Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-21
FRIGHTFUL TRAGEDY.
A Husbands Terrible Discovery on
His Return from Church.
HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN DEAD.
Els Dear Little Ores Slaughtered BY Thtir Mother,
Who is Found Lying Dead Near Them, Shot
Through Ihs Hss-t-fhs Wifss Latter
10 tie Distracted HusSand.

NASHVILLE, TENN. July 20.-Mrs. Pat
II Lochridge, wife Of Mr.. Thomas Loeb
ridge shot her three children and herself
about one o'clock yesterday afternoon
at her home, three miles south..of Spring
Hill. Mrs. Lochridge was 20 years OF
age, her Oldest child four years old, the
second three years old, and the third
four months. The awful deed was
done with double barreled shot gun.
After dinner Mr.. Lochridge went to
church, leaving his home in its usual
state of Quietness. His wife had been
complaining for some time past, but on
that particular afternoon she was no
worse than during the past week.
The children were playing around
as usual, and there was
not the slightest hint OF tho
frightiul tragedy so soon to be enacted.
About 3 o'clock he returned TO the little
home he had left and found the front
door locked. This seemed strange TO
him, but concluding his wife had gono
on a visit he went around the house In
tending TO enter by the back door.
This. too, was locked and he was COM
| peled TO force a window sash in order
To gain an entrance. He had never
| known his wife to so securely fasten the
| house, and as he climbed through the
window a strange feeling of impending
evil came over him. Not, however,
until he had gone into the living room,
the place where he had spent so many
pleasant hours did the full meaning OF
the sealed doors and windows burst
upon him.
There upon pallet nicely arranged
lay his three darlings dead, and across
the room with her feet turned TO theirs
was his wife, their mother cold In the
grasp Of the grim destroyer. A double
barrelled breech loading shot gun lay
between them. As near as can be
! learned from the surroundings, Mrs.
! Lochridge had drawn up her children's
| clothes one by one, placed the gun
against their hearts and fired. Then
she placed them side by side on a pallet
which she arranged and placed their
dresses neatly about them. Standing
InciI auu ProVoOis .c-.a..s. a. tnpul n4s
distracted mother placed the muzzle, OF
the gun at her own heart and sent her
own soul to follow her children.
After killing the first two she must
have reloaded the gun and that she did
1t shows that she was at least partly
calm. How she pulled the trigger when
the gun was against her own breast is a
mystery, unless she did 1t with stick
held In her hand or with her foot.
1t is thought the woman poisoned or
chloroformed both herself and the
children before she used the gun. In
the letter given In part below, she re-
fers TO pain in her side, and thenit
would have been difficult TO have killed
the little ones while wide awake. Prob
ably too difficult for even the fendlsh
hand OF child murdress.
The following letter was found In the
room with the murderer and the SUI
eide:
"July 10, 1891.
DEAR Toni know you will be
shocked when you get back and Hndout
what have done. This is rot my first
attempt. / took forty drops OF lauda-
mum at one time and sixty at another
before was married and failed 70 ac-
complish my purpose, but think Will
succeed this time. II Eunice (the old
est child) had been at home last Sun
day evening this deed would
have been committed then, but she
had gone TO church. could not
bear 10 leave her behind. do wish
you could 90 with u.s. But for you.
would gladly, gladly give up all and 90
home to heaven. sometimes feel that
am a terrible sinner, but now feel
that the good Lord is waiting at the
open door TO welcome me and our little
ones. You have kept your marriage
vows so much more perfect than have,
but you know that my health Is bad
now. ! have been in bad state OF
mind some time. feel that / am tired
Of life, and must 60"
In concluding her letter Mrs. Loch-
ridge gave instructions as 10 how cloth
ing and articles Of jewelry should be
distributed.