Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1901-03-08
pemented Woman, at Union
town, Throws Them in
q Well.
HELD THEM UNHERW WATER
Until Life was Extinct Mother
Claims the Children Wanted to
Join their Dead Father.

~ "A ttTTlDlt uluIutI pl SlA Hel press
children, by their crazed mother,
occurred at Uniontown, Wash, last
Saturday evening. Mrs. Rosa
Wurzer, a widow, threw her six
children, two boys and four girls,
ranging in age FROM A to IL years,
into a we'll 30 feet deep, with but
two feet Of water in the bottom,
then jumped in tho well, and, the
belief is, held their heads under
water pntil all were drowned.
Neighbors found Mrs. Wurzer in
the we'll, with her six murdered
children, and putting rope around
her body, dfew her out. She is
violently insane and is restrained
with difficulty,
The dead children are Anna,
aged Z Rosa, aged II; Louise, aged
10; George, aged 4 ;and Joseph and
Mary, twins, aged 6.
Talk With the Woman.
The representative of the Spokes-
man Review talked with the de-
mented creature and she gave him
jncoherenp reasons for staying her
little ones. First she said she put
the children down the well because
she thought they were better dead
than alive. She went on to say
that she had read of the Chinese
war and the terrible atrocities com
mitted in the Orient, and had
warning that the Chinese were
coming today to burn he4 house
and slay her children. She there.
fore determined to cheat the Chin
ese of their intended victims, and
herself drowned her little ones
"l threw the four younger ones
in first, she said to the reporter,
as her mind took another change,
then one OF the older ones jumped
in when | asked her to, and Rosa
came OF her own accord
In still another moment of con
versation she said che had talked
to the children of their father, who
died year ago, and told them they
would be hetter off if they we're all
with them. She. AYERS that they
were convinced that it would be
better to join papa and assented to
the easiest way out of the world.
Tried to Kill Herself.
On Mrs. Wurzer's neck was q
mark of rope, showing that after
she had slain her children in the
shallow water she had tried to hang
herself. She admitted to the mar
shall that she had tried to kill her
self, but was unable, in the cramped
quarters, to accomplish her pur-
pose. 1t was evident she had either
stood by or reclined upon the dead
bodies of her children ali night
and half the next day.. until ex-
hausted nature called for relief and
she hailed the marshal.
Mrs. Wurzer is about 30 years of
age, of dark complexion, black
eyes, and weighs abouts h25 pounds,
being of medium height. She is of
prepossessing appearance and never
before gave evidence of insanity.
The family lived in their own home
a substantial brick house of four
rooms, Since the death of the
father year ago friends in the
country have been most kind and
have brought donations of food and
clothing. The county appropriated
$15 a month for their support.
Mrs. Wurzer never wanted for any
thing necessary to decent ex-
istence.
The six innocent children are in
their last sleep in little room of
their old home. They have been
viewed by crowds of people. Nearly
everyone acquainted with the news
came up to look at the house, to
peer down the well and come into
the house and tiptoe to the bed
where lay the dead. The children
were favorites with their play
mates, and their sudden and terri-
BILE taking off has created feeling
in the community akin to con-
sternation.
It is possible that Mrs, Wurzei
will recover from the bodily in
juries suffered by standing in tht
cold water of the well for nearly Is
hours, Whether che will recover