The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-06
A MOTHERS AWFUL Deed
Shoots Her Three Children and
Then Commits Suicide.
A Terrible Tragedy Enacted in New
Already Dend-Prompted by an In
sane Impulse - Every Precaution
Taken to Make sure of Her work.

NEW YORK, Oct. 5-Mrs. Lillian Smith
shot her three children, killing two of
them, and then with the same pistol COM
mitted suicide at Kingsbridge today.
A fit of temporary insanity, apparently due
TO nervous trouble of long standing, drove
her to the deed. OF the children eight
year-old Andrew seems to have died al
most instantly. Mabel, four years old. ex-
pired in Fordham Hospital tonight. The
eldest daughter. Ethel, who IS thirteen
years old, is in he hospital severely
wounded. but the doctors say that she will
recover, though to make death certain after
the shooting the mother attempted to force
carboic acid into the mouths of the wound
ed children.
The shooting occurred in the afternoon
between and o'clock Mrs. Smith had
been under the care of DIR. James W.
Cassell for the last five months. Her
husband. Walter NJ. Smith, had also been
in poor health. This morning Mr.. Smith
was driven by his wife to the elevated
station at 155th Street She kissed him
goodbye and seemed more than usually
tender in her farewell. and told him to
be sure to come home early At o'clock
Curtis Moore. and his wife. Mary. out
for drive, saying she did not need
them.
Half an hour later they returned, but
were met at the door by Mrs Smith, who
waved them away and said that they must
stay out longer AS soon as they had
started away the second time the shoot
ing must have occurred. When they re-
turned, about O'Clock, Mary went into
the house by the back door. The little
boy Andrew was lying on the porch off
the kitchen. dead.
The woman rushed through the house
screaming. Finding no one on the lower
floor. she went up stairs. There she found
the two girls lying together in their bed
room. Mrs Smith lay in a room adjoining.
The floors and furniture were spattered
with blood The coachman's wife called
her husband. He summoned the police.
and an ambulance from Fordham Hospital
was hurried to the house. The boy and the
mother were dead Little Mabel was moan
ing IN agony, and was evidently beyond
recovery. but she and Ethel. the eldest
girl. were taken to the hospital
Mrs. Smith bad evidently arranged every
detail of the tragedy with the ciearest
forethought. Powder charred spots on the
clothing covering the children's bodies
showed that she had sought their hearts
and bad placed the pistol close against
that part of their bodies. On the mouth
of Mabel was found traces of carbolic
acid and the child's skin was burned.
Ethel's arm and forehead were also seri-
ously burned by the acid. An empty two
ounce bottle which had contained the stuff
was found on the floor. The pistol. a
cheap affair with five chambers, lag be-
side Mrs. Smith with three of the cham
bers empty. The woman. after discharg-
ing five bullets. had evidently loaded it
again and fired three times more.
A letter addressed to Mr.. Smith ex-
planned that for days she had been driven
on by an irresistible impulse to kill her
self ard her children; that today it had
overcome her and she must yield TO it.