The Portland daily press., 1898-12-02
KILLED HER CHILDREN.
Terrible Act Of an Insane Mother in
Peabody.
BEAT DEFENSELESs CHILDREN
WITH A BOOT JACK.

One Was Kil1ed and the Other Ia Badly
Hurt-Then She Walked to Police Sta
tion and Reported the Matter.
F.. Peabody, Mass, December IA horrible
murder was revealed to the police of
Peabody just before three O'Clock this
afternoon in singular way. Some time
this afternoon Mrs. Richard Hurley, wife
of gardner employed by Stephen Blaney
Of this town, murdered her twelve year
old daug hter Mary and seriously injured
her seven year old son. The children had
been terribly beaten over the head by
their mother, in the kitchen of their
home 1t is believed that the instrument
used by the woman was large soup
plate. Mrs. Hurley was formerly an in
mate of the Danvers Insane asylum and
was undoubtedly insane when tbs murder
was committed. The woman herself re-
ported the crime to the police.
Mrs. Hurley entered the police station
exhibiting some emotion and ooolly in
formed the officer in charge that she had
murdred two of her children. This in-
formation did not surprise the officer, as
mif hit have been expected, for it appears
that the woman called at the station some
time ago and informed the officers that
she had made away with two of the little
ones but an Investigation at that time
showed that they had not been seriously
harmed. Today the woman insisted that
she had committed double murder and
her plea that the police go to her house
or.d fI,xax,a xuf ata q had dnna
was so strong that the officer at the
station decided to send a policeman to
the Hurley residence. The woman gave
the police the key of the house and when
the police entered the Kitchen fearful
sight was presented.
The body of little Mary Hurley lay on
the floor in "A Lool of blood, the head bear
article of crookery ware. One glance was
sufficient to show THAI the girl was dead
ana near the body was Mrs. Hurley S
seven year old son. He too, was lying on
the floor and his head was covered with
blood. At first the police thought tnat he
was dead, but when they examined him
they saw that life was not extinct. They
picked him up and laid him on couch
in the house, where he soon recovered
consciousness, and although he was un-
able to speak he nodded his head in
acq cquiescence to the query of the police
man .did your mother hit Mary on the
head with plate.
DR.. Tucker was hastily summoned and
on his arrival announced the girls life
extinct. The doctor then devoted his at
tention to the boy whose name is Thomas
Hurley. He found that the lad had sus-
tanned severe concussion of the brain,
but DR.. Tucker thought the injury would
not necessarily prove fatal.
The Kitchen Was in a remarkable state
nr ha md fhorn WE
signs of a violent struggle having taken
place between the children and their in.
sane mother.
The remains of the midday meal and
the table crookery were strewn over the
table and floor. A curtain rod of win
dow was badly twisted and the curtain
had been torn from it's place. indicating
that the little boy had endeavored to
reach the window and call assistance, but
had been seized by the infuriated woman.
A further investigation by tie police
showed that Mr.. Hurley had left his
home at 1910 O'Clock in the afternoon to
return to his work at Mr.. Blaney's. Mr..
Hurley says that at that Time his wife
manifested no sign of mental trouble, and
that he is at loss to account for the
terrible aff1iction except that his vile
suddenly became in sane and ATTACHED the
two children at home, using Large soup
plate for weapon. Mr.. Hurley has three
other children, but they We're not al
home at the time. AT the police station
Mrs. Hurley remained in the waiting
room some time and at first WAS quite
composed in her manner, but later she
began to rave and make disturbance,
even attempting to desJ roy herself She
was seized by the officers and after brief
struggle was placed in padea cell. She
was once in the Danyers asylum and it is
thought viii be returned TO that institu-
tion.
The weapon used by Mrs. Hurley was a
heavy black walnut bootjack which had
been in the family for some time Accord
ing to Mrs. Hurley's own statement she
was seized with terrible pain in the
head soon after dinner and the noise made
by the children provoked her to fit of
rage. She ordered the girl to help her
clear away the dishes from the table. The
thought suddenly ran into her mind that
she would chastise the children for dis
obedience. She lost control of herself
seized heavy bootjack and beat the de-
fense]ess children over the head,