Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-17
A MOTHERS CRIME.
The Almost Incredible Story o.
Cruelty Called From Ireland.
TO INVESTIGATE THE READING DEAL.
Public School Children to CeIe-
brate October IL.
n 0 N OF RE A ROM
ARREST OF A MONTAGUE.
The Daughter Of q Lord Charged with eau
ing Her Baby Girls Death

The Daughter Of q Lord Charged with Caus-
Ing Her Baby Girls Death.
BELFAST, Feb. IA dispatch from Cole
| raine. in county Londonderry, forty seven
miles from here, says that Mrs. Montague,
| daughter of Lord Robert Montague was COM
United for trial this morning OIL the charge of
causing the death of her daughter. Mary Helen
Montague. child only three years of age.
The bare details OF the affair are known Mt
present. as the greatest efforts have been made
TO keep the matter secret and to shield. as far
AZ possible, the Important family involved, but
tile crime il Of such a shocking nature that the
servants, neighbors aud others insisted that
JuStce should be done and there seems to be
prospect that lady OF the Montague family
fhhy meet death at the hangmans hands.
CHILDISH TRANSMISSION.
From the accounts of the affair that have
reached here 1t seems that the poor child has
been badly used by its governess. in addition
to being the object Of the hatred Of its mother.
In iact the harsh action OF the Governess seems
to have led up &c the tragedy. The latter it
seems for some childish escapade upon the
part oil her Charge, locked the little girl up in
dark room as Il punishment and then in
formed the mother, Mrs. Montague. OF the
child offense and OF the punishment she had
meted out to her for it. The mother appears
to have become outraged at the little
daughters conduct that she resolved to punish
her stu more severely, and going to the dark
room III which the child mad been confined by
the governess, Mrs Montague tied her baby
daughters arms behind her back with some
stout string, which cut deeply into the chids
tender limbs, and them not satisfied with this
severe treatment, che connected the end Of this
string about the child's arms 10 a ring in the
wall, half stringiug her up and half fastening
her to the wall in order, apparently to prevent
her from moving about the while she was under
punishment
The child cried piteously to be released,
promising amid heart-rendiDg sobs never 10
onend again, but the mothers heart was
steeled against her babys prayers for mercy,
ana she went away and locked the door behind
her. leaving poor little Mary alone in the dark
room and strung to the wall in a position which
must have caused her infinite pain.
After the mother left the child in the posi-
ton mentioned the poor child's cries grew
fainter and then ceased entirely. Those who
noticed that the child had ceased CRYING came
to the conclusion that she had become recon-
cled TO her imL risonment in the dark room
and that she had concluded that the less noise
she made the sooner she would be placed at
liberty.
in any case, three hours passed before any
body thought OF going to the dark room in
which the little girl WAS confined in order to
see II She wanted anything.
THE LITTLE ONE WAS DEAD.
At the expiration Of that time the door Of the
knocks at the door failed to obtain reply from
the child the door was opened and little Mary
was seen huddled up under the ring in the
wall. her pretty curls covering her face, which
was hanging downward, the body being upheld
by the cruel string fastened around her arms
anC secured to the ring referred to. When the
bright curls were brushed away from the
child s forehead 1t was seen that her face was
horribly discolored and distorted. and further
examination showed that poor little Mary was
lead, having been choked 10 death.
The house was soon alarmed ard medical
attendance was sent for. but all efforts to bring
the child back to life proved fruitiess. Tho
mother and governess were in despair, but the
physician, servants and neiShbors who heard Of
the affair were furiousy indignant at the cruel
mother and insisted that justice should be
done.
MRS. MONTAGUE ARRESTED.
The result was that the police were informed
OF the tragic death of little Mary, and soon
after q warrant for the arrest OF Mrs. Montague
Montague sobbed bitterly and again and again
asserted that she had no intentiou of taking
the child's life; that sine utterly heart
broken ut what had occurred and that her sole
object i'll fastening the child TO the wall was to
prevent her from kicking at the door of the
room in which she had been confined and SO
disturbing everybody in the house.
Mrs. Montague explanations however, did
not satisfy the police, nor did they satisfy the
police magistrate before whom her preliminary
examination WAS conducted today, for. as al
ready stated, in spite OF the efforts OF her in
iuential friends and relations, and in spite of
the pleas of able counsel. she was formally COM
mitted for trial. and is likely to
have an unpleasant time Of it when
brought face to face with a hard headed
box of jurymen, who Will not allow sentiment
to deter them from avenging the death of poor
little Mary Montague. 1t is not generally be-
lieved that Mrs Montague had any intention
Of taking her child's lite, but the opinion pre-
walls that the child was accidentally choked to
death through being strung UP to the wall in
the manner already described by the cruel
mother.
1t is said that other instances of cruelty upon
the part Of Mrs. Montague 10 her child will be
disclosed at the trial. which promises to be
one of the most interesting and exciting which
have occurred Tor many wears.