The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-11-02
A Maniac Mother.
HER DEED OF HORROR.

New YORK, October 31.-Mrs. Seguin,
aged SO, wife of DR.. Edward C, Seguin, q
noted specialist in diseases OF the brain,
killed her three young children this even
ing, and killed herself, at Al
West 10th street. There is no other
cause known for the horrible tragedy than
the insanity of the mother. The children
were Edward D., aged 6 years; John Van
Duyn, aged 8, and Ieannette, 4 years.
They were all shot through the
head and instantly killed. The
mothers death was as sudden
as theirs. The frightful feature Of the
tragedy is the manner of the murder. Mrs.
Seguin took The children to an empty spare
room at the top story of the house,
in 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
DIR. Amiden, Mrs. Seguin's brother, called
at s O'Clock and with his suspicious aroused
by the long absence Of the family made a
search of the house, the mother and child
rem were found dead, shot through
the head. The children's hands
were tied behind their backs
with whip-cord. They were blindiolded
with handkerchiefs. and from all appear
ances they must have been shot while
playing at blind.msn's bun with their
at least an hour and a half and
we're quite cold when discovered. Three
pistols were found in the room. all heavy
calibre and all had been used. Mrs. Seguin
lad been despondent from physical
causes for sometime, but she had
shown no evidence Of insanity. She was
small, slim woman Of nervous tempera-
ment. Her domestic life was very happy,
DIR. seguin returned about O'Clock
and upon hearing the dreadful
news was utterly prOstrated, and he is
in state Of mental distress. Dr.
Seeuin is a noted specialist in cases
of insanity. His father was equally
so. His wife was the daughter
of a Massachusetts, farmer. The couple
English basement, house. elegantly fur
nished. The room in which The traeedy
took place is on the ffth fonr,
and Is scarcely ever used by
the family. The Servants in the house
noticed that during the day Mrs. SeEuin
was in the same moody condition she bad
been in for several weeks, and which her
brother, Dr. Amiden, termed the
blues - About II O'Clock be called upon
II
had written Dr. Henry Draper. who bad
been invited to dine with the family, - de-
fer his visit This note she asked /
ber brother 10 send. He took
ID perponslly. and told her they
would al enjoy themselves. Doctor AMI /
ien called on iis sister a. and was told
he had gone out f1r walk. lie
returned At 5 O'Clock but Mrs. /
3egufn had H0t yet returned. I
The ball boy incidentally mentioned that /.
.le door Of the spare room was locked and I
be keys gone. A sudden suspicion seized /
be docfor that Mrs. eezuin bad Comet % Cen /
ral PARK and drowned he-self and children. /
He could not explain Why be thought this. /
Ne irnmedintely went I'D stairs and bursf /
he door oi the room open a hor11b BE slE1t /
net his eyes. Almost n the middle Of
be fo0r lay the dead b1Eiy Cf the eldest /
,ov. Edward, IN . rooi d blood. Partly I'M /
be closet lay Ms. SeElin, graspinE IN her
iKbf hand q smoking revolver.