The true northerner., 1886-05-06
AN AWFUL DEED.
A New Jersey Mother, While In Re-
ligIOus Frenzy, Stays Four OF
Her Children.
She Says She Did It to Save Them from
Pain and Eorrow--A Sickening
Recital.
lKeyport IN. J.) special.l

became insane this morning, took q dose of
poison, and crushed in the heads Of four of
her children with an ak. The youngest
child died Immediately and the others are
not expected to live till morning. Mrs.
Smith also is very low and will probably
die.
The family consists of j. Monroe Smith,
the father, about 55 years DID, the mother,
who is 43 years of age; and their six chill
dren-19, Is, 13, IL, and A years old re-
spectively.
Last night the family retired rather
earlier than usual, so Mrs. Smith arose
about o'clock this morning and
reused her husband at the same
hour. Their breakfast had been pre-
pared by colored woman who had been in
the familys service for years. After eat
ing, Mrs. Smith left her husband in the
kitchen and went out to the hen-house.
Mr.. Smith followed her, in n few moments,
to hot-house, which was about 100 yards
away from the house. In the hen house
Mrs. Smith took out of her pocket pack
age of rat poison which she bought and
concealed over three years ago. She swal-
lowed a large dose of the poison, and threw
the box away. On her way back to the
house she picked up large Ak, which she
concealed Deneath her dress.
Entering the house she went first to the
chamber of the four-year- old daughter,
Edna, who was quietly sleeping. She
took the ax from under her dress and
brought it down with terrible effect on
the childs head. She did this three times,
until she saw that the little curly head
was split open. Then she left, and
entered the bedroom Of her son Rufus,
thirteen years old. She struck him three
or four blows on the head with the back of
her AK, which laid the side of his head
open. Next she turned her attention to her
eleven-year- daughter Bessie, whom she
found on her knees praying. The child
seemed to know that her turn had come, as
she had witnessed the attack on the others.
She lifted up her hands imploringly and
begged her mother in 4 faltering voice to
spare her, but this had no effect on the
frenzied woman, for she let the ak come
down on the poor child's head with as much
force as at first, and moment later her
third victim was lying on the floor with her
skull fractured A moment later she had
struck Aida, another of her children.
The sound of the childs voice had
reached the ears of Bette Beldo, the aged
colored housekeeper, who ran to the child's
assistance up-stairs. Mrs. Smith had just
completed her bloody work, but she was
still in q frenzy of excitement. She turned
on the old woman and raised her Ak with
the intent of adding another victim to the
list. Bette turned and ran down stairs,
pursued by the woman, who now began to
show her insanity by howling at the top of
her voice. Finding that she could not over
take the colored woman Mrs. Smith threw
the blood stained AK after her, but 1t struck
the wall, and the colored woman ran out of
the house screaming with terror.
The insane woman picked up her fearful
weapon again, and retraced her steps up
the stairs to the room where her eighteen
year-old daughter was. This girl had seen
some of the tragedy, picked up the baby,
two years old, and fled to the apartment for
safety. She had not time to lock the door
when her mother, with the ak raised above
her head, was upon her. Then fearful
struggle began. The girl knew that her
mother meant death, and all her energies
were reused to keep the door fast till as
sistance would come. She threw her body
against the door, while Mrs. Smith struggled
to break it in. Finally the brave girl sue
ceeded in turning the key. Then she laid
down the baby, and hurried away to tell
her father of what had occurred, while the
mother was trying to batter down the door
with the ax.
The girl met her father and Bette Beldo
Fastening from the hot-house TO the scene
of the tragedy. The husband ran up the
stairs. The insane woman turned with
rage and raised her weapon, but at sight
of him she covered and let it fall nervously
to the floor. Then she fell down herself,
and groveled at his feet. Tears sprang in
to the mans eyes, and trickled down his
cheeks as he cried
Fannie, what made you kill my chill
dren?"
Without any apparent sorrow for her ter
rible work she answered calmly:
"Why, Monroe, I was told by God to do
So and obeyed His commands"
Then getting upon her knees and looking
up into her sonowful husbands face, she
said:
II know did wrong but it was the only
thing to be done to save them from hell"
Mr.. Smith could say nothing. He was
completely prostrated by the blow he re-
ceived from his wife's actions. When
spoken to by n reporter he begged to oe
left alone with his misery. He would re-
peatedly ask how his children were. and
the doctors would give him very little en-
couagement. The neighbors vainly tried
to arouse him, but he would not pay any
attention to them. The oldest daughter,
who SO nobly fought for her life,
was found Mt neighbor's house, whittier
she was taken after the affray. When
asked when she first had any idea of her
mothers work she said she heard her
little sister scream. She ran in to
her. and when she saw the ax in her
mothers hand and one of her sisters dead
she ran for the other room where the baby
was. starting to go down stairs. She was
met by her mother, who chased her to the
door. BY main effort she closed the door,
and in this way escaped
Little Edna never breathed after the ax
struck her. The other three children are in
n very low condition, and the four doctors
who are in attendance fear that they will be
dead before morning At this writing, 10
y. m. they fear that both the mother and
children will die during the night. The
poison that Mrs. Smith took appears to
have just taken effect upon her and she is
sinking rapidly.