Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-04-11
TERRIBLE DEED OF DEMENTED.


ginis, as second-class matter.l
TERRIBLE DEED OF Dem ENTED.
Insane from religious mania following
the birth Of her last child, two months
ago, Mrs. Salvatore Sarli, who lives
with her husband, a coal desler, in
New York, tried to kill him while her
eldest son looked on in amPzsmen',
early Yesterday. She said later on her
arrest that she had beea commanded By
81. Joseph to slay her husband.
At daybreAk she woke up and went
10 the room back (f the one where
her husband was sleeping. She sp-
peared again with two bed Stats,
which she leaned against The table and
fixed in the form Of cross. Over this
she threw a piece Of curtain which she
took from the ROD, in the shape of a
garland to decorate the cross that she
had made.
Before this improvised altar she
knelt down 10 worship. She WAS not
satisfied to pray alone, however, and
she vent to the side of the bed, shook
her husband, ard ssid "Get up and
pray. "
ILeave me alone" he said. "Pm
sleepy and | want 20 rest"
Three times she tried to awaken her
husband, but each time he shook hor cfi
snd went to sleep agsin Finally another
idea occurred to her. She went into the
rext room where Michael was sleeping.
Come" che said, "snd Worship
The sleepy yOupgster followed her 10
the front room, where the cross which
she had built stood against the table
Down on his KEGS she forced him, apd,
gueeling beside him, she prayed for him.
There she left him on his knees and went
toward the room where the four smaller
children were sleeping,
The boy saw her return iipiOeing into
the room. Ooe Of her hands was on her
lips ard in the other she held big
carving knife.
IRE boy stopped the prayer which he
VS. .cpeating and screamed He scresmed
agsin when ne saw his mother tiptoei L
to the bed where tis father lay. She
stood by the bedsde with her knife up
raised over the sleeping form Of her hus-
band, and the boy screamed again.
Tie man half aRoke and ins,iGclively,
frip hleued by The cries OF the boy,
urned over. The knife, which had heen
aimed at b 5 throat, came down, cutting
great cash, hut missing the jugulsr
vein.
The man got up aud grappled with
! his wife. She sill held the knife, which
was upraised ready to srike again. The
man was so weak frm the first blow
that he did not have roDgih enough to
hold the arm which his wife had uprsised
with the threatening kuife. The boy,
still scras ming, ran between his mother
and his is,her with chair.
The boy was strong enough to ra'ss
he chair, and with it strike the ann in
which the knlle VS. held. & S he st pped
the blow wbich his mother WAS aiming
at his father the latter sank to The floor,
half conscious HIS mother started to-
ward the room where his little brothers
and sis er- lay, and The boy, fearing for
heir safety, stepped 10 between her ard
he door TO The Other loom.
BY this time his father had recovered
strength enough 10 get to his feet and to
grasp the chair which he child had
brought him, sud young M.ohoel ran out
into the street for help. As hs lefl, the
other children, awakened by The screams
of the boy, got up and looked into the
| front room. In one corner, leaning on o
chair for support, WAS their father,
bleeding and almost too wesk to stand
from a great cash in bis neck.
In another cornel Of The room was
their mother, knife in her uprsised
hand, kneeling before a crucifix made
| from two crossed bed Stats.
The boy ran into the street for aid,
and, returning with his uucle and po-
licemap, found his mother kueelng in
the street with the knife upraised in oae
hand, praying and exulting becsuse she
had done "ss St. Joseph nad told ber in
her dresm." The policeman went up
behind her, snatched .he knife from heI
hand and raised her to her feet. She
did not struggle, bat smiled.
can right, have flushed" she said.
"Lsst night had dream. St. Joseph
came to me in my sleep, dressed in The
long whi'e robes which he wears in h;'
pictures in the Bible. He came to me
stood at the head Of my bed, aud told mt
to cut my husbands throat"
1t is said at the hospital that SarIi
hsd a chance Of recovery.