The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-01-23
MOTHER AND CHILD DROWNED
Deplorable Tragedy Enacted Near Ma
poleonviIle = Temporary Mental
Derangement of Woman Results
In Loss of Two Lives.

A despatch from Napoleonvilla ap-
pearing in the New Orleans Item of
Monday afternoon recounts de-
near the former town ON the 10Th
inst, as follows:
While trying to avoid parties sent
out to find her and her 5-year-old
son Claud, Mrs. Whitmell Carriere
eraWled into culvert near here
late Friday with the child in her
arms. Both We're drowned. She was
suffering from mental alteration It
is believed. The bodies were found
stuck in the culvert under a bridge
late Sunday afternoon, after the en-
tire surrounding country had been
secured by several searching parties
since Friday noon.
Mrs Carriere took her son to
the Nellie plaItation, home Of for
mer Senator John Marks, several
miles from Napoleonville, Friday
morning to visit her mother. Shortly
before midday they left in their
buggy for home. Her actions while
with her mother, Mrs. Foret, were
normal and she left the place pre-
sumably in the best of spirits.
When his wife and child failed
to return home late Friday night.
Mr.. Carriere went to the home Of
Mrs. Foret. There he learned his
wife had left hours previous. He
then returned to his home, keeping
a close watch for signs Of her along
the road. Not finding her at home
when he arrived, Mr.. Carriere or
ganized a party to search the woods.
n2er parties were formed and went
apedifferent directions
The parties We're out all night
and returned to Napoleonville Sat
urday morning without having dis
covered a clue as to the whereabouts
Of the woman and child. After rest
ing and eating, they again set out.
Practically every man from Napo-
leonville Cypress Company mill was
engaged in searching. A code Of
signals was arranged with the engi-
neer and he was to blow his whistle
in case one of the parties found the
woman or child.
The buggy in which the mother
and son were riding was found The
horse was carefully tied to tree
and everything in order. Every
foot of the ground within miles Of
the buggy was searched, but no signs
Of the pair found All store houses,
thickets and possible places of con
cealment were searched. The par
ties returned empty-handed late Sat
urday night.
About 10 o'clock Sunday morning
Paul G. uill llot, III oy TT he 9
press mill, was crossing bridge
over d small stream on the Locust
Grove plantation When he saw a Wo-
mans clothes partly concealed by
the bridge He summoned help and
the body of Mrs Carriere was pull
ed from the water. One OF the men
craWled farther into the culyert and
found the child.
.'rhe coroner held an inquest.
Nothing was learned to lead to the
belief that the woman Or child had
met foul play. General belief is
that, while temporarily insane, the
mother tried to run away with the
child. It is thought she heard the
searchers calling for her and went
into the culvert to hide. Recent
rains have badly swollen the stream
and she was drowned before she was
able to get out.
sThe boy is believed to have died
from fright, as there was no evidence
of his having been drowned. The
theory is that he was SO scared BY
DE actions of his mother that he
}nted and was suffocated before
Water got into his lungs.
Mr.. Carriere Is prostrated with
grief. Once before, his wife. while
temporarily deranged, left him and
he feels the responsibility for having
allowed her to go away alone. Four
children survive their mother and
brother.
Mrs. Carriere was Miss Mystic
Foret, member of prominent fam
ily in this vicinity. The funeral
took place Monday afternoon after
the arrival of the dead Woman's
brothers, Father Foret, a priest, and
Ferdinand Foret, a gate keeper at
Charity Hospital, New Orleans.