The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-08
STRANGE FREAKS OF BABIES.
A Startling Mania Which Seems to
Have Taken Hold OF Littles Ones.
n the Philadelphia Telegraph.

Have Taken Hold OF Littles Ones.
From the Philadelphia Telegraph
Within the past few months the police
have reported a number of cases where
children not over 10 years of age have either
attempted or did kill themselves. Three Of
these cases resulted in death, and were sub
iActs for a coroner's inquest. The evidence
sdduced before Coroner Ashbridge in these
three cases has been carefully analysed, and
nroves that a suicidal mania is now preva-
fant among children of tender years in this
city. ,.
rected with these inquests is the fact that
nearly all of the infantile suicides are girls,
whose ages range from II to ID years. The
last attempt occurred on Wednesday night,
hon 13-year-old Florence McClelland Of
NJ D 500 Mutter street tried to take her
lie hv swallowing dose of laudanum The
little girl not only attempted to kill herself,
bnt actually begged an elder sister to take
her life at the same time. The elder sister,
named Mamie, was instrumental in driving
the thought OF suicide from Florence's err
ratio mind.
The first attempt at suicide brought to
+he attention of the police occurred on
March 9. when 12-year-old Annie Niblick,
of No. 2,9l1 E street, was found dead, hang
ing in a room at her home. She, prior to
her Qedb0, was q pld y LHdu0 VI rIOIouCo IuC-
Clelland An inquest held before the
coroner proved conclusively that the
younester had deliberately taken her life.
Fhe facts in this case, as brought out by the
coroner, were to the effect that the girl had
stolen number Of handkerchief, and be-
ing afraid of chastisement from her father,
which was threatened her if she did not re-
+nrn them to the owner, caused her to take
her life Not long after this Florence Nc
Clsnand, as stated above attempted
s1icide. and left a note, addressed to her
mother, stating, 81 am going to join Annie
Niblick.n She swallowed 5 cents worth of
laudanum, but the timely arrival of
stomach pump saved her from death.
Only three days elapsed, and then George
simon aged 10 years, of No. 1905 Gerhardt
street, was found hanging on a tree in the
outskirts of the First ward, by policeman.
An inquest was held, when it was shown
that the lad was incorrigible, and had ended
his life in preference to chaStisement.
Two months passed by after the suicide
of Young Simon before 1l-year-old Katie
Kearney, of No. 1920 Hope street, was
found dead hanging by a picture cord to
the wall in the third story of her home
She and number of companions had in
troduced a new past1me called playing
hanging, which resulted in Katies death on
Saturday last
Coroner Ashbridge gave this death con-
siderable dUU6nUlOD, anu thoroughly lHNeSUl-
gated it. The evidence adduced before him
showed that Kate had no reason whatever
TO take her life, but was accidentally
stranged while engaged in pastime which
she and her playmates had originated. A
few hours later another little girl, named
Fitzgerald, attempted to take her life at the
ropes end but was discovered in time to be
r1t down before death ensued.
In speaking of these deaths and explain
ing his theory as to the cause of them,
Coroner Ashbridge this morning said: II
have never ordered post-mortem examina-
tions in any of the cases referred to, be-
cause did not think it necessary. From
my experience and personal observations |
helieve that dime novels, trashy literature,
and even newspaper sensations have a great
deal to do with it. The youngster Simon,
mo doubt, wanted to be hero, while the
little girls who have met a sad fate thought
they were taking the part of heroines. The
parents of the children, in some instances,
are to be blamed for reading the sensational
newspaper accounts of these tragic deaths
of their offsprings. Children of these ten
der years should not be told or allowed to
read such nonsense, as 1t is liable to affect
their minds and cause them to attempt rash
aLas in play, which otherwise they would
never think of.
ABOUT a year ago." continued the
coroner, several attempts, resulting in two
deaths from laudanum and camphor,
occurred in this city. The first case was
that of a colored woman, whose husband at
the time was serving term Of imprison-
ment for burglary in the Eastern peniten-
tiary She had started for picnic or excur
sion up the Delaware, when she missed the
boat. Disappointed and sullen she returned
to her home, and sent neighbours child
after 10 CENTS worth of laudanum and cam
phor. The next day she was a subject for
en- inquest before me. Within the next four
months my attention was called to four
other cases-ell of whom were women
who attempted to end their lives with the
same kind of medicine. One Of them re-
suited in death There is every reason to
believe that these would be suicides had
learned from the newspapers what the
colored woman had taken, and thought it
was sure poison for death"