The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-14
Mysterious Killing of Five
Year-OId Boy Cleared Up by
Parents Confession.
|sHE INTENDED TO GO TO
CALIFORNIA TO MARRY
Took Lad From Institution
Poisoned Him and Hid Body
in Swamp.

ROCHESTER,, y. Y. Jan. 13--Mgs,
q wears old OF Schenectady. confessed
rouIght, according 10 the Rochester po-
lice. that. in a swamp near Albany last
rriday afternoon. she gave her 5-year-
'on son George carbolic acid, from the
|cffects OF which he died.
She was arrested in the New York
Central railway station here and was
|ocked UP on a charge OF murder in The
|fIrsf degree. She will be taken 10 AL
'hany in the morning.
. In Explaining her crime, the police say
hrs. Melber says she has been widow
four years. during which she had had
|<fruggle 10 care for herself and child.
and that this battle Tor an existence
She is an unusually attractive woman.
and al the end OF her examination was
uunerved and weeping historically.
The police were able To make the ar
resi- this afternoon by keeping watch i'll
1he station over Il trunk that had been
checked from Schenectady. and was be-
||egcd TO be the property OF Mrs, Melber.
|Ehen the woman called TO get it soon
after O'Clock she was arrested.
Gives Acid to Little Son
Mrs. Melber at first maintained her
pmposure and declared she had given
her child to an uncle who was going 10
AXE him 10 Chicago and care FOR him,
When she made her confession according
10 the police, she said she gave the child
1cid when he asked for drink,
Mrs Melber says that she left Sche-
1ectady yesterday afternoon and came
10 Rochester 10 look for work. She
sIayed in the rooms of the Young Wom-
NE Christian association last night, and
.ays she was looking for work today. In
he woman's trunk were her own cIorn
|ns and that of the little boy
ALBANY. n. Y. Jan. 1s.-The boy
|ound dead in the woods near here
lew days ago was identified today as
ERorge Melber. The Identification was
uade by George Mclber. Schenectady
.Iacksmith. the boys grandfather and
1ncle. On the strength OF their story
ID police OF Albany and Schenectady
rested Mrs. Edith Mclber. the boys
#ldowed mother.
Mr. Smith said that there he'd been
Uuch friction between Mrs Melber and
he husbands family regarding the care
the child and that in September
$Q9, HIS mother placed him in the Sche-
/ectady Children's home She took a
|8ct as q domestic with a Schenectady
Iamily.
Intended to Marry.
Recently the institution told Mrs,
In The child's board or take him away
asst week, Thursday, Mrs, Melber took
ne boy TO the house where she was
#0rkfng. They spent Thursday night
|1ere, Mrs. Melber LETT Schenectady
18th George last Friday afternoon for
tlbany. She returned 10 the place
mere she worked In the evening and
manned there until last Wednesday
ym Wednesday when the story OF the
I1ding of the body appeared In the
|tBspapers. Mrs. Melber told her en-
oyer she had been called 10 Syra :
Ee. Al the station there she bought
railroad ticket 10 Rochester.
Helatives had SUSPECTED for some time
nat Mrs Melber intended TO marry and
oye TO California. The authorities are
wing to get the description OF man
Llo bought ticket 10 California at
rnenectady Wednesday, supposed TO be
1er Intended husband
Mrs. Melber's defense. her relatives be-
HeVe' will be insanity.