Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1924-08-01
DEMENTED MOTHER
TAKES CHILD'SLIFE
Boise Woman Shoots Baby Four
Times in Head-Jury Holds
Her Irresponsible

Give me a speedy trial and shoe
! me or hang mel want to join m.
baby in happier land than this
Mrs. George White, 29, pleaded will
officers Monday afternoon at Bois'
after she had emptied four chambers
of a .32 caliber revolver into the
Z head of her 18-months-old daughter
Margaret Thelma, at their ranch
home three miles southeast of Boise
at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon.
Questioned in her cell in the Ada
county jail following her arrest
Mrs. White threw off the air of calm
that characterized her first state
ments and chose one of defiance in
her reply to questioning on a pos
sible motive, you'll never find out
from me-"
Mrs. White is undoubtedly mental
ly deranged, declared DR.. T. N.
Braxtan, after an examination. AL
though he questioned her closely, he
said,. as to her antecedents, he found
nothing to show hereditary insanity.
In reply to his questioning as to her
motive in killing her baby, she re-
turned that "she had no scruples
against killing her daughter, be-
cause the child was better off dead. I"
Why, the doctor said, she would not
say.
The baby was killed, Mrs. White
told Ada county peace officers, while
she was playing on the bed. Powder
burns around the four holes in the
baby's temple and forehead lead L.
E. Allumbaugh, sheriff, to believe
the shots were fired from a distance
not more than 10 inches from the
head
The tragedy was discovered first
by Allan Stein, who with w. T.
Brown, Albert Hapeny, Edward
Frier and 1. H. Frier, had gone to
the White home on business, short
ly before o'clock Monday after
noon.
Calling at the house, Mr.. Stein
said he was met by the mother, II
have killed my baby" was her calm
greeting. "Send out the law Of
ficers" She was alone with the
body, the father being in Boise seek
ing work,
Entering, Mr.. Stein found the
baby on the bed, apparently where
it's life had been snuffed out. In
various places about the room-on
bureau, and shelves on the wall
were about a half a dozen pictures
of the baby, taken about a year ago.
A nursing bottle, half filled with
milk, was ON the bureau.
On the floor near the bed lay the
revolver Six empty shells were
scattered about it. Blood had drip
ped in a pool on the floor,
A newly sharpened butcher knife
also lay on the floor. She said she
had used this to pry the empty shells
from the gun and had reloaded sew
eral times, intending to take her
own life She repeated that she had |
no wish to live after she was taken
to cell in the Ada county Jail.
Mr.. Stein started Immediately for |
Boise, but stopped at the nearest
house and informed Mr.. McBratney |
who with Herbert Zacher, his assist
ant, drove to the house. He found |
Mrs. White sitting in a chair near
the bed on which lay her dead baby.
The body was uncovered.
To preliminary questioning Mrs.
White was calm. She asked to be
allowed to change her clothes. before
she was taken to Boise, but Mr.. Nc
Bratney refused the request and she
brought another dress with her. She
insisted on bringing a New Testa-
ment containing many marked verses
and lock of her baby's hair and
three pictures of her daughter,
She remained calm during the ride
to Boise in Mr.. McBratney's auto.
She rode in the front seat with the
coroner while Mr.. zacher, with the
body of the baby in his arms, rode
in the rear.
At an inquisition Wednesday, held
before Probate Judge Chalfant, Mrs.
White was adjudged insane and or
dered committed to the Blackfoot
asylum.