The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-11-08
A Mothers Awful Deed.

A Mothers Awful Deed
/ New YORK, November 1-One of
the most shocking tragedies known
in recent time occurred yesterday
afternoon in the family of DIR. Ed
ward c. Seguin, the noted special
list on brain diseases. His wife MUIR
dered her three children and then
committed suicide at the home on
West Twentieth street. The tragedy
was the result of the insanity of the
mother. The children we're: Ed
ward d., aged 6 years; John Van
Dwyn, aged ), and Jeanette, aged
4 years.
The frightful feature of the TRACE
/ dy is the manner of the murder.
Mrs. Seguin took the children to an
empty spare room at the top of
five story house "a the absence OF
her husband. and when the servants
were engaged in the basement and
locked herself in with them. The
servants believed they had gone out
for walk. What happened in the
room will never be known, but when
DR., Amidor, Mrs. Seguin's brother,
called at . O'Clock, and with his sus-
picions aroused by tie long absence
of the family, made search of the
house. The mother and children
were found dead, all shot through
the head. The children's hands
were tied behind their backs with
whip-cord. They were blindfolded
with handkerchiefs, and from all APP
pearances they must have been shot
while playing at blind mans buff (
with their executioner. They were
dead for at least an hour and half. |
and were quite cold when discover
ed. Three pistols were found in the
room, all of heavy calibre and all
had been used. Mrs. Seguin had |
been despondent from physical
causes, for some time, but she had |
shown no evidence of insanity. She |
was small, slim woman of nervous
temperament. Her domestic life
was very happy, and there was no
family trouble.
Three servants in the house no.
ticed during the day that Mrs. Sc
guin WAS moody, condition she had
been III for several weeks, and which
her brother, DR. Amidon, termed
the blues" About eleven o'clock
in the forenoon he called npon her
and she said she did not feel well,
and had written DIR. Henry Draper,
who had been invited to dine with
the family before bis visit. This
note she asked her brother to send.
He took it, jokingly, and told her
they would all enjoy themselves.
DIR. Amidon called on his sister at
three o'clock, and was told she had
gone out for a walk. He returned
at five O'Clock, but Mrs. Seguin had
not yet returned. The hall boy in
cldentally mentioned that the door
OF the spare room was locked ard
the key gone.
a sudden suspicion seized the
Doctor that Mrs. Seguin had gone to
Central Park and drowned herself
and children. He could not explain
why he thought this. He ;mmedi-
ately went Up stairs and burst the
door OF the room open. A horrible
sight met his eyes. Almost in the
middle of the floor lay the dead
body OF the eldest boy, Edward, in a
pool of blood. Partly in the closet
lay Mrs. Seguin, grasping in her
right hand q big pearl-handled re
volver. Inside the closet lay the
boy, John, and the girl Jeanette.
There could be no doubt the mother
had taken the children into the
room on pretense of playing blind
mans buff. She had led the two
youngest into the closet and locked
them in while she murdered the old
est boy. The pistol with which he
was shot was IA target practice pistol
with barrel eleven inches long 1t
lay beside him and the bullet lay on
the floor. 1t had passed through his
head. The maniac mother then pro-
ceeded to the closet, and with the
heavy 32-caIibre revolver, with which
she afterwards blew out her own
brains, shot the other two children. Il
DR.. Amidon cut the strings that
bound the children's hands and laid
them Oh the bed. The police and
coroner were notified at once. Moth |,
ing was found in the room to ex-
plain the motive of the terrible ,
crime. The maniac had held the
weapon close to her victims heads
for the handkerchiets on their faces
had been burned. The face of the ,
little girl wore a look Of innocent :
surprise that cut more deeply than /
any other feature of the dreadful
deed. On the table lay "a box of
cartridges and third pistol.
Dr. Seguin, when he returned
about I O'Clock, was taken to his Of l
flee and physicians summoned. He
acted as though his faculties were s
gone, He caught sight of a picture
OF the children on the wall and broke {
into a horrible, wailing cry that '
wrung the hearts of the listeners. '
Physicians fear be will lose his rea. '
son. None of the servants heard any |
noise. Sudden insanity Is the only l
motive known for the deed. Mrs. I
Seguin was neatly dressed. The I
were lovely little things and I
all the family she bad
The room in which the tragedy |
took place is on the fifth floor. and {
Is scarcely ever used bv the family. {