The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-06-16
APPALLING CRIME.
A Mother POisosss Her Four Children
and Herself.

~ NIOtmeK k-OloOebs HUI onH ShssosSss
and Herself.
Domestic difficulties In poor German fami-
ily OF Chicago eliminated In q blood -curdlina
tragedy. Mary Syeboldt, aged 80 years, wife OF
Casper Seyboldt, q baker, and residing at 81
Fnnell street, murdered her four children and
then committed suicide. The story OF the
crime is one OF the most remarkable in the
police annals of Chicago, and ranks with any OF
the Borgia sensations At 5 o'clock In the
morning, Casper seybold arrived home after
working all night at bakery, and was met at
the door by his wife. She was dressed in q
new she;nise trimmed with lace and blue
ribbon purchased especially for the awful oc-
casion. She acted strangely, and could scarcely
stand.
"Come in Casper, come in, she said, wav-
They are all dead-all our four little children
are dead. gone to heaven, Casper. See how
pretty they are. Every one got nice flowers for
the angels"
For a moment the husband was stunned, aud
thought his wife crazy. He hurried to the bed
room, and there strange sight met his horri-
fed eyes. Laid out, al for burial. were the four
children-Matlda, aged IL; Anton, aged 2;
Annie aged years and months, and the
baby Agnes, aged less than months. They
We're dressed in white, trimmed with blue rib
bons hair nicely smoothed and tied with blue
ribbons and in therIhands bouquets OF fresh
flowers All were stone dead except Matilda,
and she was just breathing. Mrs. Syeboldt fol-
lowed her husband into the room 80 full OF
death, and said "Yes, sent them all to
heaven, because God wanted them"
Casper Syeboldt was stupehed. His lips
moved but no sound came. He at last recov-
cred sufficiently TO realize the awful deed, and
haa tllA off md nod
Mr. Martin, grocer. That gentleman hastily
procured the services If physician, but he
could do nothing for the dying girl, Matilda.
Attention was then turned to Mrs. Syeboldt,
who WAS in commissions. She managed To tell
the physician that she gave the poison to her
children first, laid them out, and then prepared
herself for death, taking the remnant of "a
large dose of strychnine. She died III great
agony shortly after O'Clock, and was laid out
beside her children.
The motives of the woman in this SILENT
bloodless destruction OF her children and self
may be partly Cleaned from the following notes
and bits If writing found among the effects of
the family. They are by the oldest daughter
of IL. The resignation shown by the writer Is
remarkable:
~ wish to all my playmates better and a
happier time than | had, so good-by TO you all,
for you all are welcome TO the place where 1
have gone. Remember me.
Among the papers was one containing two
verses OF the hymn beginning
''There is happy land" etc.
Another note is addressed to a PLAYMATE:
MARY Murphy: Please tell Lizzie Martin
[probably the daughter of the landlord of the
house, 81 Flnnelll Minnie Often and Lizzie
Reymould that l nave forgotten their dispute
and forgive them. l guess they Will feel sorry
for IL. May they think of me their friend.
'TuLY SYEBoLDT."
Other notes read as follows
I" Dear Papa Forgive ma, we have to leave
you. Mamma thought il was the best we could
do. | am now III tine better land, where we all
live in freedom. Your daughter, MATILDA"
Dear Papa: Please bury us decent at Wun-
der's cemetery, that we may all be buried to-
gether. That's all request of you. My knife
and money Is for your present, and is III the
collar-box. Buy for Anton, Annie and self
flowers from the money which have saved. 1t
is mine. The knife is yours"
" For May Murphy will tell you the story
of our trouble. My mother was always sick,
you know, and thought Of dying often, and
thought how If she was dead how we would be
treated, and SO thought best for all Of us to die
at once and bought something TO kill US. The
baby first, Annie second, Tony third, aud / aft
er. We did not suffer much, and now We are
al out of trouble"
"Rosey Morris: Take the book that I've
brought home from school. II Is not mine. IL
Ia the History OF the United States. Take it to
room 8, to George Caproni. 1t lis on the lower
shelf Of the closet"
"This is for Mary and Nell Murphy, my tive
dear plsymates. l wish you happier and bet
ter time than had. Good-by. You are all
welcome"
Two or three OF the slips containing por-
tons OF the above were written in German
characters. the remainder in English.