The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-08
DID SHE KILL THE CHILD?
A MOTHERS QUEER STORY TO CHIEF
NATHAN or JERSEY CITY.
Tr,ins to Poison Herself and her Son Rather
than DO Separated from Him Queer
Contradict ns-poison to be Locked FOR

| tOntradtcuons-Fotson TO De Locked Tor.
At o'clock yesterday morning young
woman entered Police Headquarters in Jorscy
| City. and. addressing Inspector Morrison. who
| was on duty. inquired for Chief Nathan. She
wore brown cashmere dress. handsomely
| trimmed with velvet and lace. and wore jockey
| hat. On being directed 10 the Chiefs office she
raped at the door without showing any ner-
vousncss, and when tho Chief opened the door
shc quietly asked, Arc you the Chief OF
| Policc2"
Yes, modam," he replied. and, inviting her
| into the room. offered her chair. She sighed
| MS she sat down. Then she moaned painfully.
and said:
| II have come to givo myself up"
| Upon what charge ?" intcrrogated the Chief.
| 81 have murdered my childl" answered the
| young woman.
Having said this. sho began to cry plteously.
and between her sobs frequently repeated tho
| words, My baby. my baby. my littlo Richardl"
Chief Nathan inferred from her conduct that
she was either under the influence Of liquor or
demcnted. and he therefore questioned her
closely.
Have you been drinking ?" he asked.
| No. sir"
e. Arc you subject to alterations OF mind2"
Il am perfectly rational. sir" sho replied.
| rather nngry
Tho Chiof then directed her to remain in his
ofnce until he had attended to some routine
business Aftcrward he returned to the room.
! and at the young wOman's request prepared to
take down hcr story. With many tears and
conyulsivc movements Of her throat. she related
Her namo1s Mary Phillips. She is 90 years
ngs and he VIE ,r OF li Spsey r Ply 1bo
does business in New York. She was mnrred
eighteen months ago. and became to mother
OF a boy oyor ilye months ago. Long before she
bitterly opposed to thor union. hut after the mar
riage they consented to receive the couple into
their house. ut $40 Second street, Jersey City.
" which. together with the adjoining rnement,
tho elder Phillips Is the owner. The latter and
his wife had entertained AN aversion for their
dnughtcr in-law from the timc they first made
her acquaintance, md the reception which they
accorded her was cold and formal; Their indif-
renee was gradually converted into hatred,
and they MADE no effort 10 conceal their feel
ings. On the contrary. they made her homo
with them so unpleasant TINT she finally re-
solved 10 sock employment and maintain hcr-
self elsewhere 10y her own labor. Her husband.
although he did not actually participate in thu
persecution TO which she was subjected. mani
Tested sympathy for his father and mother aud
Sba ie hep bnby With v s IYr Snd
went to Now York to obtain a situation After
walking around tho city for some days. begging
| her bread. she succeeded in finding u place. On
"Wednesday last she returned 10 her husbands
home 70 visit her child. whom she ycarfed TO
her boy from the house and nddcd: Tho
thing has become n nuisance TO all Of us. and
babies Mary took her child in her arms and
rushed out into the street feeling that she was
M %% I9s Me9 sS Tr S SnT Tnn S
provide for herself and her child. she broke
down completely. and. sitting on a neighboring
doorstep. gave way to hystericnl paroNysm.
| On recovering she determined to have rc-
course to poison as the only means of saving
| herself and her babe from starvation. Accord
| inRly she went to Fwng's drug store. In Mont
gomery street. and purchased an ounce Of
| laudanum. She had no iioa bow much would
| be sufficient. but she bought all she could pro-
cure for tho few pennies she had in her
pocket. She poured out q teaspoonful Of
the poison. md endeayored TO administer
4 to the child but aiter swallowing one halt Of
that quantity the little one became sick. and she
could not induce him to take any more. She
then drank n portion OF the hudanum. and pre-
pared to die. Tho baby soon became sleepy
under the influence ~ the narcotic and when
she saw him close his eyes rs though dead she
dccd She had committed. In her frantic efforts
To- arouse him she shook him 80 violently that
the nausea returned. He cried plainiivcly, and
smiled at her amid his tears. The rally, how
ever, was merely momcntary, for he immedi-
TINT day h. died. and two hours later he WAS
buried in 81 Peters cemetery on tn" crttcatc
of Dr. kopctchny in which IT WAS related that
death had resulted irom congestion 81 %" brain.
Since the intermcnt Marys husband has been
prevented by his parents from holding any
Communication with her. Tormcnicd Inces.
sanity by her conscience for the crime she had
committs.d and upbraided By the Phillips tam
ily for offences Of viii she was innocent. she
wAs unable To ent or sleep. and became the prey
ot the most terrible apprchensions and OF re-
morse. She became convinced that tie on $
, way to recover her peace OF mind was TO make
atonement for the wrong sho had done and
the police to be deal, with by law,
Ahcr listening patiently 10 this narrative
Chief Nathan said that hers was a very deplora-
=" But DO YOU think shall be hanged" she
| eagerly inquired
/ Ho gave her an cvasiye answer and then i'm
prisoned her in cell a. await examination. A
) messenger was immediately sent for Justice
| paln hot n hna1tnuptara
, the magistrate WINS coseted with tho woman for
some time and the story which she, related 10
, | tho suspicious OF her insanity that had been
, originally entertained were strengthened. AT
Afternoon S iD5 in the First District Police court
FGGS4Res wIS Ssgb ~ Won 6nn the
prisoner. and in which he said that he had
failed TO discover any evidence that would
b eng arr%isned Mary dcYare red tRs s she adj
mnistered poison on Wednesday Sept; 4. al
nun. and She %' gave him onc.half t teas
H W; she thought it would do him coed
separated from him. She lid not give i to the
sh" thought ke acted as Il he was crazy '''''
bot remanded her to await the action OF Coroner
Cannon. by whom she was subsequently com.
mitted to the county Iatl on charge Of murder
subject 70 The result Of tho nqHf,st The PED,
Coroner and removed to Bradys morgue
where post-mortom examination is 10 be
l. | made to-day.
9 Tho elder Mrs Phillips on being Informed
G that her daughter In law had surrendered her
self TO the police for the murder Of her baby M
/, | pearcd 10 be very much astonishcd. She indig.
a | nantly denied that any discord had ever existed
5 In the family on account OF Mary. and said that
the child had always been great iaYorte.
I, We all loved her" she added. beyond
= When Mrs. Phillips and her husband wcr,
n brought TO Headquarters by Detective Brdsal
c they assorted that the child had been taker
o sick ON Wednesday, afternoon. DR.. Cullaghal
o was sent for, and after examining the littl,
I sufferer inquired whether anything had bceI
J. administered to him. His mother answered
u Nothing" When asked his opinion Of tn,
case tho physician answered that II was no
I. wise To- speak too much. and went awal
= soon afterwards, Mrs, Phillips, tho elder, re
marked that II the child should die suddcnll
a she would like to have Il post ortem examina
!" tion made, Her daughIsr.in law hearing he
l. words quietly said: " You needn't be 10 tina
II trouble Tor poisoned him myself"
why did you not tell the doctor that = aske'
her mother-n-lnw
Because didn't want g. Mary ,sullenly re