Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-04-21
MRS. HERSHEL HILL
KILLS ONLY CHILD
VIE of Former Pullman Farmer.
Suddenly Stricken With Insan-
tty, Smothers Her Four
Iear-Old Son.

The following account of the
smothering of the four-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. Hershel Hill by the
mother appeared, under a Lewiston
date line, in Tuesdays Spokesman
Review, Mr.. Hill is we'll known in
Pullman, where he resided and en-
gagged in farming until seven or eight
years ago, when he went to Lewiston.
Suddenly stricken with insanity.
induced by long illness, Mrs. Myr-
tie Hill, wife of Hershel Hill. one of
the proprietors of the Red Front liy-
cry barns, this morning about 6
O'Clock, while her mother, Mrs.
Frank Hawkins was in the kitchen
getting breakfast, smothered to
death her little 4-year-old son by pill
ing the coverings from her own bed
over the sleeping childs face and
holding them, despite the struggles
of the tiny victim, until life was ex-
tinct. Mrs. Hawkins came into the
room to call her daughter and found
her sitting on the edge of the chiIds
crib, holding down the mass of cover
| let's she had placed over the boys
head, and it required all her strength
to remove the frenzied woman so the
child could be uncovered, but the
discovery had been made too late
and despite the efforts of physicians
who were hurriedly summoned, re-
SEPARATION could not be restored.
Mrs Hill had been acting peculiar
! ~ for several weeks and her mother,
who had been nursing her during her
illness. was watching over her as
carefully as possible, fearing that
she might kill herself, but no appre-
hension was felt for the child to
which the mother seemed devotedly
attached, and which she insisted
must sleep in small bed in the room
occupied by her and her husband.
Mr. Hin arose about o'clock and
went to his work, leaving the child
and Mrs Hill both sleeping Later
Mrs Hawkins awoke and went into
her daughters room and found her
dressing She chatted with her for
a few minutes and then went to the
Kitchen in the back part of the
house to prepare the morning meal
She returned shortly to find the wo-
man bereft of her reason and the
child dead.
Mrs Hawkins screams aroused
! the neighborhood and Mrs. Jennie
Gable, who lives in an adjoining
house, came to her assistance, and
everything that was possible was
done to restore the child, pending the
arrival of physicians, but, although
not over five minutes had elapsed
between the visits to the room where
the tragedy occurred by Mrs. Haw-
kins, the demented mother had done
her work well and the efforts of the
Iphysi clans were unayailing.
An inquest was held this after
noon and the coroner's jury, sum
moned by Justice Erb in the absence
of Coroner Vassar, found that the
mother was mentally irresponsible,
She is being kept under surveillance
at her home, but will probably be
committed to the Orofino asylum.
She confesses having killed her child.
but will make no explanation. She
does not seem to realize what she
has done. however, and walks about
in a sort of trance.
The coroner's jury returned a YER
dict Of death from unknown
causes" although Mrs. Frank Haw-
kins mother of Mrs Hill, testified
that her daughter practically con-
fessed to having killed him.