The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-03-28

were taken i'll. Watching their sufferings stesd-
lily, the mother stayed with them all that day,
getting about the house without exciting the
attention of the tenants by any unusual con-
Germ or any sign of alarm. Wednesday night
and all day Thursday the little sufferers lay in
their dying agonies, with the mother lowering
atout, seeing their little lives ebbing out
slowly but surely. They begged for water, and
with the merciless cruelty OF dend the mother
gave them whisky to DRINK. The two eldest
drank and cried that they were on fire. They
begged to be taken out in the back yard and
have the hydrant turned on them, as they were
burningup. But their feeble cries foand deaf
ear with the mother, and did not reach the
ing her work.
At2 O'Clock Thursday afternoon Charles died.
Three hours later his eldest brother breathed
his last Still the youngest, the baby OF the
I three, was left. With the two victims of her
=, awful crime lying dead that mother held stead
lily 10 her tendlsh purpose, Thursday night
| she sat by her dying child-Friday-nOt uaGil
saturday morning, when the little ones grip on
life still refused TO yield did she weary OF wait
! ing and went out to tell the police.
BY this time the woman and officer had
| reached the door of her house and she opened
| II TO the officer. glance inside told him that
her story was true. In their bed lay the two
| boys long dead and the little one gsspIng
| family on the sofa. The room was meanly
FURNISHED. but eleau. The mother stood nm
moved looking on. The officer put her under
| arrest. he took the woman to the station and
hurried call was sent for an ambulance. Toe
and everything was done there to save IS Life,
but this was deemed hopeless,
| This morning the mother was taken to Jeter-
SON Market police eourt aud thence sent TO the
6oroner's Office, where she was committed to
| the TOmbs. Before being taken TO the prisoa
| she drew photographs OF her children from ner
pocket. and ssked If she would be permitted to
| them, she shouted excited!y; They wanted
! TO take my children from me, but they can't do
Il now ID, Conway, deputy coroner, co1-
ana expressed the opinion that she is suffering
from acute mania.
Mrs. Lebkuechaner's face is Thin and repul-
sive looking. Il is SCARED from erySipelAs,
! from which she has been suffering for yeacs
| Her look is stony aud her manner Indifferent,
J but beyond the absence OF all natural teeitng
she gave 10 evidence OF mental enlargement.
\ She is about thITty-fOur years old. Ten years
! sgo ste was seIvanA in the house OF Jaeoo
| Lebkuechaner. then wealthy brewer. With
| her acquaintance with the brewer the troubles
| of her life began. He was over fifty, and Q
| wfdOwer, He took liking to his smart country
/ woman and married her. against the protest OF
MS grown up children, They refused 10 recog-
| nize their step mother, ana when the first child
was born their hatred increased. Lebkuech
sners brewery enterprise failed His children
married and went inIo business for themte elves
| The failure tended TO widen the split in the
/ family.
The old man stuck to bis young vile and
| started 4 sa Don. That failed, because OF hi
! ill-health. The elder children got him away
from his vile, and the latter eventually got him
back and he died in the house with her. He
had considerable sum of life insurance due
| him, but all went 10 his children She got moth
| ing. The saloon was gone, aud she lived by
/ scrubbiug and washing Her earnings were not
sufficient 10 keep the children. Rather than
| part with them she determined TO XIII herieli
| and them. One night she threw herself into
| the river with the olcest boys, so that they
might die toEether, but they were rescued, and
| the two children taken from her by the police
| and sen 10 the juvenile asylum. She Kept the
youngest roy with her and worked for t. A
year ago she be. anne the mother OF an illegti l.
| mate child. She took il away after it bicr1,
saying the iatheT would care fer 1t. What he
| came Of 1t is not known.
About four weeks ago she Succee lie in getti0 Z
| her children bsC K from the asylum on fall e
| preten6s. She was advised bv the asylum au-
thorities that homes in the West bad been pro-
vided for the boys, and that tEey would call Tor
them This determined her to kill them aud
herself. She told the governor to-day that sue
had laid aside portion OF the poison for her.
SELF intending when the children were dead 20
follow. but the play fUlness of little ChIistOphe
UPSET her plan. Hestruck her hand and spiJle 1
the poison in the cup when she HaS trying 10
make him drink il, and only got small sha re
himself. II was for this reason that he suTViy d
bis brothers. Having no mCre money TO pUr-
chase additional poison, she decided to I've
until she saw the living child safely disposed
Of. She insists fhst sBe is not insane, and is
content to hang for her crime. The neighbo-s
say she WAS q drinking wOmsn, but this is c0u-
tradicted by the evidence OF her home, viii
is neat and clean, ard by herself. The late Il
Sdvices from the hospital give reason to hone
that the child ChristOpher's life may be saved.
81 killed them because i loved them" said
their mother 10 the police.