New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-04-21
Fatal Results of Religious Mania.

:.
A traveller lately returned from
Australia tells the following story,
some OF the details OF which were pub
lished in The South Australian Adver-
tiser: Charles Hampton, formerly an
overseer OF one of the trades in Pent
ridge Prison, lived with his family,
consisting of Mrs. Hampton, age fifty,
and several boys and girls, in Coburg.
The mother for some time had shown
symptoms OF weakness of mind,
though the fact was known only to
her household. On the night OF Janu-.
airy 25 she 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 theson
was disturbed by a cry OF distress
from his mothers room. He got up
and awakened his father, and they
went to Mrs. Hampton's room. The
door was locked, but their alarm was
allayed by either the mother Or one Of
the daughters, who said that one OF
the girls had been taken sick, though
not seriously. The father and son
returned to bed.
At six o'clock the son was aroused
by one OF his sisters, and the story she
told induced him to hurry to his moth
er's room. There the first object that
met his gaze was the dead body OF his
youngest sister, Ethel, aged nine, roll
ed up in blanket and covered with
blood, with the head almost severed
from the trunk. His mother and her
elder daughters were lying down,
smearsd with blood, traces of which
| could be seen all over theroom. Two
daughters had a frishtful 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. The mother was not wounded
at all. Search was made for the wea.
pom with which the crime had been
committed, and a white-handled pen
knife, stained with blood, was found
hidden between the mattresses. Mrs.
Hampton appeared to be perfectly I'M
conscious OF what had occurred. The
girls were much excited, and being
asked how the CRIME was committed
said that they had all sworn not to
tell. The police were soon on thespot
accompanied by a medical man. The
wounds OF the girls were dressed, and
the flow Of blood, which threatened to
be fatal to them was stopped.
Eventually the youngest girl made a
confession. Her statement was to the
effect that something was influencing
them to be wicked and their mother
asked them which they would choose
death or a wicked life, and they de-
cided for death. They agreed to put
an end to one another's lives and
asked God if they were doing what He
wished A noise was heard as of peals
of thunder and the shaking OF windows
which they took to be an answer in
the affirmative. After a conference
they decided upon killing Ethel, the
youngest first. The mother and one
OF the daughters held the child down
and hacked her to death with a pen
knife and a razor Then they began
to kill themselves. They cut one an
others arms with a view of severing
the main arteries and bleeding to
death. After a while, however, the
bleeding stopped, and other missions
were made. Than they held another
council and decided that the mother
should not be killed. Mrs. Hampton
waited to see the Others die; but in the
meantime day broke, when one OF the
girls fetched her brother.
The general beliefs that the tragedy
occurred through religious mania. The
mother, who was arrested showed I'M
mistakable signs OF insanity.