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A Terrible Tra
gedy.
A SAD CASE.
Woman Poisons her
Children.
The Mother Suicides
* * s
By Telegraph.
'Melbourne, This Day,
A terrible tragedy occurred at Coler
aine on Saturday night, when Mrs Day,
wife of James Day, manager of the
Coleraine Butter Factory, poisoned the
whole of her five children, four of
whom died. :
The children were aged 11, 8, 7. 5,
and 2s respectively. Mrs. Day was
, not in the best of health and was oc
casionally depressed in spirits. She
sent a servant on Saturday night for
the maid, telling her not to hurry.
When the servant came back Mrs Day
called out she did not require anything,
but before the servant could get to
sleep she heard one of the children call
out, " Mother dont " and began to cry.
The servant went to the bedroom and
asked what was the matter, and Mrs.
Day replied, " There is nothing wrong,
and told the girl .to get to bed.
The servant suspected all was not
right, and when she heard Mrs, Day
push the cot against the door sue push
ed the door open. Mrs. Day was stand
ing in the middle of the room, and the
servant saw two children dead, while
the others were sobbing.
She asked Mrs. Day why she had
killed the children, and she replied “ I
have done them no harm ; I have done
good.”
The servant ran to the nearest neigh
hours, who returned with her ; an em
etic was administered to one of the
children who vomited, but immediately
after expired. The surviving child,
James, is the eldest. He stated his
mother several times during the week
gave all the children medicine followed
by lollies, and they were always ili af
terwards ; they were all given medi
cine on Saturday night, and afterwards
his mother took some powder from a
paper, mixed it with sugar, and gave
it to them.
Mrs. pay,, the child stated, then took
some powder herself and ran out of the
room.
She was found on Sunday morning
drowned in a tank near the house.
$