clare. Mr.. Perkins was assured by sIer
that she would not repeat the attempt and lefs
rs before stated. 10 is not known when Glare
| went away, but IL must have been very soon
after the departure of Perkins Mrs Perkins
| sent away the cOlOTed servant girl, and told
her they would Let her know when thev
wanted her. This seems TO have been in ac-
c0rjanco With arrangements that Mrs. PERI
ins should leave the house. When tie
| house was emptied OF all but Mrs. Perkins
and her child, the horrid work which seems
TO have been al the time the settled purpose
| in her mind, began. The woman locked the
| doors, then went to her bedroom which = II,
the front room on the second floor. Here's SIZE
closed the windows and the door.
and dressed her child for the
sacrifice in pure white. putting on its bess
clothes. She then swallowed the con-
tents OF two small bottles OF morphine, anG
4 turned on the gas from two burners. Size
lad no weapon at hand, but with fatal ings
| nuity she found means to carry out her I.I.-
pose. On the msntei stood a little Frencs
clock, covered with thin glass ease. just
above it hung frame inclosiDg hand
soIncly colored chrome OF a cross wreathe3
with an Illuminated legend beneath 81
i"Cling 10 Jesus" Her eyes rested not, psr-
baps. on the cross but on the thin Lass
case. Selling it. she dashed IL on the stone
\ hearth, shattering It 10 pieces. She picked
up one, piece about two inches by three,
and taking the babe into the corner OF the
4 room, in front OF the washstand. she knels
down, seized tile child's mead with her -eis
hand. held 10 back So as 20 turn the ten fag
throat bare before the keen glass.
/ WHERE WAS HER MOTHERS nRARr
in all this preparation? Then the child, ~
If understanding the purpose, cried out ap-
peahngly. "0h! mamma, mamma. do rot
kill me-" Where then, was her mothers
beart? What powerful motive conquered
even the instinct of maternal love- or per-
verted it, is question that can not oe
answered. But il is true that there aloce
in spite of the pitii'll pleadings Of her child .
she drew the glass across its throat, while
the warm blood gushed out i'm her hand. aac
the lat words OF her babe, mamma, maru-
MAJ" fell IN vain un her ears. Then appiy-
ing the glass TO her own throat, she cut 81 en-
gashes as her unsteady band COLD
make, and folding her ch Ia
10 her bosom, lay down with the
hope that they might die together. For t1Eo
hours, from half past until half-past StHev
lay thus The child died almost instantly
but the mother lived She felt herselfnrovr-
ing weak and cold, and thinking it a pre-
nioniton Of approaching death, she arose
with her dead babe in her arms, staggered
TO the bed and laid down. Here she Law and
suffered all the time. conscious. until she
was found at helf-past O'Clock DR.. l. a
james, who was soon called TO see her, eN-
amined her wound and found iour-irch
gssn across her throat, and told her she
would recover. She at once expressed her
regret. She told him without hesitation that
she had killed her child. Last night, when
tho inquest was held, and her statement
was taken, she exhibited mind as clear
and natural as any one could She talked
with great pain, but was quite clear and di-
rect III her answers. She made it plsin that
her Intention was 10 kill herself, and that
she did not want her child To be left. She
had expressed this feeling TO Others before