Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-07-20
MOTHER GIVES
/ DOSE OF POISON
To HER CHILD
Mrs. John Manthey Tries to
End Boys Life and Com
nit Suicide.
BOTH IN CITY HOSPITAL;
LITTLE CHAP MAY DIE
Woman Had Worried Herself
Nervous Over Health of
Youngster.

Mrs. Freda Manthey, twenty-seven
years old of 80 Ashland street. is in
the City Hospital, praying that she
and her eight-year old son Robert
may die from the poison they drank
yesterday afternoon. She is most
anxious for the death of the boy, for
whom commitment papers to Over
brook have been made out, and ply
sicians at the hospital believe that to
this extent her wish is likely to be
realized. Present indications are
that she will recover, and a police
man has been sent to guard her, as
she is technically under arrest.
The boy, whose mind was slow in
developing, partly because of an i'm
perfection in his organs of speech,
was a source of great concern to his
mother, and when other children
mimicked his attempts to talk the
mother would be greatly affected.
Most of the time she kept him in the
house. Finally Mrs. Manthey's health
gave way and she was admitted to
the City Hospital Tuesday, July 6.
suffering from a nervous breakdown.
When the history of her trouble
was learned she was advised to have
the boy come to the hospital and go
home herself. After a few days of
worrying she consented and was dis
charged from the hospital Sunday
July II. She did not bring the boy
to the hospital until last Wednesday,
and was greatly affected by parting
from him.
She visited him every day and
finally gave her consent to have him
committed TO the Home for Feeble
Minded Children at Vineland. Ac-
cordingly, DR.. Ambrose f. Dowd,
house physician at the City Hospital,
had papers made out to commit the
boy to Overlook, from which he
would be transferred to Vineland, and
was awaiting the mothers SIGNATURE.
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Maithey
appeared at the hospital and said
that she would not part with the boy,
and insisted upon taking him home
with her. Accordingly, at 2:45 she
signed release papers and took him
away. #
She went directly to her home and
inquired for Mrs. c. 2. Underwood,
who lives on the lower floor of the
same house, whether any one had
she went upstairs with the boy, but
came back in about half an hour, say
ing to Ms. Underwood, ''I have taken
poison"
When Mrs Underwood started in
surprise, Mrs. Manthey said, Yes;
and | made Robert drink some, too.
The poor child is awful sick, won't
YOU get the doctor?' Mrs. Under
wood recovered from the shock In a
moment and summoned an ambu-
lance from the City Hospital, while
Mrs. Manthey returned to her fiat.
Both she and the boy were sick
from the effects of the poison when
the physicians and the police arrived.
A partially filled bottle of poison was
rot1nd and beside it note which
read:
Dear John-I have decided to end
1t all Robert and !. With love.
"FREDA."
In the hospital today Mrs. Manthey
muttered continuously: "They al
ways made fun of him. ] did every
thing and it was no use, poor boy.
John Manthey. husband of the
woman, is a glass worker. He re-
turned 10 his home last night as
usual and became frantic when told
of his wife's act
Neighbors say that father and son
were deeply attached to one another
and that when not at his work the
father could always be found playing
with the son. The family did not 81
about much but preferred their owl
society.
When Manthey called at the hos
pital last night he found his wife in
such condition that she could not
talk. The draught of poison had so
affected her throat that she was un-
able to utter any words coherently.
Their conversation was carried on in
writing,