Morris tribune., 1886-04-28

\
an Ax-One Killed Outright-The Old
est Daughters Fight for LIfs--Littie
Alida's Prayer.
KEYPoRT, N j., April 26-On the back
road betweenE EKeyport and Port Monmouth,
in the village of Harmony, stands a small
two-story farmhouse. In this house Friday
morning Mrs Fanny Smith, the wife of j.
NJ Smith, farmer, in q fit Of insanity de-
Hberately attacked her four children with
an ak, killing one outright and injuring
the others so badly that there is little hope
Of their recovery. Ever since the birth OF
her second child, about thirteen years ago,
Mrs. Smith has suffered with fits of melan
cholia During Thursday night she became
very uneasy, and getting out of bed, she
walked up and down the floor, repeating
over and over again, Il am lost! l am lost!'
Her husband finally persuaded her to get into
bed again, and she apparently went to sleep
At O'Clock in the morning both Mr.. and
Mrs. Smith got up as usual, and after dress
ing both went downstairs ana out into the
yard. Nothing was said about the occur
renee in the night and Mr. Smith noticed
nothing strange in his wife's manner. As
he left her to go to his beds, which are
near the house, she said to him: John, it
was very careless of you to leave the hem
house door open. I'll go and shut it." She
started to go to the hen-house, which is in
front of the house near the barn. After
closing the hen-house door she stopped
at the wood-pile on her way back, and
securing an ak that was lying there,
concealed it under ner dress She
then ran steaIthily to the house and
went up the back stairs. Her 4-year-od
Io, han fH1l Low
in the room at the right of the head of the
stairs. The frenzied mother brought down
the edge of the ak on the little ones head
and Drained her. She next went into the !
room of her 13year-oid son, Rufus, who was
also asleep She struck him on the left side
Of the head three times, laying it open SO
that the brains protruded. In the next
room her two daughters-Bessie, IL years |
old, and Alida, years old-slept Bessie |
had been awakened by the screams of her |
brother, and getting out of bed had seen her |
mother strike Rufus the last time. Knowing !
that something terrible was happening, |
the poor child ran back to her bed, and |
kneeling down by its side, began to pray. |
In this posture she was discovered a mo-
ment later by her mother, who, despite her !
piteous cries for mercy, attacked her with
the bloody ak. The child crawled toward
her mother on her knees, holding up her
hands to protect herself, but at the fourth
blow she fell forward on the floor, horribly
gashed.
Mrs. Smith then went to Alida's bedside
and struck her six or seven times. The
child evidently put up one little arm to ward
off the blows, and received a fearful cut
across her four fingers Then, putting
out her other arm, she received an
yhIoh han
hand at the wrist One of her eyes
was entirely cut out and her skull
was fractured. Beyond the children's
room, in a small room in the end of the
house, the eldest daughter, Fannie, 18 years
old, slept with her little 2-year-old sister
Nancy. Fannie was awakened by the
screams Of her two sisters, and jumped ouL.
Ind threw her whole weight against the
loor Just as her mother was pushing it open.
She was not a moment too soon. The
rantic woman, maddened by the scenes
through which she had passed, strove with
Ter whole strength to gain an entrance
After fearful struggle Fannie succeeded in
looking the door. All this took only q few
minutes.
When Betty Beldo, the colored family
srvant, who was preparing breakfast down
tairs, heard the noise above she ran up,
tairs and tried to prevent Mrs Smith from
ompleting her bloody work. Mrs Smith :
hassd her downstairs, and she ran In
family for Mr.. Smith He reached the !
DOM just as his wife was beginning to bat
or down her daughter Fannie's door. As
oon as his wife saw him. she stopped, and
o led her downstairs and placed her on
he lounge Her strength then seemed COM
letely gone, and she lay there muttering:
God told me to do it 1t was the only
'ay. killed them rather than to have
hem homeless and go to hell"
kilograms were sent Immediately for
octorS The wounds of Rufus, Bessie and
Alida were dressed, but the doctors agreed
hat they could not recover. Mrs. Smith I
in a precarious condition, as it was after
ard discovered that before going to the
hildren's rooms she had taken a dose of r
1T poison. A stomach pump was applied,
ut to no effect Little Edna was killed in q
tantly. Mrs Smith is a pleasant faced,
lotherly looking woman Of 43
LATER.-Bessie, the little 11-year-old
aughter of James J. Monroe Smith, of
Iamoney, has proved the second victim of
sr insane mothers murderous act The
rl died Saturday morning Rufus, the 13-
ear-old boy, can not>live much longer, his
bad being split from the forehead to the
ack of the left ear. The doctors have
light hopes of saving the remaining victim. +
he unfortunate woman who enacted the
rrible tragedy was dying, Saturday, in
.eat agony in room next to where the
)dies of her two little victims~lie