The evening world., 1888-06-13
SHE GAVE HER CHILDREN POISON.
Terrible Confession Of N Mother Accused Of
Killing Her Little Ones.

Terrible Confession Of N Mother Accused Of
Killing Her Little Ones.
PHILADELPHIA. June Ia "A decided sensation
was createdin the Coroner's once yesterday whom
Mrs. Sarah Jane WHEELING voluntarily confessed
that she had poisoned her two children-a girl,
aged nine, and q boy, aged two years-and that she
had furnished her husband with the poison with
which. she declares, he took his own life.
81 am sorry now that l killed them, and want
people to pray for me II It Is not too late, " she
sobbed as she sat in the c%oroner's onice. "My
conscience Is clear now, and l feel easier because
have told everything. Dear little Berthe and
Willie, ! win meet you in heaven. The family
last. the girl on April "a, aud the little BOY on May
28. On Monday, june 4, Coroner Ashbridge was
informed .aas the three deaths were OF n suspicious
city detective, which led to the arrest Of the wom-
an: she stouty maintains That her husband com
poison with which his life was ended. Certincates
t Sa pnysoians IN ali III three cases. s.'s The Coroner
i Sss'a'e Of 'a ase ooa Hs'' sh %STa'm be '1'% neia.
Mrs. ws HPen attended HsarieS ii. 81 She pr ro,s 9 a sreas
piety at the time, and on Sunday last she went to
kneeling at the altar rail asked the prayers OF the
congregation for the forgiveness OF her sins. Her
tom si," Whic cse proved dec con ucs e,dis that me po eMS" mad
been the cause OF all three deaths, led to her arrest
last Sunday night; There were several policies Of
insurance on the lives Of the woman'sv victims, each
Of them being for u small amount, but amounting
III the aggregate to 1858, ali of which she collected.
un RS' to'd.y w ~SsH ans ~ ass nHf f1 nEnies she broke oSs
down from the weight OF her awful secret and
' %ses a S s.ssn breast tse S % sas ThS ae,a d1fa'r' v ana W vreat
@ nj esxs se afs tn. the a aa% S Soss Of t me p sa,aSas on
put one spoonful OF the stun in q glass Of water and
called the ch,ld to me and said: Now, BERTHE,
a good GIRL and / gave her one spoonful.
1t made her sick. and when the doctor prescribed
some powders to be given IN water l bought the
medicine but gave her q spoonful OF The poison
and sue suffered so much that ] felt sorry, aud the
and gave her the med,c ipe.' bus Il was too late
Little Willie died the same way. I had the insur.
ance placed on each child only q short time be-
"And l suppose you arranged to have all three
deaths come u month apart 10 % not to excite sus'
Eyes, / thought If they all came together the
neighbors would suspect me, " was the answer.
husband the woman s,ouily maiatsinea that he had
taken his own hfe. ~ did not tell the doctor that
in. na = sw1 nO1,ss sp po's9 fSs m sns sa, %ou M1 sS 9 us p aae
II the person committed suicide. killed BERT.
because l was afraid she would grow up in ain and
crime, ~ she was o bad child and had stolen pen
mes from the neighbors, and once she stole hel
school-teacner's pocketbooE. The boy ! killed be-
eA. us a ann W" sorry ~ me now way for wna. ! have done, anc
want people to pray for me, " she said to the Coro
| ner, after the confession had been concluded.
81 could NOT sleep IN the house. and on sunday
thought OF taking my life, l mad such horrit
thoughts, but l oared not do II. / was afraid
could never go to heaven II ! did that, for yor
know the Bible says that suicides cannot entel
I heaven"
Mr.. Whiteling told the Coroner at one Of tn,
interviews that she did not like to have q post
mortem examination made on the children, o.
once, before sne was married, one OF her cnudreI
died at the Almshouse, and the doctors found, OF
using the knife, that life had not really been ex
unot when they began the operation.