River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-06-12
A HORRIBLE DEED.
A Child Hurled from Third-storY Win
DOUBTS Mother Commits the 4trocity-
The Father a PaSsire Spectator.

A Child Hurried from q Third-storY Win
do,c-Its Mother Commits the ItrocitY-
The Father a Passfre Spectator.
boston journal, June 81
A crime, the nature of which is peculiarly
horrible, occurred at the North End at an
early hour Sunday morning. The victim of
the shocking deed was a 6-weeks .old male
infant, the mother being charged with at
tempting its destruction by hurting it from
third-story window. The details, furnished
by the First police and others, are as fol-
lows:
Minnie Burns, aged 81 years, and her hus-
band, Michael Burns, aged % years, have
been for some time living in the third story
OF No 30 Salem street, a tenement of the
poorer class. When sober they work, but
their wages are pretty sure to be converted
into rum, of which both partake literally,
and while there is rum in the house there is
no work. OF course Burns and his wife
| fight occasionally, and have made for them
selves very bad reputation in the neigh
4 borhood.
Parties living in the same building state
that on Saturday night the Burnses were
having high time OF drinking and "jawing,"
so that there was no peace in the vicinity.
1t is not ALLEGED that, on this occasion, they
| came to blows, nor IL it known that there
was any trouble about the child.
Owing to the din created by these people
and the excessively high temperature, several
people occupying tenements on Hanover
street, the back windows of which are not
far distant from and face the back windows
of the Burns tenement, were kept awake
pretty much all the latter part of the night
Not being able to sleep, some of them arose
and took positions from which to watch
proceedings at the Burnses. They
little thought, however, what a scene was to
be witnessed. 1t was about 4 o'clock, it is
thought, when Mrs. Burns made her appear
ance at a back window which overlooks small
yard and the roofs of some squalid, low
buildings. She had clutched in her hands
in anything but a motherly manner, hen
babe, aged six weeks. Letting go the child's
body, she transferred her grasp to its skirts
holding it in this manner, she began swing
ing it back and forth, yelling the while in an
unintelligible way. 1t is alleged that while
this horrible performance was in progress the
husband was near her, witnessed hen
acts, and offered no resistance. Those who
observed her from the Hanover street build
| ing called out to herto take the child in
and regarded the woman as a maniac
Their entreaties were disregarded. With
| powerful effort the inhuman mother sent
the helpless babe flying through the air over
on the roof of two-story building, where
it rested only for an instant, and rolled of
into The yard below, striking a fence some
six feet in height in its descent.
The spectators alluded to rushed into the
yard and secured the supposed lifeless body
of the child. Finding it alive, however, the
services OF DIR. Street we're secured, who. up.
on careful examination, could find no frac-
lures of bones, though there were serious
symptoms of internal injuries, and some
severe bruises about the head. The general
| condition of the wretehed little one was
much better than one can hardly imagine
under such circumstances. In was trans
| ferred to the Chardon street home. 1t is
hoped the result may not prove fatal, but
the chances are about equal either way, il
would seem.
While the child was being cared for the
First police had been notified of what had
taken place. Patrolmen Deviney and Bull
lard proceeded to No. 65 Salem street and
secured Mrs. Burns, who was committed on
charge of attempted murder. Afterward
| learning that the husband witnessed the
deed and did not interfere, the same officers
returned to the house and arrested him on
the charge of being accessory to the at
tempted murder before the fact. He was
also committed. Both admit the crime inn
puted to them, also claim the Legitimacy OF
the child. 1t would seem from their con-
duct end conversation, though they did not
appear to be very drunk when arrested, that
! they have no clear notion of the enormity OF
the crime charged to them, and had no
reason for committing it. they were sent
to the Tombs, where they acted very like
people afflicted with delerium tremens.