New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-15
4 NDRDEROUS MOTHER.

4 MDRDEROUS MOTHER.
Mrs. Sarah j. Whiteling, of Philadelphia,
charged with the murder Of her husband and
two children by poison has confessed the crime
so far as the children are concerned, and while
she asserts that her husband poisoned himself,
there seems no reason for doubling that she
caused his death also. The ostensible mstive
for her crimes appears to have been the secur-
ing of insurance money amounting to $500 In
all The woman's confession is remarkable
for the stolidity it exhibits She says that she
bought box Of Rough on Rats" and began
to administer it to her little daughter Bertha,
nine years of age, in small doses at half-hour
intervals A more cool and deliberate muir
derous procedure cannot be imagined. a
mother cautiously aud without emotion poison
ing her child, and watching the gradual effect
Of the drug, il happily so rare phenomenon as
TO be almost Incredible. 1t is not, however, so
rare crime as most people believe Family
murders for the sake of insurance have been
committed from time to time, and some years
ago. when system Of Burial Clubs was being
pushed among the poorer classes in England, 1t
was found that the temptation to gain the
burial money By putting children out Of the
way was too strong for the maternal sentiment
to Withstand in several instances.
The Philadelphia case, however is in some
respects exceptional. Mrs. WHEELING, though
described as q coarSe-l looking woman, evil
IDENTIFY has some vague spiritual ideas. In her
confession, she gave as n reason for killing
little Bertha that the child had already shown
evil propensities; had lied and stolen and she
was afraid that if she lived she would become
bad woman. This may have been merely a
hypOclitical pretence, and the woman's fur
Their statement that sho poisoned her three
year-old boy merely because he was in her
way and tho care of him kept her in the
house. seems to indicate a callcusness Of nature
incompatible with any real concern for the
future of the victims. Yet, when she had
thus made away with all her family, some
thing like remorse appears to have beset the
wretched creature. She says her mind would
not rest, and she felt that she had committed
a great crime. So she went to church. and
when the minister asked if any one desired to
be prayed for, she advanced to the altar and
requested the prayers Of tho congregation. Her
strange confession concludes with the remark
that her children have gone sinless to heaven
and that she hopes to join them there.
In reading such story one can but wonder
what kind of religious teaching such a woman
has had, and what are her ideas or beliefs
as to responsibility here and hereafter. Judged
by the bare facts, more cold-blooded and
british series of murders was surely never
committed; fer, whatever the criminal may
say, it is perfectly logical inference from
her actions that sho had no other motive for
the triple crime than greed and that she cared
moro for $500 than for her husband and her
two children. But to ascertain the whole
truth concerning this case it would be neceS-
sary to 60 far back in the history of the
murderous mother. The mere fact Of poverty
accounts for nothing, for the poor as a rule
exhibit no deficiency of parental love. There
must have been some inherited faint in this
woman's blood, some marked trait in her char
acter to overcome that most imperious and
enduring of all human emotions, maternal
love. That it was overcome here, and with
amazing completeness, is proved by the i'm
passive deliberation Of the crimes. She first
poisoned the victims, and when she thought
they were beyond remedy she sent for the
doctor. II is somewhat surprising that the
latter should have suspected nothing after
three deaths in swift succession, and had not
the coroners attention been called to the case
the murders might have gone UNPUBLISHED, as
certain kinds of murder do more frequently
than is commonly imagined. No doubt in
sanity will be pleaded in the wOman's defence,
though there appears to be no evidence Of
such mental alteration as can relieve the
woman from responsibility, 1t is the question
Of the insurance money that condemns her,
in removing her from the category of motive
less or Enthusiastically motived criminals. But
the whole case is one which will repay careful
examination by those who are interested in
reconcile psychological studies.