The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-12
An Unnatural Father Charged with Having
Murdered an Infant
A deed OF CRUELTY UNSURPASSED
Bert Sebring Is Charged With Hav-
ing Drowned Newborn Infant in
a Pail of Boiling Water Before the
Eyes of His Sick Wfe-Also Sus-
pected of Another Murder in the
Vicinity of His Home in Rush-Facts
Concerning a Fiendish Family.
Snecial to the Scranton rribuns.

nm Sunday. May IA, 1893, in the
Hi little hamlet Of Rush there oe-
I'LL curred-so the grand Jury
W which recently indicted the sup
posed murderer, thought-one of the
most horrible and unnatural crimes
ever committed in Susquehanna
county. 1t was, as far rs brutality is
concerned, perhaps equallad by the
O'Mara murder nearly twenty years
ago. when the bodies of OMaras
mother and sister were, after boing
killed. placed upon the track of the
Delaware, Lsokawanna and Western
railroad about two miles rorth Of Al.
ford; also the shooting of William II.
Cooper by Joseph Drinksr in 1888, but
hardly 90 as the details OF the Sebring
matter show.
On Friday. May 12. 1898, Mrs. Will
Jams, Ssbring's mother-in-law. went to
his home, knowing that her daughter
was to become mother. Upon her
arrival she was informed by Sebring
that his wife was we'll and there was
no need of her staying, and that he
would come for her when necessary.
AS Mrs Williams lived but two miles
distant, at Auburn Four Corners, she
returned to her home.
On the following Sunday, without
tbs services of d physician Mrs Sebring
gave birth to male child, and about
five minutes after 1t was born Sebring,
with kettle of boiling water, entered
the room wherein lay his wife, and
taking the innocent aud helpless babe
from her arms, plunged it into the ket-
tie. While still holding his child un.
der the water, he told his wife that he
would kill her if she ever informed a
living soul of what he had done.
After wrapping the lifeless body in a
cloth and placing 1t in a clothes press
he drove to his mother-in- and
told her his wife was i'll. Upon arriv-
ing at SebrinG's house he first told her
that the child had been born and had
died. Mrs. Williams immediate AZ =
tentions were directed to her daughter
and afterward in preparing the body
of the infant for burial. While hold
ing the child in her lap face down
ward, she ayers that half tsaeupful of
water ran from its nostrils and mouth,
but at the time she thought nothing of
it. Sebring had for some time treated
his wife cruslly, and after the birth
and supposed murder. the demon in
him seemed to become worse and
his treatment so brutal that his
wife informed him the latter
part of February last that she
was going to visit friends, This was
but ruse for she Immediately went to
her mothers homr. The cruelty and
brutal treatment of her husband had
destroyed all affection that she, az
wife, had cherished for him when she
comp red it to the loving and tender
care of her mother A natural feeling
OF repugnance for her husband must
have caused her to inform her parents
of Sebring's heinous crime and they
persuaded her to 20 to Montrose, where
q warrant was sworn out for his arrest.
Constable Baldwin captured him on
Feb 49, on which day he was a2raigned
before j. S, Courtright, who acted as
coroner. During the inquest it was
shown that the child had been born
alive. as the body WAS exhumed and
examined by several physicians. Sab
ring was committed to the county Jail
here.
ARRAIGNED AT THE BAR OF JUSTICE
He was arraignsd at court yesterday
before Judge Ssarle and pleaded not
guilty to tho three specific charges of
child murder. His attorney, J. N.
Kelly, presented to the court certifi-
cate of DR.. Summers. stating that ow-
ing to severe illness two witnesses
would be unable to attend court for
some time. Ssbring, being sworn. tes.
titled that lie felt it would be unsafe |
for him to stand trial without these
witnesses and as District Attorney
Ainey could not dispute the matter, the
court remanded Sebring until next
term.
The prisoner is tall. black haired.
bullet-headed individual. and seemed |
to have much trouble with his small |
eyes when speaking, as he blinked them |
like an owl
He was not dressed in regular prison
garb, but evidently wore tho same suit |
that he had on when arrested, save that |
q new pair OF cowhide boots which
violently when the sheriff |
brought him into court. A black |
covers his narrow upper lin |
and the extraordinary heavy set Jaws |
indicate brutality.
THE TRIBUNE correspondent saw and |
talked with several Of the witnesses.
but they were mostly as silent as the |
proverbial clam. One honest old |
farmer, however, was quite talkatiys.
aud in his vernacular related that Sob |
ring came from bad lot and he bs-
lisved MIN guilty man.
A HISTORY OF THE FAMILY.
Sebring's father, be said, came to
this section from Blairstown, N. j..
about eighteen years ago. He had two |
children-a daughter, whom he ruined.
and this man now suspected Of murder.
The elder Sebring treated his wife in
such cruel manner that she left him.
taking her daughter. The girl finally
to her mother Of her fathers
Outrages and brooded continually over
her shame, She finally became insane,
and tho mothers age and failing health
prevented her from earnitg livlihood,
so she joined her daughter at the
Blairstown poor house. where she soon
died. The daughter became much
worse and is now In the insane DEPART
ment Of that institution.