New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-21
MRS. LEBKUCHNER's STORY
TELLING WHY SHE KILLED HER CHILDREN
A LIFE OF SUFFERING WHICH LED TO MURDER
DOCTORS THINK SHE WAS INSANE.

LIFE OF SUFFERING WhlOd LED ~ D1SNN-
DOCTORS THINK SHE WAS INSANE.
A pale, thin-featured woman, whose face bore the
marks Of disease and who was clad in black ouHr
garments which intensified the whiteness Of her face
sat on the witness chair In Judge Gdersleeves court
room yesterday and told touching story OF suneflng
and want in the endeavor to free herself from blame
for the killing Of two Of her children by poison She
was WIlhelmina Lebkuchner charged with murder IN
the first degree. She gave rough rats 10 three
of her children on March %, and the eldest ehiid'
ace nine and another age seven, died almost
Immediately, while the third child, age four, apaly
recovered. .
Mrs. Lebhuchner told most OF her story with great
elsarness Her remembrance Of dates and places
was unusually good. She insisted on telling minute
details concerning her life, and Judge GilderseeVe
Assistant DlstrictAttorney Macedonia and John H..
Heinzelmann. the womans lawyer, could not prevent
her from telling facts remote from the tragedy some
Of her testimony was -
I am thIrty.six years old. 1 born in Worms,
Germany was married November o. 1871 ana
we went to 1.-Two at 824 Ninth-aye Ny husband drank
and had to attend to all OF the business He was nice
to me when he was sober Ny FIRST child fell ana hurt
himself The doctor wanted e100 10 cure my emu
didn't care what It cost TO save my child Ater uia'
became discouraged and Just let things 60 MY husoah
GOT some money and wanted to buy saloon. wanted
the money pay the debts. The debts became "of"o
Finally the sheriff put US into the street.
Ny husband and separated and then VIC manu- w "NA
lived together until March, 1888. Then the baby became
sick, and he was sick for twenty.cne weeks MAO
to 90 10 the society and give up the children. got
warrant for my husband There was lot Oh TAX
the courroo and they sent me to the Charity Hospital
I was there six weeks When got out had place At
No. lis Chatham-st, and had TO work very
hard 1 about 10 have another child MY nus
band asked me TO return to him and ou los
O time Then he left me again. The child Chhrhe was
sent 10 Randalps Island. Tony tho eldest "as with
Tha hahv witt
two days / had nothing 10 eat was almost starved
until July 1884, when able TO go 10 work again
Ny husband died in October 1884. wanted To- get the
children back aferwsrd, but did not get them IL
was weeks before the blizzard when got Tony
back 1 was living In Thirty-sIxth.st, and was sup
porting the family. paid ten cents every day At
nursery to have the children taken care Of would
get back from my work, then so to the nursery get
the children and take them home. Before this, poor
family in the house were In dstreA Mira Vermlye
had given stove. but this family poor that
let them have the stove. injured my back carrying
the stove down stairs. We could not get along l
worked twenty.sx days every month but had 70 pay
ten cents TO have the children taken care Of
Not long before was arrested, I 90 destitute
1 went to . society to leave the children. They told
TO the next day. The clerk gave me ten cents
L went 70 police station and asked 70 stay all night
with the chdren The captain told could not stay
1 wandered down to the river and sat there thinking
whether 1 should throw myself In 1 was crazy with
pain went homo from work the night before this hap
pened up Forty. second and got the children
from the nursery. was in dreadful pain. II was iuss
after the blizzard The children slipped down and had
to pick them up. had = hemorrhRge the street 1
home, and AIT The edge Of the bed. The pain
made me wild loaned my head on my hands like this
thought what win become OF have no friends In
tho world Everything bright about us could not
help myself my children Ny head seemed on IRE
went down 70 the yard and held my head under The
hydrant Tho cold water did good. felt better, bus
my head was like lead was Just like In dream
was like that In the Tombs Afterwards. don't r-asn
Der Anything else until after 1 locked up in the
TombS.
Tho woman said that she did not reooIleet sending
child for the poison, nor did she remember any Of
the conversations which she had with several persons
Just after the killing OF the children Drs. Allan MelAne
Hamilton Douglass Emmett G, Dent, Frank II. Ingram
and Matthew b. Field, all Of whom had examined
many persons 10 their mental condition. DECLARED
that tho woman was insane when she committed tho
act Tho temporary condition o. insanity was partly
due 10 tho fact that she was about 10 become =
mother again. and 10 her weak physical condition
The will DO given to tho Jury to-day. Tho prose
euton have not been able 10 ind physicians who do
not think thai the woman was insane when she CON-
nIitted the act.