The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-10-10
Trial Of Lena Brown.

day. There was no delay in drawing {
jury, neither side having any challenges
Prosecutor Budd opened the case fol
the State, and detailed the circumstances
of the crime. Lena Brown was very poor
and had been elected from the house she
occupied because of not paying her rent
She went to the home of William Harvey
to whom she applied for a room in his
house, saying she would pay rent for it
Harvey referred her to his wife, and the
latter, seeing the condition OF Lena Brown
who was pregnant, took pity on her and
gave her shelter. On the 9th OF Septem'
Der last year, the "big day" of the Tren
ton Fair, Mr.. and Mrs. Harvey went tC
Trenton, leaving two children at home in
Lena's care.
Some time in the afternoon Lena Brown
entered the Office of Hugh Newell, and
asked if she could see the city marshal
who she heard was there. He appeared
and she stated that she had killed three
children, and wanted to be arrested. The
officer doubted this statement, and while
he was conversing with the woman, james
d. Flynn, editor of the Bordentown Regis
ter, came along, and advised that the case
be investigated. So the woman was taker
to the city lookup, and the marshal and
editor Flynn went to the Harvey home
and there saw the remains of the three
children lying on the floor with cloths
over their faces.
Mayor Hudson, to whom she said that hel
own child had fallen down stairs and cu
his head. This incensed her to such ar
extent that she struck the child with ar
iron and beat and pounded him until he
was dead. Then she called the two Har
vey children, who were in the yard, into
the house, and strangled them.
Prosecutor Budd said he had devoted
much attention to this case to discover
what was best to be done, and after the
most careful investigation had been un
able to discover any testimony on the
commission of the deed but the word O
the self confessed criminal. A thorough
search into the woman's antecedents failed
to disclose any reason why she should
have committed the crime, and the State
stood without any evidence of motive.
There we're many grave doubts abou
the womans sanity at the time of the
commission of the crime, as she was, al
that time, pregnant that the Prosecutor
said he did not feel justified in asking fol
verdict of murder in the first degree
but he did think the prisoner should be
put in such position that she would moi
be able to do more harm.
William Harvey, the father OF two o
the murdered children, was the first wit
ness. He told of going to the Trenton
Fair and leaving two of his children al
home with Lena Brown. He felt like
taking the eldest, but the woman said she
would take good care of them, and as she
seemed so fond Of them, and showed nc
signs of being at all out Of the way that hG
left both at home. One of them was three
years of age, the other one and hal
years. When he returned from Trenton
he found his children dead.
Mrs. Sarah Harvey, wife OF this witness
said Lena always appeared to be kind tC
the children and seemed fond of them
She had been left alone with them more
than once.
Henry NJ. Jobes, city marshal, told 0
the woman coming to him with the con
fession of her crime, and that she appeared
perfectly cool and calm.
James D. Flynn, editor of the Borden
town Register, and Hugh Newell corrob
Grated Marshal Jobes.
Mayor John o. Hudson said that h,
gave the woman hearing, at which sh'
stated that she killed the children, bu
did not know why she did it, and tina
she was awful sorry. She gave her age a
20, and said that she had never beer
married.
DIR. w. H. Ships, who examined thu
bodies of the dead children, founC
blood on the clothing where 1t encircleC
the necks of the children. There wer,
wounds on the heads of two of them, bu
death undoubtedly resulted from stran
gulation. After viewing the bodies thu
doctor visited the woman. She told hin
she was native of Germany, but woulC
not tell how long she had been in thi
county. She described the manner il
which she killed the children, but die
not give any motive, except that wher
her boy fell down stairs and she saw thu
blood, she was seized with an uncontrol
liable desire to commit the deed. Sh'
was very cool and answered all questions
calmly.
This closed the States case.
Jerome B. Grigg, counsel for defence
said the Prosecutor had very fairly stated
the facts, with the intention of leaving
to the jury the decision Of the condition
of the woman when the deed was done
The only defence would be that of in
sanity. If the woman was governed by
some uncomfortable impulse which over
powered her will power, she certainly
was not guilty of murder in the the first
degree, and if not guilty of that crime
she must be acquitted of all wrong doing
Dr. John w. Ward, medical director a
the Trenton ms ane Asylum, said he haC
seen Lena Brown at the Jail IN October o
last year. He found her laboring unde
delusion of immediate danger. She sale
she was in Jail for killing three children
but that she did not do it, that the crim'
was committed by the father of her un
born child. After some questioning sh
admitted that she did kill the children
but could not tell why she did it. AT
later date the doctor found the woman il
good spirits, but two months later sh
was again melancholy. The woman, OF
t he occasion of the first visit, was pre0
nant. This condition frequently causes
form of insanity, and DIR. Ward was of tn
opinion, formed by examination of TIL
woman and by hearing the testimony
that Lena Brown, at the time of the kill
ing, was the victim of mania which in
duced her to commit the crime. From
the expressions of love for her own child
he cool, calm manner in which she rels
ted the circumstances, led the witness t
believe that the defendant was insane an,
irresponsible at the time of the killing
The witness, in reply to a question b
Judge Garrison, said that woman who
during pregnancy, had suicidal or hon
icidal tend ency, would never be rid of it.