The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-07-14
POISON BABY AND
Then HERSELF
New York Woman Crazed BIZ Love o.
Child Caused the Death Of
Both.


husband-sweetheart but her mind
wrecked by too great love for her
baby girl, two months old. Mrs. Jean
ME III. Catlett. twenty-four years old,
Thursday afternoon killed the child
by making her drink cyanide OF potas-
SUM and then ended her own life by
swallowing what was left In the glass
She left a long letter to her hus-
band. In which she told OF the dam
gers she feared for her babe II the
little one should grow to womanhood.
She prayed to God for strength 10 end
the lives OF both.
Discovery of the double tragedy
G GaS MADE by the young husband:
home to the Havemeyer apartment
house at 337 West Fourteenth Street
from his work as manager OF the
chemical laboratory OF the Western
Electric Company at West and Be-
thune Streets- Fastened to the door
OF their bed room with @ pearl-head-
cd pin was this NOTE written Ia large.
bold letters:
George, don't come In. Let some
one else. One OF the bOys-nOt
Found Them Both Dead.
Catlett in fear tried the door. It
gave and he entered. On the hoor
near a chinonier lay his young wife
near her head was the dead infant
With shrieks that alarmed other ten
ants. Catlett rushed out and to the
office of DR.. Leroy Sherman, at s25
West Fourteenth Street. Catlett tore
the physician from waiting patients
and hurried him to the house Of
death. The physician. on examina-
ton or the two bodies. could only say
that mother and child had been nfe-
less for at least two hours.
Catlett telephoned TO police head
quarters: MY wife and child are
dead. Please send the coroner. There
IS no need for an ambulance"
Then he returned to the apartment
10 meet his brother-in- law, Thomas
NJ. Hodgson. who lived with him and
worked In the electric company's la
ooratory as his assistant. Together
they awaited the arrival of the police
and coroner. Neither spoke. As they
sat there Catiett espied on the chif-
fooier a neatly folded note. He open
ed II and read:
MY Precious Darling-DOn't mourn
me. my love have enjoyed your
love, your ever-ready willingness to
ter what and o. George, 1 wish !
could go on with just you and the
love, for 1t is so pure and great
MY very life is one continuous
thought of thankfulness for it. but
my mind must be relieved. The ten
sion, my love, is frightful and I have
just got 20 put an end to it,
Don't think me cruel to the little
life have made. but rather that /
am saving her SO much pain, for bod
lily. pain is nothing to this that is
either insanity or nervousness, only
God knows. She would surely inherit
it and wish / had taken her in the
years to come. for / thought II a ter
rioIe act to allow myself ever to be
parent.
Asks Him 60 Wed Again.
Marry some woman. my boy. that
- worthy Of you-6omeone that is as
glorious as you. / want to kiss you
one more time, but ! must do the
act now, Tor l am so tired Of want
inS the nerve TO DO it. II Is not the
bills that have got the best of me. for
they are not very great 1t is only.
solely. my mind.
kiss my poor, precious mother and
tell her TO pray. as / have today.
trusting that God is, but will let me
be only nothing; that this life is all
that there is
II have thought OF you. boy, with
my heart and wish 1 could take you
thing; but you would stop me. 1t Is
a disgrace and I'm cory to be that
TO my family and TO you. But forgive
me, my darling
1T is 1853 p. NJ, and I hope ii
won't be hard on US, and am won
dering il the little darling would be
more OF blessing 10 you as wou as
comfort than misery to- herself
Tell papa ! am taking what gave
TO her-life-and that which mamma
gave TO me. The last only have to
answer for, Tell him wish I could
be different and thank him again for
the pleasure my marriage to you gave
me, for his allowing me to have the
clothes has been so much pleasure.
Thank mamma for relieving me
so very much by all the many things
she did before and after our little one
came. For she comforted me so many
times by looks and by words, though
she tired herself nearly TO death work
ing.
Put our baby IN the same place
With me and try TO think always of
my love for you and not this horrible
nervousness.
Wanted No Blame for Him.
everyone knows ! adore you, so
surely there can be no possibility of
any blame being attached to you. Sell
the things, If you can. so you won't
be overburdeRed. Leave my locket on
me, but won't you wear our wedding
ring. my darling? ] have loved II so,
careSSed and kissed II as the outward
sign of the happiest moments of my
life.
Il want to go so much, George, and
yec- oh, my precious husband, / want
to go on loving you and having your
love. If the stun does not bring the
end what shall I do, for you would
justly never trust me, so pray IL
does.
boy, boy. / love you; how 1 love
you; but am so foolishly, so unne-
cessarily burden TO myself, and
though you have never said so, or
even suggested ever so remotely, must
be a worry 10 you. though 1t Is to get
nd OF myself am doing II.
IF leave our baby tell her.
kissed her with lots Of love and I am
so sorry ever TO have been a cross to
her: to grow up to be such a wo-
man as her father is a man. Bat
must take her and save her those kind
OF hours. for her little soul is pure,
Yours. my poor, dear, wronge1
husband, with so much love.
JEANNE"
Feared for Daughters Future.
Ever since the birth of her baby
last April, Mrs Catlett had been in
constant unrest. Her husband told
Coroner HolzhauseF that she often
Drooded for hours over the possibility
that her daughter might grow up to a
life of toll and pain. When the little