New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-19
TO SACRIFICE HER CHILD.
THE LITTLE ONE RESCUED JUST IN TIME
FROM A CRAZY MOTHER.
SHE WAS SAYING A PRAYER As SHE STOOD WITH
THE KNIFE uPLrFTED OVER HER

THE KNIFE UPLIFTED OVER HER
YOUNG DAUGHTER
There came near being a child murder Friday
night in a tenemen t-house at No. 431 West seven
feminist woman tenant in the house. while out
Of her mind and filed with the insane belief that
she must make a sacrifice OF her only child who
Is four years old seized a knife TO kill the little
girl
She first offered A prayer as an accompaniment
OF the proposed sacrifice. and II was while she was
reading this prayer that rescuers broke into the
room and saved the little one from death. The
woman made an effort to kill herself and police
man before she finally placed under restraint
The woman Is Mrs Della Kiley, who lived with
her husband. on the second floor OF the big tene-
ment. The husbands work obliges him 70 leave
home at 6 o'clock every morning. and he does not
return until o'clock in the evening They have
only one child. the little girl whom the mother pro-
posed 10 kill The tenants IN the house say that
until last Wednesday Mrs. Kiley appeared 10 be In
her right mind. Then she began to act strangely.
She broke up all her little daughters toys and
threw them into the fire. When the father re-
turned homo at night he found the little girl cry
ing bitterly. and then learned Of his w.fe's queer
conduct. He asked her what she meant by destroy
ing the child's toys The woman laughed strangely.
and answered that she burned them because her
mother-in-law had placed seven curses upon them.
Kiey saw that his wfe's mind was affected. and
best
the house advised him to have his wife removed TO
the hospital. but he thought II only tenn
porary arrangement, and that she would be her
self again in a few days. When he got home
Thursday night he found the woman In state OF
terror. She said that she expected her mother-in-
law come to the house and cut her eyes out.
Large holes be cut in her body. She said
she dreaded the result Key still opposed the
woman's removal to the hospital While ne was at
work Friday she got worse than ever Some OF the
tenants heard Tire little girl crying in the rooms.
This did not attract much attention at first, but
child cried such frequent intervals that they
decided to make an investigation. As they
knocking at the door OF the womans rooms, two
young men came bounding up the stairway,
tried open the door. Some tenants across the
street had noticed the woman walking up and down
the floor OF her fourishing table knife. They
told the young to go up and take the knife
away from her The crazed woman refused to open
1t open and sprang into the room. in a corner the
little girl crouched; pale and trembling. and too
with the table knife upifted I'm her right hand evil
IDENTIFY preparing to kill the child. In her left hand
she held an open prayer book from which she
reading a prayer.
Had the re s not appeared until after the
probability have been killed. The little one
carried out OF the rooms and the mother left In them
alone. When the husband returned home at night
he found her raging hercey, and crying for her
child to be restored 10 her She still had the prayer
The husband tried to coax her to surrender the
weapon. but she only grew more savage, so he went
get policeman and have ambulance sum-
moned for her removal TO the hospital. His motive
was understood by the demented woman. and when
she heard his returning footsteps the stairs she
became desperate. Running to the window. she
jumped with the knife still clutched In
She landed uniniured the sidewalk and started
away. followed by the patronan, whom her
husband had Summoned.
The woman darted into area. and. when the
patrolman ran In after her. she made effort 10
stab him. The knife wrested from her grasp
and, after q short struggle. she Overpowered
An ambulance then called. and the unfortu-
nate woman removed to Bellevue Hospital.