Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1883 — HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. [ARTICLE]

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

The Bloody Deed of an Insane Mexican Mother.. ITclegram from Laredo, Texas.] A gentleman from Lampasas, Mexico, gives the full particulars of a most horrible tragedy that occurred near that place. Mrs. Valdez killed her live children and then her self during a fit of insanity. In one of the large ranches about twenty miles to the southward of Lampasas there lived for four years pant a quiet,«.uwßgta d<»--.ltexicaii named Antonio Valdez, whose family consisted of a wife and five children, the age of the eldest child being 10 years, and of the yqpngest 3 years. The wife, who was about 30 years of age. had been subject to epileptic fits and spells of melancholy of long duration. During the last few months she has exhibited many evidences of insanity, and when in such mental aberration invariably sought to do violence to her little ones. A few days ago the woman was attacked with a fit of unusual severity. When she hud recovered from her spasm her husband went out to herd a flock of sheep belonging to the ranch. He had been gone but a short time when his wife rose from her couch, and, with a huge butcher-knife, which had been carelessly left within her reach, commenced her terrible work of destruction. Her eldest child, a sweet girl of 10. was the first to fall a victim to her maniac mother s cruel blows, her head being almost severed from her body. W ith than method peculiar to Insane persons she in quick succession slew the other children, hacking and stabbing them in a sickening manner. The frantic woman, after five bleeding little corpses lav at her feet, viewed them with grim satisfaction, filling; the air with wild and weird exclamations. Suddenly, taking a parting look at the dead before her, she plunged the knife into her own breast reeled to a corner in the room, and fell dead. D uring all the time th s fearful tragedy was being enacted a serving-woman, a peon, was poweriess to prevent it from abject fear. The husband was soon apprised of what had happened, and his lamentations were pitiable in the extreme and he could n*t be consoled In due ‘time neighbors came, and speedy arrangexuients were made to bury the dead. Six graves were dug, and the next morning the funeral rights were performed. John W. Duchaman, of Indianapolis, sued Mrs. Lily Heil, alleging that she had broken her promise to give him her hand in marriage if he would give her a SSOO pianoforte. Hi added that she had alsb put cheese in his coffe \ struck him with a broom,and thrown a lighted match in hi* face She denied every allegation, and said that he gave her the pianoforte unconditionally, and .other presents as well. She admitted that she once playfully threw a piece of cheese at him when thev were at the table, and that she pursued him with a broom when he tried to kiss her. John-lost both suite, James A. Harris, of Florida, gets #63,000 net out of his orange crop (this season