Huntsville gazette., 1884-05-31


of Three of Her Children and Then At
tempts to Yet Out Her Own Life Blood
Two of the Children Dead and the Mother
Likely to Die.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, May 26.
A tragedy was enacted in this city
early yesterday morning, surprising in
horror anything of similar kind that
has taken place for years.
1t occurred in the family of Alexander
Edmund, a Swede, aged about thirty-six
years; his wife, Augusta, aged thirty
three years, and their four children,
William, aged nine years; Emma, aged
five years; Cora, three years, and Au-
gusta, four months. Edmund married
the woman in this city in 1874, her
maiden name being Augusta Nelson.
She was also native of Sweden,
sessed all the characteristics of her
race. She is medium sized, with a grace
full figure, blue eyes, light complexion,
and a head of perfect blonde hair. She
has a brother in Allen County, Kas., an
other in Champaign, ILL.,, and another in
Indiana. The remainder of her relatives
are across the sea. Mr.. Edmund did not
know her relatives, and when the theory
of hereditary insanity was put forward
yesterday he could not answer.
The family occupied three rooms,
front room, bedroom next in rear and
the kitchen last. The husband and wife
and two youngest children slept in bed
in the northeast corner of the middle
room or more appropriately the bed
room. The little girl Emma, five years
old, slept alone in a single bed in the
front room and the boy Willie slept on
the floor at the foot of the bed occupied
by his parents.
HOW THE BUTCHERy WAS DONE.
About four O'Clock the mother awoke
in an insane deirium. All testimony
goes to show that the maniac was there
and the mother and maternal instincts
had departed. She crept stealthily out
of bed and stepped over the body of her
sleeping son, picked up the small writing
desk which was lying on the floor. This
she carried back in the kitchen and taking
a large bu tcher knife from the kitchen
table, she inserted its point between
the lid of the desk and the body
proper and bearing down forced
it open after the same stvle that
burglar uses a ''jmmy" on door. She
seized the glittering razor that had been
locked in the desk and then tip-toeing
back into the bedroom she bent over the
body of her sleeping husband and drew
the weapon across the soft throat of her
four-months old baby. From the position
1,at, ~ Ia,
morning it was evident that the little
one never moved or made the
least struggle. 1t was lying on Its
right side with its face against
the wall, and on the left side OF the
throat and neck was the deep incision
that terminated it's short life. Walking
around to the foot of the bed the insane
mother next buried the blade in the
throat of Cora, a pretty little blonde,
aged three years. The child died almost
instantly. Ignoring her son on the floor,
she walked to the front room, and feeling
for the throat of her tive-year-old Emma,
cut at the vital part.
SHE AwoKE AND SCREAMED.
The child had been awakened by the
mother and screamed when the steel
was applied to her throat. The frenzied
down with her dead children. The
father heard the scream, but it took
him a few seconds to regain con-
sciousness. Meanwhile Emma had crept
out of her bed and, drenched in a
stream of blood that flowed from her
throat, she started to walk into the
bedroom occupied by her parents. There
was a lamp burning low in the room,
and the father sprang out of bed Just as
his little daughter was coming through
the doorway.
"What's the matter, darling?" asked
the father picking up the little girl.
"Mamma, mamma" was all the child
could say.
A HORRIBLE DISCOVERY.
Turning around he was Mortified to dis
cover his wife lying in the bed in the act
of cutting her throat with razor. She
had already inflicted one cash and for the
second time had slashed at her throat
with the weapon. Her husband ran to
the bedside and seizing the hand which
held the weapon he forced it from her
grasp. She did not struggle to keep it,
but relinquished it as soon as her hus-
band caught her hand.
stMy God, what do you mean?-what
have you been doing?" he asked.
"'Tis best that we should die,' gasped
the woman, while with every breath
hot stream of blood spouted from her
neck. The husband next made the ter
rible discovery that three of his children
were dead or dying, and, almost dement,
ed, he ran to the door and shouted for
assistance.
Officer O'Connor stood only few feet
from the door, and with his assistance
neighbor named N. A. Albertson was
aroused and sent for medical aid.
Mr.. Albertson aroused DIR. Pirtle, and
about half an hour after the slaughter the
doctor arrived. The woman, mean
while, had been losing blood steadily, and
though still conscious, was very weak.
The physician made an examination,
and found that she had barely missed
the carotid artery and jugular vel
but had severed a number of s
veins and arteries, which w 80
probability, result in her ~1nale
two youngest childre al, III ,,s a
an examination Of dcalh. II
the mother at ID were dead, bu
razor had Emma, the last OIL
little pi- lacked, showed that tn