New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-27
CRAzED MOTHER
STRANGLESBABY,
THEN ENDS LIFE
Little Son, Cord Around
His Neck, Saved by Quick
Work of Physician.
WOMAN KILLED
HERSELF BY SHOT
Sister Discovers Tragedy, Which
Occurred Few Minutes After
Husband Left Home.

Mrs Herman Weiden helped her sis
ter with the Homework. At 10 o'clock
yesterday morning she rang the door
bell a. 3l5 Eastern Parkway. Brooklyn,
but her sister Charlotte. who was the
wife Of Francis A. O'Neil AN archi-
tcctural engineer employed by the In
ter5orough Rapid Transit Company did
not answer the summons.
Immediately a feeling flashed over
her that something was wrong. She
broke a pane of glass IN one Of the
windows looking out on the porch and
threw up the sash. When she called
and no answer came she climbed In.
on the second floor she came upon
tie body of her sister. A bullet had
pierced Mrs. O'Nei's heart. The re-
v.lvcr from which it was fired lay close
to her right hand.
Then Mrs. Wicden entered the uur-
sery. On a bed lay two Of the three
O'Ncu children. Josephine. little more
than a year old and Francis. aged four
In a fit Of insanity, the only motive
her friends could ascrbc for the crime,
the other had attempted 70 strange
IN nm to death before taking her own
life.
Josephine was dead. A spark OF life
remained i'm the body Of the boy how
ever. and a half hours strenuous work
by Dr.. Lee ". Thomas, Of 1872 Bed
ford Avenue. saved him. Agnes the
niuc-year-old O'Ncil child. was in school
when the tragedy occurred.
kissed Husband Last Goodby.
Franci. O'Neil kissed his wife good
bv about o'clock. The night before
She had been suffering from tit Of
melancholia. but seemed to have
Frightened at the prospects Of trip to
the Parama-Paciic Exposition, which
her husband promised rs relief Tor
her mental condition. She was unus-
uallv airectionate. kissing him several
times. He left for his office at % PARK
Place, Manhattan.
Then Mrs. O'Neil made preparations
10 end the lives of her children as
we'll AZ her own. An old army revolver
that had belonged TO her husband
father. and which Mr.. O'Neil declared
he had forgotten was M th house, was
taken from cupboard. II wa, the be
lief OF some that she intended shooting
her children. but that, at the last
moment. she decided 90 triangle them.
About the meek Of the boy sh" twisted
a piece Of stout cord. while baby JO-
sephinc looked on wonderlugly. \ strip
Of linen torn from a shirtwaist served
to straugle the infant. Placin" tho
children ON bed she ran from The
room to her own bedroom. seized the
revolver and shot herself through the
heart.
Since the birth of Josephine Mrs.
O'Nen had not been i'm perfect health.
She became melancholy at times. and
three months ago. lcr husband said.
threatened tc Kin herself. To neigh
bor~ recently she coniided the news
that another ouugstCr was expected
and tina, she did not believe she could
Withstand the ordeal.
Mrs. Weideu screamed when she dis
covered the tragedy. From an apart
m,ut house nest 10 the pretty little
two and "a half story brick structure m
which the O'Neils lived half dozen
persons came hurryiug. Or. Thomas,
who was making q protc~Sional VISIT
d. the building. and Gordon Mcdonald
of 6G3 Franklin Avenue. VINO was pass
ing the house. removed the bands from
the ncckS of tuc b,uc-faccd children.
Fight to Save Boy.
That the life of the four-y car-old
DO, Vas saved was due 10 the prompt
work of the phy. lcIan. Whle an am
bulancc was on the way from the Jew
ish Hospital he prepared an injection
Of ,trychninc. which Mrs. Ruth Nc
k4y. trained nurse who lives m the
apartmcnt house next door, admins
tored Meanwhile Dr. Thomas was re
sorting 10 means of artificial rcsplra-
ton. The baby. he believed, wa dead.
but the boy showed signs of life. When
Dr. Sugarmar arrived in the ambu-
lance hc rcsorted 10 the pulmotor 20
rcsu,citatc little Josephine. but gave
up after working three quarters OF an
hour When hc had revived the boy
In Thomas sent him 20 the hospital
He will recover.
Coroner Frank A. Senior, after an
investigation. said there seemed no
doubt that the tragedy was carefully
planned case Of murder and suicide
M ONcil left no note explaining her
act.
Beside. being in the employ Of the
irtcrborough. Nr. O'Ncil has an archi-
tcct. Office at Jos Fulton street. an
haitian. and another at Rockaway Park
tie owns property at the seaside resort
as well a. I'm Brooklyn, among his hold
ing. being the building al 5l8 Lincoln
Place. Brooklyn, where his sister-ln-
law. Mr.. Wcidcu. lives. According 20
fcichbors. he and his wife lived hap
PLY together She was ,hrty-two