Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-06-23
AWFUL TRAGEDY.
An Insane Mother Kills Four Of Her
Children and Commits Suicide.
Strycbnine Mixed With Butter And
Spread on the Boys Bread.

A terribly tragedy, the most horrible that
cured Wednesday at noon. 1t took p ace at
Pleasant Hill, a thrifty settlement about six
teen miles from Parkersburg. in Walker dis
trict. At that place here lived Philip Kirsch
with his family, consisting Of wife and six
Children, the eldest OF whom is girl about
sixteen years of age, the youngest babe Of
ten mon hs.
Mrs. Eirsch had been i'll for long time,
suffering from mental de. resslon and nerv-
Gus disc rders, an it had been observed that
her mind was not entirely under control,
though no one ever entertained fears OF any
tragic consequences from her troubles. She
had been under the treatment OF competent
physician and it was thought she was i'm
proving in health.
Her husband was at barnraising at Mr..
Ellet s, n neighbor living about mile and a
half distant. The two elder boys were en-
gayed in the corn field AMI the eldest daugh-
ter, Molie, w.s washing clothes IN the yard.
At dinner time the boys came to the house
COl sat 0OWu 10 Illt L III fOn ulCo', AhO Nouoh-
ter continuing ut her wor aud not then COM
ing into the house. Mollie dill not observe
her mother un:il she came up and said: Il
have poisoned John and Fred, and thrown
nv babes in the well. Now come, Mollie,
md die with me-" At the same time the
mother laid hold of the girl and tried to
throw her into the we'll also.
The daughter fought with all her power,
and the ell curb being about two ieet nlgn
she was able to keep herself from being
thrown n. At this moment younger child
ei ,ht years old, appeared, and the mother
abandoned the effort to throw Mollie In the
well and caught the younger child.
The daughter fought with despera ion and
almost superhumsn strength to release the
Young child. and finally succeeded in re-
leasing him from his manaic mothers grasp,
and then told him to run for his life to an
uncles house, near by.
The mother then started to throw herself
into the well where the Two younger chill
drcn had already been drowned. MolIle
eau .ht her mother aad screamed for her
brothers to come to her aid They arose from
the table and ssarted out, but one OF them fell
dead before he got to the door, and the other,
lust as he reached the doorway. tched head
long to the ground, corp-e.
In the meantime the daughter was engaged
in desperate struggle to prevent her mother
from throw ng herself into the well. she
fought with courage and rolc str n8tl and
tore almost all the clothing from her body,
but her efforts were unsuccessful, and at last
the mother pitched headlong into the well
and was dro Sed.
The poison given the boys was strychnlne
mixed W tn the butter that the mother spread
ON her boys bread at their dinner. One
piece of Grea1 so spread was lylng BESIDE the
pla;e set for one OF boys on y partly eaten;
Whether he was taken sick Lefore It was al
eaten or whether it was laid aside when the
sister screamed for help from the outside OF
the house will never be known
In brief time the neighbor assembled and
the three bodies were taken from the well
and the coroner notified.
Justice of the Peace Devaughn, Of Walker
district, held the inquest, and his hnd.ng was
in accordance with the facts
The funeral OF all the dead took place at
the Skidmore graveyard at Dalli;on.