Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-05-08
HACKED HER INFANT TO PIECES.

HACKED HEX INFANT TO PlECES.
A terrible tragedy was enacted in Newark,
N. J., Tuesday Mrs. Lucy Gilchrist, took
her six. months-old babe into the cellar and
literally chopped it to pieces with q hatchet.
The Gilehrist family occupy the first floor OF
n fiat. The father, Thomas Gilchrist, is a
hard working man. He is employed in !.
coal yard. Mamie is the oldest child. She
is eighteen, and contributes to the support of
the family by working in Clark's thread
works. The other children are Rosanna,
aged eight; Robert, aged twelve; Lucy, aged
sixteen Thomas, aged four, and the mur-
dered baby, Josie. The mother is a fine
looking woman, thirty-eight years old. For
several years she has been addicted 10 drink.
Her sprees usually lasted for several weeks.
About fortnight ago she went on debauch
with woman named Butler. In the midst Of
the spree the Butler woman was arrested for
being disorderly and sent to the Essex coun
ty jail. While SOLDERING up Mrs. Gilchrist is
usually irritable and quick tempered. On
Monday she awoke from her drunken stupor
morose and sullen. Her little children We're
accustomed to seeing their mother in this
condition, and about halfpast eleven the
next morning they were much surprised
when she became very kind to them. She
kissed and caressed the baby and nestled it
iondly to her bosom.
sCome, children, come with mamma into
the cellar" she was heard to remark, and
the unsuspecting children, clinging to her
skirts in mute surprise, followed her. The
inhuman mother went about her work de-
liberately. She deposited the baby Oh the
cement floor and bade the other children
not to approach. She found long han
Il Ia L,t hot l,o I~sf Il r1l
over to where the sunbeams stole through
small window. She felt the edge of the
hatchet and found it keen. She took her
little babe in her arms and laid it down on
the floor at full length, and, raising the
Ratchet aloft, swung it around and then
buried it in the left side Of the baby's face,
just below the lett eye. Again and again
the blows fell until the little head was
hacked into an unsightly mass. Then she
threw the blood.stained weapon away and
looked composedly at her tiendish act.
The children, who had witnessed the
crime, were for the moment terror stricken.
Recovering themselves, they ran up stairs,
screaming. An old lady who lives on the
second floor was alarmed by their cries and
came down to ascertain the cause. The
children were too frightened 10 explain any
thing, and could only cry
"Baby in the cellar |"
Jacob Reed and Henry Smith were pass
ing the house at the time and The old woman
implored them TO come in and go 10 the eel
lar. Then the horrible deed was discover
ed The murderess had again seized the
hatchet and was about to bring it down on
the little ones body when one of the men,
who at first was almost para yzed at the
sight before him, regained his senses and
seized the woman's arm.
At that instant the father of the murdered
child rushed into the house and down the
cellar stairs. The sight which met his gaze
trans6xed him with horror. His child lay
at his feet Will. its head almost severed from
its body, his wife struggling with the
strength Of demon to overpower her cap.
tors. The man threw himself upon the
floor, and in a paroxysm Of anguish loudly
bewailed bis loss. Suddenly he sprang TO
his feet. He caught the tiny, mangled
form up in his arms and fondled it as when
alive. Suddenly fit of desperation seized
him and with the mangled remains of his
child in his arms he rushed up stairs to the
room where the infanticide had partially
prepared the MONDAY meal, and prostrated
himself upon the floor with his dead babe
by his side.
Inc story OF bDe crime SOon Spre8u, anu
the street in the vicinity of the house was
thronged with the morbidly curious The
police soon arrived and took the murderess
into custody. On her way to the station
house the woman acted like a maniac.
When locked up in her cell she talked in a
rambling manner, saying:
Let me get out. I must kill those chick
ems in the cellar. Don't you hear them
They want to be killed. Where is the axe
I must kill those chickens"
Thus she incoherently rambled on; the
pupils of her eyes were dilated, and she dis
played every appearance of insanity.
As the terrible nature of the crime again pre-
sented itself to the father he became crazed with
grief and it required the efforts of several police
men and neighbors to restrain him from commit
ting acts of desperation. 1t is feared that the
shock may unsette his reason, and every effort is
being made to compose him. One of the tenants
in the house is of the opinion that Mrs. Gilchrst
intended to murder the other children, but was
prevented by the timely interference of the two