Evening star., 1895-08-16
AFFAIRS IN GEORGETOWN
Mrs. Bitting's Attempt to Kill Her Two
Children. a
~
Her Mind Unsettled by Grief and Al
O..
legged Spiritualistic Manifesta-
tions-Other Bits of;News.

A man came to the seventh precinct sta
ton yesterday and requested that the po-
lice at once take charge of his siSter-in-
law, Mrs. Laura Biting, residing on the
Ridge road near the Conduit, saying she
had developed insanity to a5violent degree
ard was dangerous to be at large. The pa
troll was accordingly sent in charge of
several officers The woman was found
with glaring eyes and wild aspect. She
had conceived the idea to Kill her two chill
dren, boy and a girl, and had locked
them in a room preparatory. as it was
later found, to committing the crime. The
boy however, had managed to escape and
was found by the officers, frightened and
trembling, sitting on rock quarter of
a mile from the house. He Is little fell
low, but realized at once that his mother
was deranged, and fed for his life.
The mothers condition, 1t is claimed, is
the result of her husbands death a few
days ago. Fear of want following did
much to promote it. 1t is said though,
that the persistency of her husbands rela-
tives in holding spiritualistic seances in
the home since the death, has done much
to augment her weakness.
The woman Is a devout Catholic, conse-
Quently is violently opposed to these per-
formances. The strong opposition offered
while in high state of nervous grief no
doubt brought on much of the mental dis
treSS.
There were continual rappings, exclama-
tions, etc, which kept the bereaved wife
unnerved constantly. 1t was alleged that
conversations were being held with the
spirit of her dead husband.
Mrs. Biting says she wants to go to
heaven with her husband and wants to take
her children with her. For this reason she
intended to kill them.
She called the seventh precinct Heaven"
and later enthuSedr over the first precinct
when she taken thpre ha ha
amined today by the surgeons and prob
ably sent to the asylum.
Mrs. Bitting's husband was J. P. Biting,
vino was buried last Wednesday. His life
had been one long struggle.
The Bogus Check Man, % .u-
The bogus check man, an account of
whose operations was published in yestcr-
days Star, made his appearance in George
town last night and made an effort to pass
a check for SIS at Braces drug store. But
the druggist had read of his conduct in
other sections and he declined to accept
Charles H. Johnson's" check on the Sec
ond National Bank. Word was sent to the
police station of the mans presence in the
store, but when the police arrived the al
legged swindler had disappeared. From
there he went to O'Donnell's store, corner
fled that he would fare no better there
than he had at Braces, and so he boarded
a cable car and disappeared.
Death of Samuel Chase.
Mr.. Samuel Chase, lifelong resident of
this place, died yesterday afternoon at
his residence, 290S Dumbarton avenue, after
an illness of seven months. He was one
Of the best-known colored men in this
section. For twenty-six years he was sex
ton of st. Johns Church MIR. Chase held
high places In several fraternal organiza-
tions. being particularly prominent as an
Odd Fellow, having been initiated thirty
years ago. Deceased leaves a wife and
three children-Ida. William and Lorenzo
Chase. The funeral will take place Sunday
afternoon from Mt. Zion NJ. T.. Church.
Notes.
Mr.. Harry Clements has returned home
after two weeks delightful stay in Mary
land at his sisters, Mrs. J. W. Bean.
Ernest Lyles was arrested yesterday on
suspicion of having stolen Joel Wise's
sow a few days ago. The animal was
found in Lyles' possession and he could
give no satisfactory explanation relative
to it,