Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1882-11-10
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

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Mrs. Seguln, Wife Of the Celebrated New
York Physician, Blindfolds and Pinionl
Her Three Children, and Shoots Them
Alternnteiy-She Then Puts Bullet
Through Her Own Brain-The Husband
and Father Almost Insane from Griel
and Despair.
NEW York, October 81.
Mrs. Eeguin. aged thirty-six. wife Of DIR. Ed
ward Q. segiiin, the noted specialist OF
disenses of the brain. killed her three
young children this afternoon and theil
killed herself at No. Al West TWEEN.
tieth street There is no other cause
known for the horrible tragedy than the in
sanity Of the mother. The children were Ed
ward d., aged six years; John Van Duyo
aged five. years, and Jeanette, four years.
They were all shot through the head and In
stantly killed. The mothers death was q
sudden a. theirs. The friRhtful feature of the
srasedy ts the manner Of the murder. Mrs
6egtsin took the children 10 an empty spare
room at the top Of 4 nv6stdry hoiiss, In the
absence OF her husband, and while the ser
wants were engaged in tho basement dtd
locked herself in with them. The servants
believed they had gone out for walk:
What Happened in the room win never be
known. but when DR.. Amidon, Mre. seguin's
brother. called at five o'clock. and, with his
suspicions aroused by the long absence of the
family, made q search of the house, the
mother and children wero found dead, an shot
through the head. The children's ands were
tied behind their backs with whipcord. They
were bllndfolded with handkerchiefs, and,
from oil appearances, they must have been
shot while playing blindmans buff with their
executioner. They had been dead for at least
In hour npd d half, and were quite cold whed
discovered. Three pistols were found in the
room, all of heavy caliber and Ill had been
used.
Mrs seguin had been despondent from
physical causes for some time, but she had
shown no evidence of insanity. She was q
small. slim woman Of nervous temperament.
Her domestic life was very happy, and there
was no family trouble.
DR.. Seguin returned home about seven
o'clock, and upon hearing the dreadful news
was utterly Frustrated. 1fe is in q state Of
mental distress, and under the care OF ply
Hicians.
Dt. seguipisA noted specialist iii cases Of
insanity. His father was equally SO. His
wife was the daughter of a Massachusetts
farmer. The couple moved in the best society.
The family lived in a five-story brown-stone
Aktut A<iIf tlru bu>tAACilt nOutts titHuIikly
nishcd. The room I'm which the tragedy took
place is on the fifth hoor and is scarcely ever
used by the family.
The three servants In the house noticed dur
ing the day that Mrs. Segun was In the moody
condition she had been in for several weeks,
and witch her brother, DIR. Amidon, termed
no non se and ASUs sSs sS SS & ss Ss hs fss M
Rhd had written, to Dr. Henry Draper, who had
been invited 70 dine with inc family, 70, deter
his yisiL; This note she askcd her brother tg
Ssd SS5ud al anoy pGS Il osaT and told hef 'nes
ht. .Aihidpn called on llls sister It three
o'clock, and was told she had gone ont for d
walk; He returned at Ave O'clock, but Nh.
cidentally mentioned that the door Of the spare
room was locked and the key gone. A sudden
juspiciqn seized the doctor that Mrs, seguin
herself and the children. He could not ex'
plain why he thought this. He Immediately
went up stairs and burst the door Of the room
open. A horrible sight met his eyes. Almost
the eldest boy. Edward, in pool Of blood.
Partly in a closet lay Mrs. Seguin grasping In
her right hand a big pearihandlcd revolver.
Jeannctfe There could be no doubt that the
mother had taken. the children into the
ns ng gistsfhss ss s 10 % psyng 9 sh
closet, and locked them in While She mufdeid
the oldest boy. The pistol with which he was
shot was targetpracticc weapon, with a bar
rel eleven inches long. II lay beside him, and
the bullet lay on the floor. II had passed
through his head. The maniac mother then
TO the closet. and with a heavy thir
ty-two-caliber revolver. with which she after
ward h'cw ont her owr bra'nr, shot the other
two children. t, 4, A i,
DR. Am don cut tho strings that boiind tie
chiidrens hands and laid them on the bed
The police and Coroner were notified at once
Nothing was found IN the room TO explain the
motive for the terrible crime.
The manlnc had held the weapon close to her
victims helde. for the handkerchfefs on their
faces had been burned. The face OF the little
girl wore a look of innocent surprise thHt eut
more deeeply than any other feature of the
dreadful deed. On the table laid a box Of
and a third pistol.
DIR. Sc gum when he returned, was taken to
his Office and physicians summoned He acted
~ though his faculties were gone. He caught
sight 81 the picture Of his children on the wall
pnq brqks into d horrible. wailing cry that
wiring the hearts 81 IN, lsfefiers. The uhysi.
clans I, ar he will loss his reason. None OF Tho
servants heard any noise.
Sudden insanity is the only motive known
for the deed. Mrs scguin was neatly dressed.
The children were lovely little things, and
Qll the family she had.