St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-17
4 AMANIAC'S DEED
A Minnesota Woman Essays
to EXterminate Herself
and Children.
Two Of the Latter are Dead
and Two Others Are
Dying.
There Is Small Hope for the
Recovery Of the Muir
dereSs.
Cold Lead and Carbolic Acid
Used in Accomplishing
the Crime.
Democrats Are Temporarily
in the Majority in Mon
tana's Senate.
A Disappointed Litigant Pre-
fers Charges Against a
Dakota Jurist.
Four Buildings in Atkins
Business Center Destroyed
by Fire.
Special to the Globe.

SPECIAL to the Globe.
+ FARIBAULT. Minn., Jan. 16.-An aw
ful tragedy occurred at Cannon Lake,
in the township of Warsaw. Rice county,
about five miles from this city, early
this morning, which resulted in
the death of two persons and
the probable fatal injury of
three others. Mrs. James Mcneil,
jr-, young woman, about twenty-five
years OF age, and daughter of Edward
Hollister. Of Hopkins, Minn.. recently
gave birth to child and has since been
in bad health. During the past few
days she has been very despoDdent,
thinking she was going to
die, and was very much de-
pressed at the thought of
leaving her four small children. Early
this morning Mr.. Mcneil got up and
went into the kitchen TO build fire,
and almost as soon as ne had left the
bedroom his wife leaped from the bed,
locked the door leading to the rear of the
house. then opened bureau drawer
and took thercfrom a revolver, with
which she shot her three-year-old
daughter Ruth through the body,
KILLING THE CHILD INSTANTLY.
4 second shot crashed through the
brain OF Harold, aged four. the ball ell
tcring behind the left ear and
coming out at the top of the
head on the right side. The little fel-
low lived until nearly 10 o'clock before
death relieved him from his sufferings.
Hparjntr har bucl,auG truinO r.. ,rot INTO
the room, Inc woman hastily sent the
third shot through the body of
her three-weekS-old babe and then
returned the revolver to the
bureau and locked the drawer. Find
Ing the front door barred. Mr. Mcneil
hurried through the hall and entered
the bed room by another door, but be-
fore he could reach his wife she had
unlocked the door leading into
the front of the house, dragging,
her fourth child, Mona, six years
of age, into the hall. Securing bottle
of carbolic acid she poured about an
ounce down the child's throat, and
swallowed some herself before she could
be stopped by her husband. Mr.. Nc
Neil at once secured assistance. and
sent 10 town for physician. DIR. Jack
son responded and did what he could
for the victims. IL was found that the
baby had been
SHOT THROUGH BOTH LUNGS,
and il is not thought possible that he
will recover. The daughter. Mona, is
IN a precarious condition from the
effects of the acid, and the
chances are against her recovery.
Mrs. Mcneil swallowed only a
small portion OF the acid, as it burned
her throat so terribly that the tubes
were almost entirely closed, preventing
the fluid from entering her stomach.
Mrs. McNeil's mother. who has been
visiting her, and expected to leave for
home tomorrow, was asleep IN room
upstairs in the house at the time of the
tragedy, and is prostrated. Mr.. Hollis
ter has been sent for and is expected
this evening.