Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-01-23
WATCHED THEM DIE.


Deadly Draught-One of the Children
Survives to Tell the Story of the Trag-
edy.
MARYsvTII1l, Kas., Jan. 16.-Six miles
southeast of this city, as the crow flies,
mother carefully prepared to murder
Ter eight children and then destroy
herself.
VICTIMS OF ADVERSELY AND DISEASE.
Mrs. Hildebrandt was the wife of
5oseph Hildebrandt. German farmer,
20 whom adversely and a large family
aad come hand in hand. To add to his
troubles. he became victim of cancer,
and for the second time was absent
rom home. in Kansas City, for treat
nent. The family was behind
with the rent of their farm,
and abject poverty stared them
n the face. Hildebrandt ran
short of money to pay his expenses at
Kansas City, and wrote home for more.
His wife scraped together what money
she could get and sent it to him. A
second request came for funds, and
Mrs. Hildebrandt sold one of the mules
and sent her husband the proceeds In
The meantime, it Is said, the landlord
began to press Mrs. Hildebrandt for his
rent money. It is rumored on the
streets here that last Monday Mrs. Hill
iebrandt went to see John Tangeman,
neighbor, and tried to negotiate a
loan. When she was refused, it is said,
she turned away. complaining bitterly
and saying that there seemed to be
nothing for her except death.
Late Monday afternoon Mrs Hide
brandt called her children about her,
except the baby in the cradle, and told
them that their father was coming
home that night, and she wanted them
TO all be in bed asleep when he arrived,
so as not to disturb or annoy him. She
said she had something that would
make them sleep better, and she
brought out bottle filed with whisky.
She handed it to the first-born and he
took long drink. Some of the chill
dren demurred, but she insisted upon
their drinking. After they all had
drank of it she touched the bottle to
the baby's lips, and forced the liquor
down its throat.
WATCHED THEM DIE.
She undressed all the children and
placed four of them in one and three
In another bed, in oneof the two down
stairs rooms. She went from the room
a moment, and while she was absent
the eldest boy whispered to the next
oldest. Charlie, that they had all been
poisoned. The mother returne ed to the
room. walking slowly. She sat down be-
side the bed. Soon the only sound to be
heard was the heavy breathing of her
children or the moaning of the wind
through the leafless branches of the
many trees about the house. The
breathing of the children became
heavier and more measured. One by
one they died. The night passed and
the clock on the mantel struck the hour
of six.
Little Charlie, suffering agony un-
told. opened his eyes and looked at his
mother as she sat by the bedside. She
arose and. walking to him, stopped and
asked him how he felt.
Worse said Charlie. tears burst
ing from his eyes in that horrid cham
Der of death. The mother moved
across the room and proceeded to get
the whisky bottle. Sobbing and with
ing little Charlie pleaded with his
whisky. Three bodies. rigid in death,
lay on the bed beside him. In the crib
lay seven-months-old Edith, her fists
doubled and her face CHASTITY in the
gray, dull light that stole in at the
window.
''Please, mamma, don't give me that,
pleaded Charlie.
1T won't hurt you," and the mother
took deep draught. She smacked her
lips after it. and handed the bottle to
him
While the tears streamed down his
face and unseen hands seemed to grasp
his heart-strings and tug at them. he
took the bottle and drank. His mother
took away the bottle and he fell back
on the pillow unconscious.
CHAMBER OF DEATH.
1t was IL o'clock noon Tuesday. when
Charlie Hildebrandt opened his eyes.
He was in dreadful pain. He weakly
called for help, but there was no
answer. Around him were the
bodies of his dead brothers and
sisters. His mother had disappeared.
Charlie was too weak to rise, SO he
rolled to the floor from the bed and
crawled to a bucket of water. He
drank to quench a burning sensation
with nausea, and fell fainting on the
floor. For long while he lay there,
and when he recovered he arose I'M
steadily and staggered to the home of
the nearest neighbor. Ernest Genjork.
Mrs. Geniork was alone in the house.
Come quick, come quick" gasped
Charlie. ''All my brothers and sisters
are dead" The neighborhood was
aroused. and late in the afternoon the
house was invaded. The dead bodies
were placed on the floor in row. Some
of the children had died with their
arms clasped about each other. Mr..
.Sehwart went to the stable to feed the
horses 1t was dark in the stable. and
he struck match. BY its feeble light
he beheld the body of Mrs. Hildebrandt
A rope about her throat held her to
eross-beam. Her toes rested on the
manager flooring and her knees almost
touched the boards. Her features in
dictated that strangulat had come to
the aid of poison.