New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-29
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND MURDER

A DESERTED MOTHERS DESPERATION.
THROWING HER TWO CHILDREN And HERSELF INTO
TIE RIvER-AIL THREE RESCUED
A woman about thirty years old, poorly dressed
and very pale walked TO the bulkhead at the foot
of East Fourteenth. ct. shortly after yesterday
leading IA girl two years old by the hand and
carving baby boy in her Tne
children were fretful and appeared to be
IN want of food. When they were near the edge of
the bnlkhead the woman let go of the little girl's
hand and stood for moment looking irrcsOlutcly
at the river Suddenly she raised the baby, kissed
ii and flung it lar as she could into the water.
Theu she caught up the girl and threw her
after the baby. Before the girl had disappeared
the woman plunged headlong into the river with
her hands claspcd across her forehead. The water
was deep at that point. and waves
were dashing against the bukhcad with
considerable violence. Captain William Brit
ton, of the canal-boat Don Quixoto. saw
the woman throw the children overheard, and
ran swiftly TO the bulkhcad shouting for help. HIS
cries were heard by two boatmen. John Mulligan,
OF No 1877 Avenue-C, and John Gum. OF No. 400
East Seventy. fourth-st, who pulled at once to the
rescue The infant was thrown by tho waves so
near the bulkhcad that Captain Brit
ton caught it and lifted It, half
choLed from the water, and the boatmen
rescued the woman and her little girl as they
about to sink for the last time The woman
struggled feebly to prevent her life from beng
saved, and was much exhausted when an ambu-
lance YVES summoned TO take her TO Bellevue Hos
pital IIcl children, who warmed aud fed in
Captain Britton's cabin, did not seem to be suffer
nr much from the effects of their cold bath. and
they were removed 10 the hospital with their
mother.
L4t.f ssnn a,rfa Lyf.Vf Of md
medicine, however. she said that she was Mis-.
Margaret Graham. and that her husband had
deserted her and left her for some time without Il
home Extreme destituti0n and the fear OF being
separated from her little children had let her TO
seek death III The water. She would not tell her
husbands name or say where she had lived last.
Daring the afternoon Mrs Graham remained too
iudispOscd 10 give any further information about
herself, but later, under the kind treatment she Te
ceivcd, she became moro talkdtlve and hnaily
gave the following facts about herself; She
vas born in Ireland thirty years ago About ten
years ago she was married to John Graham, an en-
guccT, and Irish ike herself They came 10 this
country and lived happily enough. They had three
clnidrcn-Amy, now ten years old; John, ago three.
and Daniel, five months Old. When asked where
s nGs d "'0"" not know 9 s6o 6ad i not not
seen him for eight or nine days. For
some time she had been living at No. 3Os East
Twentys iourthsst. Not having seen her husband
for so long, she became yTctched. She did not
know where TO 80 or what 10 do. The night before
last she slept at police sta ion somewhere on the
about, not knowing what to do sudden dizziness
seized her head. She standing by tho
nver. Whether lbe children pulled her in or
whether she fell IN. or how it was. she could not
say. She knew nothing Till the boItman pulled her
out.
A TRIBUNE reporter went TO No 3Os East Twenty
four hist and made inquiries, 1t is q respectable
looking boarding house. conducted by James Berry
IL was learned that Mrs. Graham and her
husband had lived there till Saturday last,
when they went away, having received warning
from the landlord. They did not say where they
were going bat one OF the children had sand they
were going to No. 3I4 East Thirty -ninth-st. In
ourv among the neighbors showed that 1t was The
common belief that Mrs Graham wGs reckless"
Inv which 1t was understood she drank. She
and the children went away early in the
morning; her husband went In the evening, hav-
inc sent a truck 10 remove the furniture. Graham
was thirty-seven years oid ana was cohSidered ie-
spectacle. ...... -. .,.o,
that The urahans had not moved there on oatur-
day At the Eighteenth Precinct station IL was