Connecticut western news., 1886-05-05
A. TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A Mother, while Insane, Strengthening her
 whole Family.

About seven miles south of Newport, N. J.. lived a family named Smith. It consisted of J. Monroe Smith, the father, who Is about ffty-fve years of age; Fanny, his wife, who is about forty-three years old, and live chll- dren, whose ages range from nineteen to four. came affected after childbirth She was sent to an asylum, and after being there about 8 year returned home, apparently cured.
 About five o'clock Friday morning Mrs. Smith and her husband took breakfast and after the meal Mrs. Smith went to the hen house, where sho swallowed quantity of rat poison, which it appears she had kept con cealed in the house for three years past She then picked up an ordinary axe, and conceal ing 1t under her dress returned to the house. Entering the bed chamber or her four-year- old daughter Edna, who was asleep, she raised the axe, let it descend twice with ter rife force on the head of the child and split it open. She then went to the bed room of Ru fus, her twelve-year-old son, and struck h.m three or four blows on the head with the blunt edge of the axe, laying the slde or ms heao open.
 Next she turned her attention to her eleven year-old daughter Bessie, whom she found on her knees praying. The child seemed to know that her turn had come, as she had witnessed the other tragedies. She lifted up her hands imploringly, as if to beg for mercy. But thi had no effect on the frenzied mother. Shs brought the axe down on the kneellng chllds head with great force. and moment later her eldest daughter lay on the floor stunned by 8 blow from the axe.
 Smith returned to the house from the yard, where he had been working. and as soon as his wife saw him she dropped her axe and made no further attempt to carry on her mur- derous work.
 "Fauny." said the husband, "what made you kill these children? ?"
 Without exhibiting any sorrow for her ter rible deeds she answered him calmly:
 ''Why Monroe, was told by God to do SO, and I obeyed His command" Then she added:-"I know did wrong, but it was the only thing to be done to save them from hell.
 By this Mrs. Smith meant that she was afraid that the old homestead, which has been
 in the family for generations, was to be taken
 away and that the children;lwould be thrown
 upon the street and go to the bad. The cause
 appears to have arisen from the homestead
 being heavily encountered. She was also very much troubled with the care of an invalid uncle.
 Hundreds of people in quaint old farm wag ons gathered about the Smith homestead Sat urday morning to attend the funeral or Attl' Edna, the four-year old child. At the grave sad and impressive sermon was delivered by the clergyman, and when tht last words were spoken and the coffin wa l about to be concealed the father and hi eighteen-year-old daughter. Laura, gave wa. | to their feelings aud threw themselves on th' ground. The father called upon heaven tt | save his other children from the fate Of llttl | Edna. Kind hands placed the heart broker | father and daughter in their carriages ant | were taken home to their house of sorrow. | On Saturday the following scene Is given by an eyewitness Mrs. Smith lies in a room on thu | lower floor There is a little victim in eacl ] of the three bed chambers on the upper floor There was little change in their condition. Rufus, the thirteen-year-old son, who re rl,nn So fIrn nIyyy yYrN0 0NYN | scious of what had happened. When he awok | during the night he lifted his hands to hi head and said: "Oh that pains me. Wha | did it?''
 He was told that log had fallen from tn, | barn snd struck him, He appeared to be sat | isfed tn the explanation, for he sank bac into sort of stupor again. Bessie, the prett | eleven-year-old child, who had prayed he mother not to kill her, gained consciousness
 during the early morning, and the first thinl | she said was:
 | ''Where is mamma I
 She was told that the physicians had forbid | den her to speak, but she insisted on Knowing | and when told that her mother was down stairs dying, she said:
 l s:Ob, poor mamma know she did no
 mean to hurt me. It was not her fault | hope she will go where Edna IS. :" old daughter, who had three deep gashes il | her head. Three of the fingers of her lei l hand were gone, and her right arm was al l most off. For few moments at tune sh
 gains consciousness and then passes of into | semi-unconscous condition. When aske
 how she felt, she said thai her head paine l her terribly aud when sne attempted to lii her hand cry of pain escaped from her lips | The suffering of the three poor innocent chi l dren is terrible.
 l Mrs, Fannie Smith died on Tuesday. Sh | passed very restless night and begged he l physician to Jet her die, as she had no desir | to live. She begged that her husband migt come to her bedside ss she wished to ask hi forgiveness. She inquired for the conditio | of her children, and expressed hope ths
 they would recover. Rufus, the son, is no be-
 ter, and his death is hourly expected. Tn
 girls may possibly recover. No inquest Is l be held.