The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-20
TOSSED BABY INTO The SEAS.
NURSE GOES STARK MAD on THE
NEEUW AMSTERDAM,S DECK.
LIfeboats Crew Caught Only One Glimpse
Of the Helpless One-Year-Old on the
Crest OF n wave. but Searched for
Hours ut the Frantic Mothers Prayer.

~ the Hcipiess Wne- ear-Diu on the
Crest OF n wave. but Searched for
Hours ut the Frantic Mothers Prayer.
Rosa Maggie. a governess and nurse OF
Berne, Switzerland. returning to this city
from a visit to her native land, won the
hearts Of all the women and children in the
cabins Of the new Holland-America steam-
ship Nieuw Amsterdam, in yesterday from
Rotterdam and Boulogne. She embarke ed
at the latter port and straightway walked
right into the a Elections OF the youngsters
and their mothers. She said she had been
in the service of some Of the most promi-
nent New York families and that she never
was really happy unless she had children
about her. DIR. Kelly, surgeon Of the
Nieuw A Amsterdam, look ed upon her passion
for children as somew hat in the nature of
monomania. ,
On the afternoon of the fifth day out
from Boulogne, November IS. in midocean.
while the liner was ~plunging through white
crested three stored seas. the young COVER
ness saw on the deck below her (she was a
first cabin passenger a group of children
Of the second cabin playing ring games.
Some Of their mothers, who could stand
the motion Of the ship, were sitting near by.
Miss Maggie ran down to the children and
began dancing with them and singing In.
German their folklore melodies
Occasionally she pick ed up one Of TIN
smallest and held it arms length aboYs
her head, while it crowed and gurgled
She seemed TO be especially fascinated
by one-year-old Aaron Guvowski, who was
too unsteady on his chubby pins to form
a link in the Juvenile circle and contshted
himself with a place inside. The mother Of
Aaron was a bit puzzled at the ferfor Of
the young woman owe a strange baby;
but, motherlike, she guessed hat the re-
markable beauty of the infant had been
irresistible to the governess
Presently the mothers face took on a
look of alarm. The governess had grabbed
up the baby and was pressing it to her
bosom as II it were her own child. Then
she ran to the ships rail and laid the little
one on il Tit mother ran toward Miss
Neegle just as the governess. with a laugh
heard over half the ship. raised the child
high in her arms and tossed it into the toss
ing seas. Then she turned on the mothers
and let out a series of shrieks that sent
them and their little ones scampering for
protection.
At first it was thought that she intended
TO make a sea sacrifice OF others, as she ran
after the children. But before she had
gone half across the deck she was seized
by officers. who looked her up in a cabin
She had gone stark mad.
They are quick and courageous on the
Dutch ships, and within a few minutes after
the baby had vanished over the side volun-
teers. in charge Of Second Officer Byl. had
manned a lfeboat. swung swiftly from the
davits over the starboard quarter and
were being lowered into the tumult. A
sailor who had seen the maniac governess's
deed had thrown a life buoy after the child
to guide the rescuers in their search. Pas
sengers in cabin and Storage who thronged
the rails and saw the lifeboat laboring up
hill and slipping down dale were fearful
that the gallant Dutchmen themselves
would be engulfed.
The mother, who had collapsed, revived
in about half an hour and went to the rail
herself. The liner, meanwhile, was circling
the buoy, which was plainly visible, as the
air was clear. After the boat had been
battling an hour with the waves for the
baby's life the second officer indicated
by a motion OF his hands that there was no
hope. Once he had seen the little one,
apparently unconscious, tumble over on
the top OF a comber That was the 6rst
and last view anybody got Of him after he
was thrown into the sea.
TIL boats crew expected at the end OF
this hard hours struggle to be recalled to
the ship. Blu the distracted mother had
gone to Capt. Bonjer and pleaded on her
knees for the baby's body. She said she
knew that the child was dead, but she
wanted to take the body to the father out
in Fargo, N. D., who had never Sc en- the
baby. that was born soon after he left
Russia. The captain signalled to the second
officer to continue the search. After two
more hours the boat gave up the search and
returned to the ship. The crew was nearly
exhausted. In this period the liner had
steamed repeatedly around the lifeboat
and every officer and passenger was strain
ing his eyes to find the baby's body. I,
Miss Maggie became quite calm and APP
parently rational before night. She said
she could not explain why she had killed
the baby. She declared that she wa
extremely fond OF it, having frequently
caressed it oil the preceding days OF the
trip, and that she supposed she was the VIC
I tim Of an uncomfortable impulse. DR.. Kelly
said it was a case of emotional insanity.
Miss Maggie says she is 81 years old and
has spent six years in this city in the homes
OF well to do families. She is pretty and
talks English with only slight accent. She
sailed from New York for her home in
Berne six months ago for a vacation, she
said, but it is suspected that there was
something wrong with her mentally then.
Mrs. Guvowski is IS years OF age. Her
other children, Grodno and Jacob. are
with her. She said that her husband had
been driven out Of Russia just before Aaron
was born n had zone to North Dakota
and bought a farm. He had written her
many letters about the baby and, the mother
said, was wild" to see it. He had pros
pered and could AFFORD to pay their way in
the second cabin and send them overland
as many Americans travel.
The ships purser said that the governess
had got up many games for the children
on other days Of the trip and that they
seemed to idolize her as much as she did
them.
BIG STEAMER IN TROUBLE.