The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-08-12

to come and take me home. This he
did in the latter part of April, and ]
have since lived at home.
81 have had severe sick headaches
for years, and. after these spells
could kill the children if they were
around. / have wanted to kill them
ever since they were born, but never
tried it before / never wanted to
kill anyone else, except myself. When
we were children several Of my sisters
had diphtheria and died, and 1 have
frequently since then told my parents
that l wished that 1 could have died
then. have wanted to die since
was married. When 1 threw the boy
into the well would have jumped in
myself had / thought the water was
deep enough to drown me. l intend
ed to go to Lake Madison and drown
myself in the lake. Yesterday tried
to find my fathers revolver to shoot
myself with. If were to get out of
Jail now, l would commit suicide, as l
have no desire to live longer.
Il killed the children because /
thought they would be better off with
God. II they lived they would grow
up to life of trouble, but now GCd
will take care of them. l liked the
children and they were not trouble
to take care of. l only thought that
it would be better for them to be
dead
My husband has frequently called
me crazy, and others have also done
so. Sometimes l did not know wheth-
er was so or not, but do not think
now that l am. / am not well. My
life has been full of trouble"
Mrs. Kester detailed the
manner in which she killed the two
children. She said that she did not
tell anyone of her intentions, and that
when her father heard of it he was
sorry she had done so.
The perpetrator Of this horrible
crime is "a years old and is a daughter
of Eric Wirshing, who is an old settler
in Eagle Lake, and whose residence
is next to the Methodist church. Mrs.
KeSter had an illegitimate child in
this city before she was married, but
it was still-born.
The inquest was held in the hall
over Cummings store, and lasted a
good part of the day.
Mr.. Wirshing stated to a reporter
this morning that his daughter had
been insane for the past eight years.
He lays it to the i'll treatment of her
husband. He said that had he known
of her intentions he would have taken
means to protect the children.
The dead children were buried yes.
terday. Wirshing wanted to settle
the case last evening by paying $500.
Mrs. Kester passed the night quiet
ly, but this morning she got into a
rage and kicked the furniture in hel
corridor to pieces, and threw an ink
bottle down into the lower corridor
where it broke upon the floor Shs
was very indignant at the sheriff be.
cause he rebuked her.
This forenoon the prisoner was TAX.
en- before Judge Porter. A. r. Pfau
appeared as her attorney, and as
neither side was ready to proceed with
the preliminary hearing it was ad.
jOurned until Aug. 18th. The prison
er was remanded back to Jail. There
is no doubt that if any defense is at
tempted it will be on the ground OF
insanity. No one would detect ny
thing wrong with her from an ordinary
conversation. Two warrants for bel
arrest on the charge of murder in the
first degree will be sworn out before
the 18th.
CORONOR's INQUEST
The coroner Jury was composed O.
Horace Cummins, j. j. Haggard, Jno
CaXter. J. A. Ewing, Gus Hilton anC
Chas. Howard. County Attorney
Hughes conducted the examination
The first witness was Mary Thomas
She said that her sister, Mrs. Kester
came to her house Friday night. anG
wanted to get some rat poison, sayins
that they were bothered with rat;
and mice. told her to come Satur
day morning and l would give hel
some, which she did. She brought
the box back Sunday morning. First
thought Tuesday morning that she
had poisoned the child. Before that
l thought she had starved it to death
as she refused to nurse it. She had
often talked of how women in Mil
waukee got rid of their children.
A. l.. Cummins was sworn and tolC
Of confession which Mrs. Kester haC
made Tuesday night regarding thu
killing of the children. She started
to go to Lake Madison to drown her
self, but grabbed her and held he]
until she quoted down
Mrs. Martha Kestor told the stor,
much as she did to the FREE PRESS
She said that after putting the boz
in the rain barrel she took him int
the kitchen and changed his clothes
After drowning him / told Mrs. Geo
Ewing what l had done and wanted
her TO send and get the body out
then told it at Cooks drug store. ]
didn't want TO poison both at the
same time because / didn't know how
it would work.
Jake Thomas stated that he had
s. L L