Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-08-30
A CRAZY MOTHER KILLS BIER
RARE

There was arraigned in Adams Street
Court, in New York, on Saturday, q de-
mented woman, beautiful yourg
mother, who had killed her baby son
because she thought she was called upon
to make sacrifice. She Is Mrs. Annie
Noe. Her wrist was bandsged where
she had slashed it in an attempt to kill
herself and her face was pale and
emsciate6. By her side was her hus
band, Charles Noe, anyious and solicit
Gus OF her welfare, and her older child
rem.
But the court proceedings were to
ner so much empty form. She gazed
around the courtroom with wild eyes,
aever realizing that the charge against
her was murder. To her it was only q
sacrifice: sacrifice she had been called
upon to make by God, just as>Ablaham
mad been called upon to sacrifice his
own son to the Lord. Mrs. Noes crime
was tho outcome of religious fervor and
dependency. She wanted to die, be-
cause she thought her life was a
hard one but she could not
bear to leave her baby behind for
another woman to tend, for another
woman, perhaps, to treat unkindly.
She brooded over imaginary troubles
until she firmly believed that her bus.
band was unkind to her, that the cares
of life aud of her family were more than
she could bear. She became 50
thoroughly imbued with this idea that
she spoke to her neighbors about it, and
told them how she must put an end to
it. Although it was known that the
woman was mentally unbalanced, no
effort was made to Wstch her or TO pre-
vent the tragedy Sue contemplated,
and talked so freely about.
She dressed her baby, George, Friday,
10 an unusual array of 6nery. His
clothing was principally of lace, and be
looked 30 handsome. The mother then
ook him out to visit friends, by whom
both boy and clothes were greatly ad
n,ired. At noon Mrs. Noe returned to
her home snd lunched; then she sem,
her four eldest children out to play on
the street, while she stripped little
George of his finery. She gave
he baby q warm bath, and then
ircssed him again 10 all his fnery.
George was tired after morning spent
IN making calls and the unusual bath,
and as soon as be was clothed again ht
went right to sleep with one little pink
arm tucked under his face and the 9th.
or one crossed over his breast.
Then the mother went to bureau,
where her husband kept pistol. She
pointed it at the little hand on the
baby's breast and fred. She had wrap.
ned the pistol in some bedclothes to
deaden the report The baby gave one
conyulsive Jump and fell back on to the
bed. A great hole had been torn
in its baud and the bullet had gone
through its chest, just missing the heart.
George was not dead, but his mother
thought her work had been thorough.
She then went into the kitchen and
drew a butchers knife across her left
wrist, cutting all the arteries; then she
Law down on the bed beside her man
yled baby. When her husband, who Is
foreman of a pork-packing establish
ment, returned home, he was met on
the street by his si1-year-olu Doy, WIZ
lisped, Importantly
"Pop, mammals shotted baby"
Noe rushed upstairs and found his
wife sitting 10 a chair tearing open tb.
eesh in her wrist with her fingers.
Noe saw the body on the bed, and
said to the woman
"Annie, what have you done 2"
81 was called upon to sacrifice my
baby because you were unkind to me-
and I wanted to die"
The police were called in, and the
baby was taken to Long Island College
Hospital, where it died soonafter dark
ness set in that night. The mother
was locked up in Adams street station
when the wound in her wrist was sewn
up. She smiled peacefully. Neigh
bors say that Noe was most consider
ate husband, who gave his wife every
thing she needed. She was OF most
morose and despondent disposition,
and her principal grievance was that
she could have no assistance for hel
housework.