The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-05
Grandmother'S Mind Breaks
Under Worry About Her
Crippled Condition.

Temporary insanity, induced by
brooding over her crippled condition
and the death of her husband a
year ago, is believed to have &C
tuated Mrs. Clara Mcneil Irwin, 81,
in drowning her two granddaugh-
tiers, Irene, S, and Elizabeth, 20
months, in a bathtub at the home
of her daughter, Mrs. Horace
Shonle, 3493 Brentwood Ave,
Wednesday afternoon.
Crippled since girlhood by infan-
tile paralysis, the grandmother,
with age, grew increasingly sensitive
over her condition. With both of
her feet deformed, it was difficult
for her to walk and much of the
time she propelled herself in an in
valid chair.
Since the death of her husband a
year ago, she had been recurrently
respondent, but gave no indication
of insanity, the family said.
Kills While Insane
But the tragedy of her physical
misfortune and the loss of her hus-
band so had warped her view of
life, friends believe, that she be-
came the victim of temporary in
sanity Wednesday, and in this con-
dition murdered the granddaugh-
tiers. She always had shown the
deepest affection for them.
Mrs. Shonle, 81, had left the chill
dren under the grandmother's care
while she attended a meeting of
Western College alumnae. Return
ing at 4 p. m, no one answered her
greeting. She ran upstairs.
In the bathroom she found the
lifeleSs form Of her baby, Elizabeth,
lying on bath table. In the tub lay
the body of the grandmother, face
down, over the body of Irene, face
up.
Terrified, Mrs. Shonle lifted the
bodies from the water and ran
screaming to neighbors. Mrs. o. C.
House, 3495 Brentwood Ave; Mrs.
]. R. Thomas, 3476 Brentwood Ave,
and Mrs. Shonle hailed Harold E.
Patterson, 1884 Cornell Ave. and
Leo Harlan, 1858 w. Market ST., who
were passing in truck.
Resuscitation Moves Fail
They we're attempting resuscita-
ton when Lieutenant Petit and po-
lice emergency squad arrived. City
hospital rushed an ambulance and
pulmotor to the home and for half
an hour efforts were made to re-
vive the three. DR.. w. G. Culloden,
627 Fairfield Ave-, assisted in the
attempts.
Coroner G. H. Keever arrived and
pronounced the three dead, the chill
dren by drowning and the grand
mother by suicidal drowning.
The childrens father, a chemist
at the Eli Lilly & Co. laboratories,
reached home as word was brought
downstairs to Mrs. Shonle that her
two children and mother were dead.
Wrapped in blankets, the children
were laid on the living room floor
to await arrival of an ambulance.
Dazed with grief, the mother gath
cred up the little forms and drop
ping to the floor, held them to her
breast.
Refuses to Give Up Children
Sobbing, she held them close
while police screened the stairway
from her view as the sheet en-
shrouded form Of her mother was
carried down to an ambulance.
For three hours the mother would
not relinquish the lifeless bodies OF
her girls. Then they were lifted
from her arms and taken to the
Flanner & Buchanan mortuary
where Mrs. Twins body had pre-
coded them.
Private funeral services will be
held for the two children Friday
The body of Mrs. Irwin will be sent
to her former home in Tuscola, IL.
Saturday morning.
Mr.. and Mrs. Shonle, who have
no other children, spent the night
at the home of friends, DR.. Thomas
Casey, 3505 Brentwood Ave. Mrs
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