Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-19
HOLDING HER CHILD
The Little One Was Dead and the Mother
Dementsd.
Mrs. Sylvester Had Religious Mania
and Probably SufrOcated Her Baby
"A False Alarm.

Last evening there was great excitement
In South Washington over the rumor that
a colored woman named Mollie Sylvester
had committed suicide. with her little child
in her arms. by jumping into the James
creek canal near South Capitol and G.
streets.
Lieut. Vernon OF the fourth precinct was
notified. and policemen were sent to drag
the canal. Word came from Joe Ebert, a
lineman in the employ of a telegraph COM
pany. who said that he had been told that
a woman with a baby in her arms had
jumped into the canal. No trace of either
body could be found. and it was finally de-
cided that the rumor had been started by
some people who had seen the Sylvester
woman, in a demented condition, wander
ing around with her little baby in her
arms. Yesterday afternoon Police Surgeon
Childs. accompanied by Officers Cowne and
Kunpfer. went to the house No. 3l7 G
street southwest, where Mrs. Sylvester lived
with her sister
They were unable to obtain admission,
for the two women had barred up the win
dows and doors, and the crazy woman evil
IDENTIFY had her sister cowed. Thinking
knowing that they could not enter the
house without using more force than they
were warranted in doing. the policemen
went away. and when, later In the even
committed suicide they thought likely 1t
Mrs. Sylvester. About $50 last even
ing they visited the house again. and
found both women gone. No trace was
found of Mrs Sylvester until this morning
about ii O'Clock, when she returned of her
own accord, and was found sitting the
steps I'm the rear of the house. Where she
had been or what she had done in the
hours intervening she was utterly unable
to say, for she seemed to be completely
exhausted. In her arms was the dead body
OF her baby. 1t was boy Of about eigh-
teen months and remarkably stout and
sturdy looking. Wrapper around its head
was a heavy cloth or shawl. and the poor
little child had evidently been suffocated in
the arms Of its demented mother She
paid not the slightest attention to it, nor
did she even seem to realize that II was
dead.
Officer Henry hurried to the house and
brought the woman and the body Of the
child to the fourth precinct station. where
the woman was made as comfortable as
possible. while the body of the child was laid
out to await the arial Of the coroLer. Dr.
Hickling one of the police surgeons. was
Quickly summoned, and he examined the
woman's condition. expressing the opinion
that 1t was a case Of complete collapse re-
sulting from religious mania. Since Satur-
day night. the woman had been clearly out
Of her head and the neighbors were salts
fed that she had got religion" She car
ried on In frantic sort Of way, and for
hours at a time did nothing but moan and
cry. ocCdSiOndiy she WOul0 mount q la00er
In order to get nearer to heaven and then
would wall bitterly because her cries and
prayers were not Immediately answered
Those who saw her. however. thought she
would soon get over her trouble, and they had
no idea that II might be attended with such
serious consequences. DR.. Hickling directed
that the woman be taken 70 the Washing
ton Asylum for treatment. and this was
done later in the day. Mrs. Sy1vtster's hus-
band Is employed at Deer. Park. He was
sent for last night and arrived In this city
about o'clock this afternoon. The Sylves-
ter woman is about thirty five years OF age
and looks to be in rather delicate health
She had not shown any signs of mental
trouble. however until rec entity, when she
became religious enthusiast as a result
of constant attendance at the services of a
Colored church In South Washington
This is the second falssz alarm of a sui
eide IN the canal within the past few weeks
Not long ago 1t wasrreporteis that a coli
ored man had leaped into the canal, where
death Is almost certain owing to the height
OF the walls on either side of the water and
the dense and noxiOus gases that arise Of
Ger Sutton. with police assistance. dragged
the canal for several hours and as they
were about to give up, a colored man.. who
was on the bank just getting over the re-
suits of spree. told them, that if-tfey
were tired of searching. Trey might Just as
well quit. as he was the man thsy were
looking for.