St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-12
EAGLE LAKE TRAGEDY
The Murderess Of Her Babes
Expresses No Regret Over
the Deed.
A Dark Chapter in Her Career
Not Hitherto Made
Public. ~
She Dropped the Older Child
in the Well While
Asleep.
A Telegram to the Father at
Milwaukee Elicits No
Response
Snecial to the Globe

Special to the Globe
MANKATo, Mimi. Aug. 11.-A cor
respondent OF the GLOBE visited the
county Jail today and held an interview
with Mrs. Martha Kesler, the Eagle
lake murderess, who was brought here
last night. While she is by no means
handsome woman. she is fairly good
looking, possessing quite heavy head
OF blond hair, with fair complexion and
piercing brown eyes that indicate some
thing is wrong somewhere. She is
of stocky build, aud quite tall.
She speaks German fluently, and
says she has someseducation. There is
no doubt but she is ignorant as she is
desperate. When asked if she was not
sorry she had killed her innocent chill
dren, she said no: they were
Better Off With God
and weren't getting into trouble. She
did not know whether it was a sin or
not; had not thought about that; said
she would like to see her husband,
but didn't think he cared any
thing about the matter. She
said nobody cared for her or
her troubles. When a word of sympa-
thy was offered she wept and became
nervous and restless. Her whole life
had been one of trouble, and she had
often said she wished to be dead. She
said her husband had called her craZy,
but she didn't think she was now.
About year ago she fell from buggy,
striking Oh the back of her head. Since
then she has had severe headaches, and
at these times she always
Wanted to XIII
her children and herself. but never
attempted it until Monday. "When
threw the little boy in the we'll, would
have jumped III myself. but thought the
water was not deep enongh. | would
have gone to Madison lake and drowned
myself had Mr.. Cummings not stopped
me. The world is all trouble, and |
don't want to live" When Mrs. Kester
was single she worked as domestic
reputation. About seven years
ago she gave birth TO an
illegitimate child, which Is not now liv-
ing. Attorney A. r. Pau has been re-
tanned for her counsel, and will no
doubt make plea of insanity. Her
mind and disposition seem to be COM
posed of mixture of melancholy, ugli-
ness and ignorance. Her father, Eric
Wishing. is quite wealthy. The mur-
ueIeu cHilQfen were OurleQ together
yesterday afternoon. Their names were
Herman and Susan. A telegram was
sent to Milwaukee to the father of the
dead children, but he did not respond.
The perpetrator of
This Fiendish Crime
was brought before Judge Porter TODAY
and the preliminary hearing adjourned
until Aug. IS. Two warrants for mur-
der in the first degree will be sworn out
in few days. She gives as the reason
that she did not administer the Rough
on Rats to both OF the children was for
fear that it would not do its
work well. The heartless mother
first attempted to drown the
little boy in a rain barrell but he cried
and made such fuss that she desisted
and took him to the well mentioned last
night. The innocent child went to sleep
in her arms and she dropped him in
while asleep. Many of the Eagle Lake
people think she is mentally sound and
simply ugly. while the more considerate
class give her the benefit of the doubt.
1t is thought there is skeleton in the
closet. which will be unearthed at the
trial.