Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-01-16
A MOTHER coNFEssEs
MURDER OF OWN SON.

as she claimed her trunk at the New
York Central station Friday afternoon,
Mrs. Edith Melber, a widow, who says
she is 20 years old. of Schenectady,
Friday night, confessed. according To
| the Rochester police. that in swamp
near Albany, last Friday afternoon, she
igave her s. -ytar- old son George carboiic
acid, from the effects of which he died
She was locked up on charge OF mur-
der in the first degree and will be tax
en- to Albany Saturday.
In explanation of the crime, the po-
llice say, Mrs. Melber asserts that she
has been widow for Az years, dur
ling which time she has had a struggle
to care for herself and her child and
that this battle for an existence drove
her to take the boys life. She is an
Unusually attractive young woman and
at the end of her examination was un-
nerved and weeping hysterically. The
police were able to make the arrest
Friday afternoon. by keeping watch at
the New York Central depot over
cheap new trunk that had been check
ed from Schenectady, which was be-
lieved to be the property of Mrs. Mel
Der.
IA
she was placed under arrest.
Mrs. Melber at first maintained con-
siderable composure and declared she
had given her child to an uncle who
was going to take him to Chicago and
care for him. When she made her con-
fession. according to the police. she
said that she gave the child the acid
when he asked for II drink.
| The police say there is a burn as IL
| by acid. on the woman's hand. and that
other stains are on her clothing which
indicate. they allege. that the child did
not take the acid without struggling.
| Mrs. Melber says she left Schenec-
| taay Thursday afternoon and came to
Rochester to look for work. She stay
| ed at the rooms of the Young Woman's
| Christian Association Thursday night
| and says that she spent today looking
for employment. In the woman's trunk
| were her own clothing and that of her
| soE.
All day two detectives in the New
| York Central baggage room watched
| the trunk which had been identified as
| Mrs Meber. About o'clock a young
| and well-dressed woman. seemingly
| unconcerned. came to the baggage Of
| fee and was recognized by the officers.
from the description sent them from
| Albany as Mrs. Melber Telling her
| that there was so much confusion
| about the baggage room that she could
| save time by picking out her own
trunk, the detectives led her into the
baggage room. where she identified the
trunk they had been watching.
The woman said she was Miss Ada
| James of Troy She said she had come
| to Rochester but recently ana was
| looking for work and staying at the
| Young Women's Christian Association.
| This proved to be correct. The detec
| tiyeS then told her that mistake had
| been made and that she would have to
| accompany them to the office. She went
with them to a street car and across
| the city, apparently without suspicion
| that she was under arrest. until she
saw blue uniformed policeman in the
| corridor at police headquarters when
she recoiled with shiver
| In the Office of Acting Director Of De-
| tectives Mcguire, and in the presence of
! Chief of Police Quigly and Inspector
| Simmerman, Mrs. Melher repeated the
| story told at the station. At first she de-
| elared that she was not married. Then
she admitted that she was widow. She
had no children, she said. but few min.
utes later she admitted that she had
| son, George, five years old Questioned
| closely she admitted that her right name
was Edith Melber.
| This was after an inspection of her
| hand bag had revealed the name Mel
| ber'' on the lining. Chief Quiglcy asked
what had become of her son. The woman
| hesitated and began to talk slowly She
| said he was with her cousin in Chicago,
| but she expected to see him soon. She
| had been a widow about IL years, she
| said. and had been doing house work in
| Schenectady.
| Just before Christmas she had been
notified by the Children's Home in
Schenectady where her son was being
kept that she must take him away.
She took him to his uncle's home. but
said that few days after Christmas
she was told to come and get him. She
tried to get him back in the home, but
was told she could not do SO unless his
board bill was paid. The assistant
matron, she added. suggested that she
would help her to put the boy in an
Albany institution. So on Friday. Jan.
| U. SI1c WeHt " ftlbduy ny tIOlleS,
| ing her son with her. She reached
there about 4.30 o'clock and went to
the institution. which is in the suburbs
A girl in the Office told her. she assert
ed, that the boy could not be taken in
that day The girl telephoned to sew
eral officials and charity organizations
but could get no authority for per-
Imitting the child to remain.
| Mrs. Melber said she then went down.
! town, where she met a cousin. George
| Teller, who told her he was going to
| Chicago the next day, where he had OBJ
tanned good job, and would take little
George with him. So she took the child
to the station the next day, where after a
| fearful parting the cousin took charge
! of him. She returned to Schenectady and
| on Thursday left there for Rochester.
| where she intended to earn money and
| then 10 to Chicago and find her boy and