The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-25
Being Without Means to Support
the Little Ones, She Kills Them.
Rather Than Have Them Taken
From Her She Ends Their Lives.
She Herself Informs the Police Of
Her Terrible Triple Crime.
Tho Awful Agonles OF tho Little Ones
Watched by the Fiendish Mother,
Who Would Lend No Aid to
Relieve Them.

NEw EoaX, March 2i.-Early this morn
Ing dispatch was received at police head
quarters stating that Mrs. Minnie Leb-
kucchanor, OF No l5l West Fifty-eighth
street, had given poison 10 her three chill
dron, Anthony, nine years old; Charles,
seven, and Christopher, four years old.
Anthony and Charles are dead and the
other has been taken to the New York
hospital, but will not live. The mother
was locked up in Capt. Rcillcy's station
house, suffering from the effects OF poison.
Nothing moo awful has been recorded ON
the police blotlew since the wife OF Albert
Fritz, German cngrayer killed herself
and her three children with prussic acidn
u Grand street tenement years ago; or since
DR.. Segun's wife played blindman's buff
with her children aud shot them TO death,
in their palatlal home on Murray lin. In
either ol these two cases insanity furnished
at once the excuse and explanation OF tho
unnatural decd Mrs l.ebkuechaner IN not
| insane She Is woman driven TO her act
| by trouble too great TO bear She walked
in poorly dressed, pinchcd and wan, with
q worn shawl around her, at O'Clock this
morning. S,eadying herself against the
desk she said, in harsh voice, that
SHE HAD KILLED TWO
Of her children and that the third was dy-
ing in the house. The sergeant called an
officer 10 90 with the woman nj once, and
they started oil for filty.eghth street
together. On the way the woman told her
story In u listless, mechanical way, as
though Il was worn out theme that long
since had lost all interest 10 her Her hus-
band was dead, she said; had died four
years ago. She had struggled 10 keep tho
children together, but failed. They woro
taken from her and sent 10 the juvenile
asylum. Only recently she had got them
back with infinite trouble, opposed bypov-
crty ON one ride and the persecution Of her
husbands relatives on the other, but sho
could not keep them. Work was failing;
food was getting scarce She iorcsaw that
she must lose them soon. Rather than
that, She decided 10 Kill them. she thought
n over, and Wy Wednesday had made up
her mind fully. She sent Anthony, tho
; eldest Of the boys, to the drug store with
% cents 10 buy raj poison. The child
bought 10 cents worth of
"nouan on mana"
Mrs. Lebkucrchancr stirred Il IN tea, and
dividing the draught into three equal parts.
gave Il 10 the boys 10 drink. each cup.
This was on Wednesday morning. Very
soon aitcrward all three were taken III.
Watching their suncrings steadily, the
mother stayed will, them all that day,
getting about the house without exciting
the attention OF the tenants by unusual
concern or any sign Of alarm. Wednesday
night aud all Thursday the little sufferers
lay In their dying ag0nics, with the mother
1 A.. A.
ing out slowly and surely. They begged
for water aud with tine mcrcilcss cruelty
Of fend the mother gave them whisky 10
drink. The two eldest drank aud cried
that they were adrc. They begged TO be
taken out In the back yard aud have tho
| hydrant turned on thcm, they wcr burn
ing up. Hut their feeble cries found
deaf ear with the mother. aud did not
reach the outer world. UnmOycd -ho
went about
uNisuiNo HER woRK.
AZ O'Clock Thursday afternoon Charles
died. Three hours later his eldest broth
Or brcalhcd his last. still the youngest,
the baby Of the three, was lett. With tho
two victims 81 her awful crime lying dead
that mother held steadily 90 her flcndish
purpose. Thursday night she sat by her
DYING child -friday-not until saturday
morning, when tho little ones grip ON ITO
sill refused 10 Yield didshc weary Of wait
ing and went out 10 tell tho police. by
this time tho woman aud officer had
reached tho door Ut her house mad sho
opened Il 10 the officer A glance inside
told him that her story was true. In their
bed lay the two boys, long dead, and
TnE LITTLE oNE GAsriNa
family on the sofa. The room was mean
Is furnished but clean. The mother stood
unmoycd looking ON. The officer put her
under arrest. lilo took the woman 10 tho
station aud hurried call was sent for an
ambulance Tho little one was driven nap
idly 10 the hospital and everything was
done there 10 save It's life, but this was
deemed hopeless. This morning the moth
cr was taken 10 Jefferson Market police
coua and thence sent 10 the coroneTs
office, where she was committed 90 tho
Tombs. Before being taken 10 the prison
she drrw photographs Of her children ir0m
her pocket and asked II she would be per
miiicd 10 keep them. When told that sho
could retain them she shouted exciiedly,
"They wanted 10 take my children from
me. but they can't do II now" Dr. Con-
way, deputy coroner, oonyerucd with Mrs.
Lcbkuchancr for some time, aud exprcss-
cd the opinion that sho Is suffering from