The Forrest City times., 1895-04-05
A MOTHERS CRIME.

Cuts the Threats Of Two of Them and
Disappears, Leaving the Third with
Strict Injunctions Not to Remove the
Coverlets from the Dead Innocents--A
Mysterious Case.
COLUMBUS, o., April 1.-TWO small
children were found dead in bed in a
room in the Park hotel yesterday af-
ternoon with their throats cut from
ear to ear.
An air of mystery hangs about the
tragedy. On Saturday neatly
dressed woman came to the hotel and
registered as Mrs. III. II. b. Williams
and children, Grove City, o. The
children were Harry Williams, aged z;
Maud Williams, aged 12. and Annie,
aged 13. 1t was the two younger chu-
dren who were found dead.
They were assigned to a room with
two beds. Annie and her mother oc-
Supied one of the beds, and the two
younger children the other Some
time during the night. it is supposed,
Mrs Williams murdered the children
and covered their bodies with the bed
ding.
Annie Williams says her mother left
the room at about $50 o'clock yester-
day morning, but before going told
her not to go near the bed in which
her brother and sister were sleeping.
She obeyed and so it was not until the
chambermaid came in to make the
beds that the tragedy was discovered.
At the foot of the bed bloody razor,
with which the work had been done,
was found.
Maud was lying on her face, with a
cash in the back of her neck. There
was evidence that she had struggled
for life, and it seems hardly possible
that Annie, the sister, could have been
in the room and was not awakened by
the disturbance.
VIM. II. Williams, husband of the
woman who did the bloody work, is an
oil salesman with an office here, though
for several years he has lived at Grove
City. suburb about twelve miles
south. He was brought to the hotel
soon after the discovery of the bodies,
but refused to talk about the matter
and would not permit his daughter
Annie to tell what she knew.
Mrs Williams is about forty years
old. Acquaintance say they never
knew of any trouble in the family, and
she seemed to be of sound mind The
family formerly lived in Cleveland
Mrs. Williams whereabouts is still
mystery.
Williams and his daughter Annie
were locked up in the city prison last
evening pending an investigation of
the murder. Williams was seen in his
cell by a United Press reporter last
night. He said:
Il left my home at Grove City last
Saturday morning for my place of
business in this city, as usual. NV
wife seemed in good humor and
spirits and kissed me good-by She
had been what / called cranky" for
some time. but l did not regard her as
insane. When l returned home Satur-
day night found the door locked and
q neighbor brought the key. saying my
wife and family had gone to Columbus.
Yesterday morning l came to the city
and went to Mrs. Testers house "a
friend of my wife-expecting to find
her there. Mrs. Lester said she had
spent Saturday there with her chill
dren, but left in the evening. l re-
turned to Grove City last night and
came to my place of business this
morning. 1t was my belief that she
had gone to her old home in Cleve-
land"
Annie Villa ms told the following
story: Before daylight this morning
my mother woke me up and said Harry
had died of Group. She wanted to cut
my wrists, and held my hands in hers
tor long time, but l finally pulled
away and mother fell asleep. We got
up at o'clock this morning, and
mother told me to dress and go out
and get some rough on rats. decided
as mother mixed some of it to take it.
but finally concluded not to do So"
The police found Mrs. Williams last
evening at the house of Mrs. Lester,
mentioned by Mrs. Williams. She had
gone directly there from the Park
hotel and had told nothing of what
she had done.
Mrs. Lester said she had chatted
pleasantly during her stay as if nothing
had happened.
When asked about the murder she
admitted that she had killed the chill
dren and calmly related the story of
how she did it. She said she concluded
to do it last Wednesday and came to
this city to carry out her plan. She
bought the razor in this city last Sat-
urday. She boughta quantity of opium
on Sunday and administered some to
each of the children, but they all
elected it except Annie. who slept for
Savaral hours and than cop,a from, =, ~