Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-24
Young Mother at Davenport
Kills Self Because of In
ability to Care For Babe
SHE LEFT A PATHETIC NOTE
Asks Mother to Take the Child Which
She Thought She Could Not Care for
ProperIy-Worry Over the Child
Thought to Have Caused Her to
Go Insane.
pecial to Times-Republicar,.

Special to Times-Republicarl>
Davenport, Jan. 24.-At $3.50 o'clock
yesterday morning fourteen-year-old
Alvina Albrecht, daughter of Mic AL
brecht, the Northwestern Davenport
butcher and president of the Daven-
port Ice Company, discovered the body
of her brothers wife, Mrs. Carrie AL
brecht, nee Jurgens, cold in death,
hanging to rafter in the attic over
the kitchen of her home at the foot
of Mill street. The woman had hung
herself with an ordinary clothes line.
and was cold in death when found.
Little Alvina had been staying at
her brothers home during his absence
at Rockingham, engaged in the cutting
and storing of ice in the battery OF
houses located there. She assisted in
the housework, and particularly in the
care of the baby, Vernice Loetta, who
was born June TO- 1904. She attended
school in Northwest Davenport, but
spent the evening and the night with
her sister-in- law.
brecht appeared to be as usual and
was cheerful during the evening. She
and little Alvina retired about 9 o.
clock While abed Mrs. Albrecht ap-
peared to be unable to sleep. Several
times she passed her hand over her
head as though she was suffering from
headache, and finally fell asleep.
Sometime during the night she was
awakened by the crying of her baby,
arose and coddled the infant until 1t
fell asleep, and then lay down again.
Some time afterwards Mrs. Albrecht
arose and left the room. Thinking 1t
was breakfast time the little girl
thought nothing of it, and went to
sleep. She was awakened by the cry
ing of the baby, and on attempting to
soothe the child, discovered that Its
mother was not in the room. She went
downstairs expecting to see her prepar-
ing the breakfast, but was surprised
not to see her. The door leading to the
cellar was open. She returned upstairs
and went into the attic room over the
kitchen, where she was Mortified to
discover Mrs. Albrecht hanging by her
neck to a rafter, clad in her night robe.
and already quite dead. The frightened
child ran to the telephone and notified
her father, as also George Albrecht at
Rockingham. husband of the dead
woman.
Her Last Message.
The body was cut down by neigh
bors, and when the father-in-law, who
arrived first, came upon the scene, he
found note written in lead pencil
stuck in the chimney of a lamp, which
the lady had placed unlighted upon
the floor of the attic in which she
hung herself.
do not blame anything onto
George There cannot be better
man found, and am not worth what
l got, and am not able to care right
for my baby. There Is where my
trouble lies
MA, you please take her; then she
will be in good hands"
The note left behind mutely tells
the story. Ill since her baby was
born, worried over the little one con-
| fded to her case, and loss of sleep in
attending to its wants led the mother
to the commission of the rash act,
| which all who knew her deplore.