Year: 1875




Reading was on Tuesday the scene OF
oae of the most terrible tragedies that
has occurred in this State for number
OF years. AT about $50 o'clock on the
evening in question a woman of medium
height and full figure was observed pass
ing over the Harrisburg bridge, short
distance from the city proper. She was
accompanied by three children, two of
them girls, aged and 5 years, and the
other boy of 3. Upon reaching the far
side of the river the little party de-
scended to the tow-path of the Union
Canal, and proceeded in the direction of
the Tulpehocken Greek. The children
skipped along merrilv, delighted with
their ramble in the country, whilst the
mother walked moodily with them. At
apoint about two and half miles from
the city of Reading she was seen by a
young lady TO stop and fill large basket
she had with her with stones.


This done, she strapped it tightly to
her waist, and picking up the little boy
she threw him on her breast, and then
taking one of the girls under each Of her
arms, deliberately threw herself into the
canal. But lew moments intervened
between the filling of the basket and the
fatal act, and before the aid, which came
in the person of Mr.. Forney and several
farm-hands, who rushed to the waters
edge upon hearing the cries of the chill
dren, could effect rescue, the mother
and children had disappeared. There
was a moment of struggling and battling
with the waters, and then the woman,
borne down by the weight of the basket
of stones and the children, sank to the
bottom. The rescuing party began
graphing for the bodies, and in a short
time recovered two of the children;
presently the third was obtained, and
finally the body of the mother was
found. The mother and children were
well dressed. The bodies of the four
were laid upon the bank of the stream.
Notice was at once sent to the Coroner,
and a jury was impaneled, none of whose
members were able to recognize the dead
woman or her children. Their verdict
was that the woman came to her death
by suicidal drowning, whilst the children
came to theirs by the willful act of the
person (supposed TO be the mother) who
was with them. The dead bodies were
taken to the city, and were about to be
buried, when Mrs. Bockmuehl, who
had viewed them at the undertaker's of
flee, recognized the woman as the wife
and the children as the offspring of
Philip Bessinger, German saloon-keep-
er. He was at once summoned, and
made acquainted with the sad event
which had deprived him of a wife and a
family of children.-PiHsbur9 ChrOn-
jcLe.


SEQUEL TO THE ABOVE.


A dispatch from Reading says: "There
was great excitement here Mt the funeral
of Mrs. Bessinger and her three children,
Tuesday last. 1t seems from
the stories OF people that the woman had
lived unhappily with her husband, owing
to the introduction by him of another
woman into the house, and that this un-
happiness resulted i'll quarrel Monday,
when the husband ordered his wife to
leave the house and take the two girls
with her, while he would retain the boy.
Next day she went TO leave with the chill
dren, and after filling a basket with
stones, in which operation the children
she bound the basket securely
to her body, and taking the three chill
oACh III liCl blilo IC'tl'Ct Iiluo VIC Ctilldl
and all were drowned. AS soon as the
bodies were recovered and taken to their
former home, the police had to grard
the house to save the husband from as
sault, and at the funeral procession to-
day, which included about one thousand
people on foot, surrounded his carriage.
When the bodies were lowered into the
graves the people hooted Bessinger and
made a rush for him. In the confusion
one shot was fired, when the police hur-
riedly placed him in a carriage and drove
off, receiving on passing the cemetery
gates another shot, which it is thought
wounded him, as he was carried into the
house. The police are still on guard,
and the people, including many women,
continue their threats.