Daily Republican., 1886-03-31

The South Australian Advertise"
OF the 9th Of January contains an ac-
count forwarded by telegraph from
Melbourne of a remarkable occurrence
which took place on the night of the
26th at Coburg, In the family of Chas.
Hampton, formerly an overseer OF one
Of the trades In the Pentridge Prison.
The family resided in Louisa street,
Coburg. Mrs. Hampton, the mother,
is about fifty years of age, and has a
family consisting Of several boys and
girls, the youngest daughter named
Ethel Mary, being being between
eight and nine years old. 1t appears
that Mrs. Hampton for some time past
had shown symptoms Of weakness of
mind, though the fact was only known
to the family.
On the night of the 25tk of January
Mrs. Hampton went to bed with her
daughters in one part of the house, and
the father and eldest son in rooms in
another part. AT midnight the son was
disturbed by cry of distress from his
mothers room. He got up and awoke
his father, and they went TO Mrs. Hamp-
tons room. The door was locked but
their alarm allayed by either the
mother or one of the daughters stating
that one of the girls had been taken
III, though not seriously. The father
and son returned to bed. At six o'clock
the latter was aroused by one of his
sisters, and the statement she made
TO him induced him TO hurry to his
mothers room. A horrible sight met
his gaze. The body ofthe child Ethel
was found rolled up in blanket quite
dead and covered with blood, with the
head almost severed from the body.
The mother and her elder daughters
were lying down smeared with blood,
traces of which were seen all over the
room. Two daughters, Annie and
Mary, had friGhtful cash In each OF
their arms above the elbow, from which
the blood was flowing freely. The
other girl was similarly cut in one arm
only. The mother was not wounded
at all. Search was made for the weap-
on with which the crime had been
perpetrated, and q white-handled sharp
penknife stained with blood was found
hidden between the mattresses. Mrs,
Hampton appeared to be perfectly un-
conscious of what had occurred. The
girls were much excited, and being
asked how the crime was committed,
said they had all sworn not to tell.
The police were soon on the spot, &C
companied by medical man. The
wounds of the girls were dressed, and
the flow of blood, which threatened to
1 ha fatal 10 hat OF
Eventually the youngest girl made
a confession " hich leads to the belief
that the tragedy occurred through re-
ligious mania. Her statement is to the
effect that something was influencing
them to be wicked, and that the
mother asked them which they would
choose, death or bad life, and they
decided for death. They agreed to
put an end to each others lives, and
asked God if they were doing what He
wished. A noise was heard as of peals
of thunder and the shaking of win.
dows, which they took to be an an
swer in the affirmative. They decided
upon killing the youngest child first,
and then they began TO kill them
selves. The mother waited to see the
others die; but in the meantime day
broke, when one of the girls fetched
her brother.
Three of the daughters are named
Annie, aged twenty-five; Eleanor
aged twenty. one, and Mary, nineteen
years, and all Of them appear to have
received fair education. The family
is universally respected. The mother
and girls have been placed under re-
strant. Further information, CLEANED
from the confession and from state
ments made by the brother, has ELECTED
that the three girls mentioned, in con,
sequence of reading certain publ
cations which attained great notoriety
in London last summer, had been
laboring under the hallucination that
some persons had been endeavering tc
drug them with felonious intent.
They were in constant dread of being
waylaid. On the 25th they held con.
| ference and decided to kill themselves
as the only hope of avoiding life Of
shame. The mother joined with them
in the purpose. When the decision
was come to the mother and Mary, the
youngest of the three daughters
held the child Ethel down ant
hacked her TO death with a penknift
and razor. After this deed was
done they held a council and de-
cided that the mother should not die
They. then cut one another's arms
with view of severing the main
artery and bleeding to death. After a
while, however, the bleeding stopped
and and another incision was made
The mother, who has been arrested,
shows unmistakAble signs of insanity.