The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-24
MOTHER A MANIAC
SLEW HER FOUR CHILDREN AND
HERSELF.
BEFORE CUTTING HER THROAT
SHE THREW OIL ON THE BODIES
AND SET THEM ON FIRE.

Horrible Discovery Made by Neigh
bors Who Entered the House to
Fight the FIames-Mother Hal
Drained Her Little Ones With an
APPLIED Up the Bodies and APP
piled the Oil and n Match-Hus-
band Tainted When He Reached
Home.
Sturbridge, Mass, March 23.-A fren-
lied mother in the little harriet Of
Fiskdale, after cutting of every m ais
of escape, by fastening win lows and
doors, crushed in the heads of her four
little children to-day, threw their
bodies into a closet, scattered oil over
them and herself, and then, after set
ting all on fire, closed her awful work
and her own life by cutting her throat
1t was Mrs. Peter Burke, the wife of
a machinist in an augur factory, who
committed the fearful deed. and her
victims were Lila, years; William, 8
years; Louise, 11a years, and May
Rose, five months old, respectively.
That the woman had previously
showed signs Of mental arrangement
seems to be admitted, but that it
should have taken such a violent form
was not even thought of>b her hus-
band, now completely Frustrated, or
her own relatives. The family have
lived in Fiskdale about a year and
half, coming there from Worcester,
while Mrs. Burke is a native of New
Hampshire, with relatives in Somers-
worth.
Discovered by Accident.
But for the accidental discovery of
the fire, the deed of the mother might
have been hidden forever from the
world by the destruction of the house.
Two boys happened to be passing the
house when they saw smoke coming
from a window. They burst into the
house and tried first to put the fire out
with buckets of water. but it gained on
them so fast that they were obliged to
run for help. The neighbors tried to
prevent the flames from reaching above
the first floor.
Up to that time no one knew of the
tragedy. but some one noticed that a
closet door, which seemed to be more
charred than the other woodwork, was
open, and glancing inside, blackened
mass was seen. In this heap we're the
D
children. The fact that she killed them
was not disclosed until one by one
they were taken out, and then it was
seen that every one of the little ones
had its head split open, while the
cause of the mothers death was seen
in the gaping wound in her throat.
How the Awful Deed Was Done.
From the appearance of the room
and position of the bodies, it would
seem that Mrs. Burke had first cut off
every means of escape to the little ones
by mailing down the windows and lock-
ing all the doors. The weapon with
which she, one by one, crushed out
the life of her offspring was large
ak.
Just which was killed first is a mat
ter of con lecture, but it seems that
the eldest, Lila, met death first, for
it was her body that was at the bot
tom of the pile. That of William, the
next Oldest, was next: then came that
of little Louise and finally the baby.
Mrs. Burke must have dragged AL the
children into the closet and then taken
a bottle of kerosene oil, poured it on
their clothing, about the walls, and
then upon herself.
The fire had so completely charred
the woodwork that no blood spots
could be found. The bodies of three
of the children were burned almost be-
yond recognition, but that of Louise
was only scorched. Mrs. Burke's body
was also badly burned, but it did not
hide the wound in her throat.
AS soon as the fire was discovered
in his house, Burke was notified and
arrived just as the bodies were found.
He tainted from the shock. Mrs.
Burke was 81 years of age. The fam
lily friends say the union had always
been a happy one.