The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-05
MRS. MoNrAGu IN LUCK.
The Murderess Escapes With q Sentence
of One Year in Prison.

u
of One Year in Prison.
DUBLIN, April AIRS. Montagu charged
with cruelty treating her children and
causing the death of one of them by tying
her up by the hands in such way that
she strangled to death. was found guilty of
mansiaughter and sentenced to imprison-
ment for one year at hard labor.
Counsel for defendant asked the jury to
avoid the influence of the savage outcry
against the prisoner. She might have
made a mistake in correcting the children
under stern idea of duty, but that
was without criminality. The prisoner
wept copiously as her counsel pro-
ceeded to make a sympathetic ap-
peal to the jury. He said she
was the greatest sufferer by the
death of her children. and she was
about to become the mother of
an eighth child. The verdict was ac-
companied by recommendation to
mercy, on the ground that the prisoner
had acted under mistaken sense of duty.
She was sentenced to one years imprison-
ment.
Mrs. Montagu treated her children with dend-
ish cruelty. She did II to savo their souls, she
said; she did not mind their bodies She beat
them, tied them to trees, tied cords tightly about
them, cut pieces out of their ears, stripped
them naked and scourged them horribly;
dragged them through the corridors by the feet,
their heads trailing on the ground, and kept
them all night in dark closets. The governess,
Miss Rose Dossell, was as fiendish
as her mistress. For some child
ish escapade Miss Dossell locked 3-year-old
Helen Mary Montagu, in dark room as pun
ishment, and then informed the mother, Mrs.
Montagu, of the child's oiense and of the pun
ishment she had melted ont to her. The mother
became so enraged at her daughters conduct
that sue resolved to punish her still more Sc
verely. Going to the dark room in which the
child had been confined by the governess,
Mrs. Montague tied her daughters arms behind
her back with a stocking, which cut deeply in
to the childs tender limbs, and then, not salts
fed with this treatment, connected the end of
this string about the child's arms to a ring in
the wali, half strinGins her up and half fasten-
ing her to the wall, in order, apparently.
to prevent her from moving about
whilo she was under punishment The child
cried piteously to, be released, but the mother
went away and locked the door behind her,
leaving the infant alone in the dark room
After the mother left the child in this
position the poor childs cries grew fainter
and then ceased entirely. Four hours
passed before anybody thought of going
to the dark room in which the little girl
was confined in order TO see If she wanted any
thing or II she was safe. At the expiration of
that time the door of the dark room was visited,
and when several knocks at the door failed to
obtain reply from the child, the door
was opened and she was seen huddled
up under the ring in the wall, her
eurls covering her face, which was hang
ing downward, the body being upheld by
the string around her arms, and secured to the
ring When the hair was moved away it was
seen that her face was horribly discolored and
distorted. and further examination showed that
she was dead. having been choked to death The
unnatural mother is a daughter-in-law of Right
Hon. Lord Robert Montagu and her maiden
name was Annie Marsaret McMicking1