The Portland daily press., 1886-05-21
SHOCKING AFFAIR.
A Farmer Poisons His Child then
Attempts Suicide.
The Sad Workings Of Despondent
Nature.

GREENFIELD, Mass, May 20.-A terrible
tragedy occurred on Deerfeld street last
night and early this morning by which the
towns of Deerfield and Greenfield are greatly
excited. Eugene Taylor, young farmer
about IS years old, murdered his two and
half years old baby boy last night by feeding
it with candy sprinkled with strychnine,
from the effects of which the baby died in
two hours in terrible agony. Having killed
the child, Taylor then took an overdose Of
strychnine himself, but failing to take his
own life with the poison arose from bed this
morning and during the temporary absence
of his attendants and with a knife stabbed
himself in the neck, cutting his throat badly
but not fatally Interviewed this morning
by an Associated Press reporter in his bed,
Taylor gave as the reason for his rash act
that he was tired of this world and wanted
to leave it, taking his baby with him. His
wife, bright, intelligent, hard working lit
tie woman, says she was married to Taylor
on the 7th of September, 1882, at Moores, N
Y, where her brothers are in mercantile bus
mess under the firm name of Mcdowell
Bros, they run general country store.
Ever since this marriage she says Taylor has
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thousand dollars by some unwise specula-
tion, and wanted her to get her brothers to
lend him money soon after their marriage;
at her solicitation they advanced him $1,000
and have let him have money atyarlous times
since, and she has worked hard as dress
maker in the small country hamlet of Deer
field to pay this money back. Instead of i'm
proving she says her husband has of late be-
come still more Respondent. The mother
was making dress last night about 7.30
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canny, papa gave" ''No'' said the mother,
papa didn't give George candy; papa never
buys candy unless mamma asks him" Y es,
papa gave canny, see,' SAID the little fellow;
as he held up to her view ball of cocoanut
candy The mother said she thought moth
ing more of it, save the fact that it was rath-
er an unusual thing for her husband to do.
Presently thelittle fellow crawled upon the
lounge and fay down, and soon his eyes be-
came set and he appeared to be suffering
from commissions. She called her husband
who came and sat on the lounge and COM
menced taking off the baby's shoes and
stockings. On seeing his mother the little
boy reused up, and clasping his little arms
about her neck held on convulsively. DR..
Newell of Deerfeld was called in and pro
nounced it case of poisoning. Meanwhile
Taylor had taken large dose of poison, and
soon he was suffering convulsiye agonies.
The child died at p. m. in terrible agony,
while Taylor pulled through and this morn
ing made the second unsuccessful attempt at
self-murder. He was arrested this morning
at O'Clock in his bed by Deputy Sheriff
Smead. He took his arrest calmly, and eX-
pressed himself as sorry he had not succeed
ed in taking his own life.
GREENFIELD, Mass, May 20-Medical Ex-
aminer Gov this afternoon held an inquest on
the BODY Of Geo. Taylor, the child poisoned
by its father last night at Deerfeld. Quite
quantity of strychnine poison was found in
the childs stomach, and the medical examin-
er will render verdict that the child came
to its death from strychnine poiso admin
istered by its father, Eugene. Taylor.
In his cell tonight Eugene Taylor is closely
watched, as the belief is strong that he will
make further attempts upon his own life.
He lies upon his bunk with his eyes closed,
speaks to no one unless first addressed, and
then in voice low and tremulous. His
whole appearance indicates a crushed
and utterly respondent man. He
has no wish for life. He will be
examined next Friday on the charge
of murder, and will probably be held
for the July court as his own testimony re-
peatedly given fastens the crime upon him.
II is probable that at the trial the plea of in
sanity will be offered as Taylor has. been
subject to frequent spells of dependency al
though so far as can be learned he has never
before been considered insane even by peo-
ple who have known him for 10 years. On
the contrary he has ever been regarded as an
active hard working man, capable farmer
and trustworthy employe.