Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-01-20
NO HOME FOR BABE,
MOTHER KILLS HIM
WOMAN coNFEssEs GIVING GAR.
BoLlc ACID TO HER FIVE
YEAR-oLD SON.
TELLS STORY OF FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY
Child Is Refused Admission to Homo
Because Parent, on Account Of
Sickness, Could Not Pay Ar
rears for His Board.

Rochester, N. Y.-Mrs. Edith Mel
ber of Schenectady, handsome
young woman, 23 years old, con-
fessed at police headquarters that she
had killed her little five-year-old son
George by giving him carbolic acid
when he had asked for drink of
water and then abandoned his dead
body in swamp along side the Sche-
nectady road near Albany. The woman
told pathetic story of a struggle
against poverty and adversely begin
ming with the death of her husband
from tuberculosis two years ago.
When her husband died she was left
penniless and obtained employment
rs domestic, having placed the baby
George in children's home in Sche-
nectady. Some weeks ago she became
Ill and was unable to pay the child's
board. Shortly before Christmas she
took the little fellow out of the home
TO spend the holidays at the home of
his uncle and aunt in Schenectady;
but after few days they decided they
could not keep the little fellow any
longer and the distressed mother took
him back to the Children's home
where she was informed that he could
not be received until the arrears for
his board had been paid.
Being unable to take the boy to her
place of employment the mother took
him to Albany where she tried to find
a place for him in another home for
children She was completely ex-
hausted when she arrived at the AL
bany institution, but another disap-
pointment awaited her. The clerk in
charge was unable to get in touch
with the superintendent and therefore
could not admit the child. There
seemed no place in the world for the
little fellow. Mrs. Melber says that
on leaving the Albany institution she
went to drugstore in Albany and
purchased bottle of carbolic acid.
She then took the little fellow by the
hand and walked through street after
street with him. She was In despair
for she did not know what to do with
him. There seemed to be no shelter
or refuge for him. She says that her
mind was in daze and that she does
not know just where she went. "At
idoI VIC bOl Oll IL anu lOut lOI u
WHILE" said the mother. II don't re-
member much about that, but l know
that when we got off l saw that we
were on the road to Schenectady.
There were very few houses and it
was cold and dark and lonely. / took
Georges hand and we started to walk
along the road. He was so tired, poor,
little son, that he could hardly drag
one foot after the other. He was cry
ing softly so as not to worry me, and
finally he stopped.
Mamma he sobbed, I'm awfully
tired and awfully thirsty, too There
was no place nearby where l could
get a drink of water for him. Then
remembered that had the bottle of
poison in my hands. l had been car.
rying it all the time but had forgotten
1t. We left the road and went into a
field.
Mamma George said, can't you
get me drink of water?' 1 uncorked
the bottle and held it to his little
mouth.
Here's some water, Georgie,' !
said. Drink this
ne Uellefeu Ine-ne always Dell6V-
ed what l told him-and drank 1t. He
Just gave one little sound, like a sort
of choking sob-that was all. l don't
think he swallowed much of it, but he
was such little fellow and he wasn't
very strong. He struggled for min
ute, but held him. Then he slipped
z from my arms and fell on the ground
1t didn't last long and I stayed with
him until he was quiet. Then ! kissed
him, smoothed his curls back, straight
ened his poor little limbs and went
away. I looked back several times
but he lay just as If he was asleep.
don't remember just where l went
Everything seems in daze to me.
had struggled and struggled until
was tired of the world, of every thing
1t did seem as if there was no place
In the world for him"