Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-05-24
POiSOnedYer Own Children
The Terrible Crime of Mrs. Sarah
Quimby.
SAID HER HUSBAND HAD ILL
TREATED HER

4 t.ulhlC tragedy occurred three miles
north of Ithaca last sunday night Mrs
sarah 9uimby gave morphine 90 her
Childreuund thcu took % dose herself
The particulars I'm the ease are about a-
follows Mrs. ttUlmbv, who is - years
of age. lives ON am forty acre farm with
comfortable buildings, on the corner
three miles north OF Ithaca. Her former
husband. Frank Bailey. died Aug 23,
] 500 and Inn October of the same year
she married Elmer l.. 4Uimby. some
time after the marriage trouble arose
over the two children. James H.. AGED
seven and Beatrice aged nine. 10y the
former husband, also a. 10 tho owner
ship of the farm. and Mrs Qulmuv
mother Mrs Laura + Odcl. Quurrels
wer, frequent and they separated. but
soon settled the matter and all went Well
for time then another separation oc-
Cured. and last fall still another onIr
the latter having been caused 10y QuImbv
throwing his mothcr-ln-IaW from the
house Mrs. Odcll went 10 live with
friends I'M Eureka and soon after Mrs
Quimby decided the farm, winch had
been given her bv her father about six
years ago. 10 her mother
Quimbv boarded with "a brother
about two miles from the farm, and II as
reported. that ou numerous occasions. she
tried 90 persuade her husband 10 return,
but hc declined To do SO. Last Wcduc--
day Mr. Quimbv came 10 the house and
they divided their personal effects. ON
Saturday Mrs. Odell arrived and offered
TO take S5Sj for her interest and deed
back the place They drove TO Ithaca
where the money was scCnrcd by mort
gaging the property.
While in town Mrs. Quimby went to
Watson * Robinson's drug store and
purchased - grains of morphine In
capsules.
Sunday morning she went 20 see her
husband and again tried TO have him
come home. Upon his refusal she told
him that he would never see her alive
again where upon he told her TO kill her
self if she wished. that he would not
attend the funeral About II O'Clock
Sunday night she gave each of the
children three capsules of morphine and
took six herself. The children were
sick soon after, but after quieting them
she gave the girl more capsules and took
more herself.
About eight o'clock Monday morning
the husband was driving by the house
and noticing some Grape on the door
miStrusted that something was wrong
and notified the neighbOrs who went to
the house. They found the boy upon
the couch barely alive and the little girl
was in bed with her mother she was un-
conscious but still alive. They succeed
eel in arousing Mrs Quimby who arose
and did all possible TO assist in reviving
the children A neighbOr went TO Ithaca
after DIR. McCandless but the children
passed away before his arrival. They
had been dressed and made ready for
burial by the mother, the night previous
A letter written by Mrs Quimby and
directed to her mother, was also found
and in which she gave directions for the
funeral services OF herself and children
She also stated that when found if the
children were not dead e. try and
resuscitate her, but if they were not TO
do so.
She was taken 10 Ithaca and Monday
warrant was sworn out for her arrest
ON the charge of numbering her daught-
or Beatrice.
Mrs. Quimby was considered a very
active and bright woman, but somewhat
deSpondent at times. Insanity seems
TO have predominated in the family as
her father was in the Kalamazoo asylum
when she was born and about six years
ago committed suicide by taking NOR
phine, one brother hung himself a few
years ago and another brother attempt
ed suicide.
At the inquest one witness testified
that he saw a man in the Quimby house
on Sunday evening. This was denied
by Mrs. Quimby and her husband, but
upon this evidence Quimby was placed
under arrest, charged with the murder
of the little girl, and they are now both
in the county Jail.
There are those Ohio think that they
both may have planned the death of the
children, as they were the principle
cause of their trouble Their examina-
ton will take place before Justice Petit
in Ithaca next Tuesday.