The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-07-29
AN AWFUL DEED.
The Wife Of Frank Law, Former Res
idents of TiOnesta Commits
Most Unnatural Deed.

Law, former well-known and very high
ly esteemed residents of Tionesta, in
fit of temorary insanity, cut her ls-days-
old baby boys throat almost severing |
the head from the body, at the family |
residence, in Allegheny City, last Fri
day afternoon. Mr.. Law came to Tio- |
nesta from Oil City about eleven years
ago, and started timing and plumbing |
shop, remaining about six years. Short
ly after he came hers he married Miss
Ida L. Trox, of Siverlyville, a most
charming young lady, and two children
"a daughter and son-wers born to them
while they were residents OF Tionests.
Our community was shocked on Satur-
day last to read the accounts of the most
distressing affair in the Pittsburg papers,
and the sympathy expressed for the un-
fortunate parents was very general and
most sincere.
On July 9th Mrs. Law gave birth to
boy, since which her health has been bad
and she suffered very greatly. On sew
eral occasions it is said her husband no.
ticed that she had acted peculiarly, but
thought nothing strange Of it. Dndoubt-
edly her illness caused the temporary
arrangement of her mind, she having
| been able to sleep but very little since
the birth of her child. From the Pitts
burg Dispatch of Saturday we CLEAN the
following account of the sad tragedy:
Eerly in the morning her husband left
the home at No. Summer street His
wife was sitting in rocking chair in the
| front room on the ground floor of the
house. He is timer by occupation,
but is at present unemployed. Their
other two children, Eva Myrtle and
Clarence s., were playing around the
room. The husband returned about
noon and walked into the parlor where
his wife was sitting. She had her baby
in her arms, and its throat was cut from
ear to ear. When Mrs. Law saw her
husband she cried out: "My God! My
God! I've killed my child! I've killed
my child What do you think of me? :?
What will my children think of me? ?"
Standing close beside the mother were
the other two children. They were cry
ing bitterly. As soon as the husband
could recover himself, he ran to the chair
and saw that the child was dead. Lying
close beside the chair was his razor,
Around the mothers feet large pool OF
blood had collected. Laws first action
was to try and take the child from the
lap of his wife. She was in a hysterical
condition and would not allow the dead
body to be removed. Her husband then
, decided to send for doctor, but was
afraid TO leave his wife for fear she would
kill herself. Finally he sent the oldes
of the children to the home of James Ii
Dimond, a neighbor, with instructions tt
e. have him come at once. On Dimond'i
\ arrival the now frantic husband went il
search of a doelOr. He got word to DR.
n II. A. Ramsey, of 70 Arch street, the fam
lily physician, but he did not respond un
> til after 7:15 last night. All this time thj
4 mother sat in the rocking chair with th,
n dead infant in her arms. Any effort t.
/ take the dead child from her grasp sht
would violently oppose. When DR.
S Ramsey arrived he succeeded in quietinl
her, and she allowed him to take tn
corpse of her child and lay il on the bed
DR.. Ramsey notified the Coroner, anC
Deputy Coroner Mark Donley and De
. tectives Philip McDonough and Henr,
Kornman went to the house, where al
investigation of the tragedy was held il
. the presence of Mr.. Law, his wife anC
" Dr. Ramsey. Mrs, Law talked incoher
emily, and said that she had suffered ter
n ribly since the birth of Arthur, and haC
= scarcely any sleep since the child wa
| II. I
y and kept her awake. She continued:
"About noon l sent the two children +
the store. While they were gone every
, thing seemed to grow dark around m
and don't know what came over me.
have faint recollection of leaving the PAL
10 lor and going to the kitchen cupboar
and getting my husbands razor. ! re
10 member of laying the baby on my la
after getting back TO the parlor and cut
~ ting its throat. When the children cam
in one of them spoke to me and it seem
" ed as though had just awakened from
long sleep. 1t then dawned upon m
that what was horrible dream was tn
truth, for there in my arms lay the bod
~ of my baby whom loved so dearly.
" "When my husband came | realize
fully what l had done, but would M
allow him to take the child until the doc
tor came. l never had any such spe
before when my other children wei
born"
While making this statement Mr.
Law cried great deal and appeared yer
nervous and excited. She is 33 years ol
and has been married ten years. She
st what would be called a handsome WI
n man, although sh9 has the appearance
d, having suffered great deal. She oril
ly inally came from Oil City and is we
.e. connected. The couple are well spoke
yo of in the neighborhood and the tasteful
n. and neatly kept house shows that Mr.
yh Law is a good housewife. The hou
or where the tragedy occurred is locate
nd near UniOndale Cemetery, and is one
IS a row of six two and a half story house
he DIR. Ramsey also made statement
Y. Deputy Coroner Donley. He said Il
n womaH had suffered greatly since Il
Iot birth of the child, and he considered h
ri temporarily insane.
ire The woman was left at her home
ly charge Of her husband. DIR. Ramsey stat
20 that her condition was such that 81
,.,y cOuId NOT bp rpmOVpd An inuuast "