Mother: Marion Friar
Father/parent: William Spence
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A MOTHER POISONS HERSELF AND FIVE CHILDREN.
ONE CHILD SAVED.
One of the most terrible and shocking domestic tragedies ever recorded any where, and certainly the most awful that has ever happened in Maryborough, occurred early on Saturday night in the home of Mr. W. Spence, slaughter man, and very old and well-known resident of the town. In a terrible moment, which for want of any known motive must be generously regarded as a moment of insane desperation, the mother
deliberately forced five of her six children to drink carbolic acid and then drank some herself, with the result that they all died, except the youngest child, after varying periods of intense agony, and the surviving child will probably be dreadfully disfigured for life.
The father was away at the time, and the eldest boy only escaped by running away from his mother when she sought to give him a dose of poison. The fearful event naturally created a painful sensation in town, for such a tragedy had never occurred in our midst before, and it is to be hoped will never again.
Mr. W. Spence and his family resided in a comfortably furnished and cleanly kept cottage in Union street, at the back of the Albert School. The other members were, the mother (Marian), aged 33 ; John, 13 years ; Annie Marian, 11½ years ; Matilda, 8 years ; Mary Davidson, 5 years ; Jeannie May, 4 years ; and Willie, 2 years. It may be mentioned here that Mrs. Spence was expecting confinement in less than a month ; and shortly after her death Dr. Harricks by an operation delivered the child, but it was dead.
With regard to the incidents of the tragedy, as far as we can ascertain, Mrs. Spence had spoken about using poison several times during the day but not much notice was taken of it, as no one ever dreamed that she really contem plated anything of the sort.
The only witness of the actual poisoning was the lad, John. He has stated that between 6 and 7 o'clock on Saturday night, his mother undressed him and the other children and put on their nightgowns. She said she would give them no supper, as they did not require any. She gave them an apple each and then brought out a glassful of carbolic acid which he had seen her pour out of a bottle marked "poison" on a red label and "carbolic acid" on a white label. She told them that it was medicine, but the boy knowing that carbolic acid was poison ran out of the house by the back door to his aunt's, who lives behind their place, with a fence dividing them. He told his aunt, a Mrs. Spence, that his mother was giving his sisters carbolic acid and telling them it was medicine. Mrs. Spence, it is stated, went to her sister in law's house, and seeing a glass containing what she took to be carbolic acid, on the table, threw the stuff out into the yard. She asked Mrs. Spence (deceased) what she meant to do with the acid, and she replied that she was going to poison herself and the children. She spoke quite cooly, and was in no way excited. Thinking she had no more carbolic acid, Mrs. Spence then left the house, but in a little while she heard the children screaming, and went back again and found that Mrs. W. Spence had given the children carbolic acid and taken some herself. She had all the children in bed in a back room. The alarm was at once given to the neighbours, and the doctors sent for.
Dr. Luther was the first to arrive, but Mrs. Spence, who must have taken a very large quantity of the acid, died before any remedies could be applied. Drs. Harricks, Penny, and Garde appeared on the tragic scene shortly afterwards, and were followed by Senior-Sergeant Gallagher and Const. Hamilton, and many neighbours, who assisted in every way the four doctors in their strenuous efforts to save the lives of the children. The scene during the next few hours was simply heart-ending, and will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The screams and moans of the poor children were dreadful to hear, and the agony they suffered, relieved by occasional periods of unconsciousness, and finally released by death, must have been awful.
They were first taken from the room in which they had been poisoned together and laid on sofas and beds about the house, each doctor attending to a patient. The stomach pump was used and every remedy applied without delay, but with out success, except in the case of Willie, the baby, who apparently did not swallow the acid, but splattered it out over his face, arms, and chest, which are badly burned.
The scene was an experience to move stout hearts, and many present were unmanned. With scorched and swollen faces and blistered mouths, the poor children struggled for breath and life, as the corrosive poison continued its torturing and fatal course.
The mother died at died about 7.30 on Saturday night; Jennie, the fourth daughter, passed away at 8.30 on Sunday morning ; Mary, (the third daughter, at 9.15; Matilda, the second daughter, at 9.45; and Annie Marian, the eldest daughter, lingered on till 4 o'clock on Sunday (yesterday) afternoon, being during the greater part of the time
unconscious.
The doctors are of opinion that the two-year-old child Willie will recover, but his mouth is in a bad state and various portions of his arms, chest, and face blistered and burnt. Throughout the sad affair Inspector Meldrum, Senior-Sergeant Gallagher, and three men have been in constant attendance night and day at the house, and have done all that was possible to assist in every way the afflicted family.
An inquiry will be held during the week into the matter. The police have elicited the fact that the carbolic acid was bought at a grocers about three weeks ago for the purpose of washing parts of the house to kill cockroaches.
Mrs. Spence was an industrious woman, a good housewife, and very fond of her children. The family in material wants were comfortably situated and the husband, Mr. W. Spence, cannot account for his wife's conduct. When he went home that evening he did not observe anything wrong in her manner or appearance ; she was of strictly temperate habits, and he had had no quarrel with her on that day. He had been in the employ of E. Booker, juor., for some years, but had given notice to leave with some others on Friday night. His wife begged him to go back to Mr. Booker's, who had always treated him well in the past, but he left the house without deciding what he would do. It appears that Mrs. Spence, senior, who is about 80 years of age, when she heard that her daughter- in-law was talking about poisoning her children walked down to the police station and informed the police. Senior Sergeant Gallagher and Constable
Hamilton went in a cab at once to the place to find the deed already done.
The funeral of Mrs. Spence and her four daughters takes place at 8 o'clock this afternoon.
Maryborough Chronicle Monday 11 June 1894
Father/parent: William Spence
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A MOTHER POISONS HERSELF AND FIVE CHILDREN.
ONE CHILD SAVED.
One of the most terrible and shocking domestic tragedies ever recorded any where, and certainly the most awful that has ever happened in Maryborough, occurred early on Saturday night in the home of Mr. W. Spence, slaughter man, and very old and well-known resident of the town. In a terrible moment, which for want of any known motive must be generously regarded as a moment of insane desperation, the mother
deliberately forced five of her six children to drink carbolic acid and then drank some herself, with the result that they all died, except the youngest child, after varying periods of intense agony, and the surviving child will probably be dreadfully disfigured for life.
The father was away at the time, and the eldest boy only escaped by running away from his mother when she sought to give him a dose of poison. The fearful event naturally created a painful sensation in town, for such a tragedy had never occurred in our midst before, and it is to be hoped will never again.
Mr. W. Spence and his family resided in a comfortably furnished and cleanly kept cottage in Union street, at the back of the Albert School. The other members were, the mother (Marian), aged 33 ; John, 13 years ; Annie Marian, 11½ years ; Matilda, 8 years ; Mary Davidson, 5 years ; Jeannie May, 4 years ; and Willie, 2 years. It may be mentioned here that Mrs. Spence was expecting confinement in less than a month ; and shortly after her death Dr. Harricks by an operation delivered the child, but it was dead.
With regard to the incidents of the tragedy, as far as we can ascertain, Mrs. Spence had spoken about using poison several times during the day but not much notice was taken of it, as no one ever dreamed that she really contem plated anything of the sort.
The only witness of the actual poisoning was the lad, John. He has stated that between 6 and 7 o'clock on Saturday night, his mother undressed him and the other children and put on their nightgowns. She said she would give them no supper, as they did not require any. She gave them an apple each and then brought out a glassful of carbolic acid which he had seen her pour out of a bottle marked "poison" on a red label and "carbolic acid" on a white label. She told them that it was medicine, but the boy knowing that carbolic acid was poison ran out of the house by the back door to his aunt's, who lives behind their place, with a fence dividing them. He told his aunt, a Mrs. Spence, that his mother was giving his sisters carbolic acid and telling them it was medicine. Mrs. Spence, it is stated, went to her sister in law's house, and seeing a glass containing what she took to be carbolic acid, on the table, threw the stuff out into the yard. She asked Mrs. Spence (deceased) what she meant to do with the acid, and she replied that she was going to poison herself and the children. She spoke quite cooly, and was in no way excited. Thinking she had no more carbolic acid, Mrs. Spence then left the house, but in a little while she heard the children screaming, and went back again and found that Mrs. W. Spence had given the children carbolic acid and taken some herself. She had all the children in bed in a back room. The alarm was at once given to the neighbours, and the doctors sent for.
Dr. Luther was the first to arrive, but Mrs. Spence, who must have taken a very large quantity of the acid, died before any remedies could be applied. Drs. Harricks, Penny, and Garde appeared on the tragic scene shortly afterwards, and were followed by Senior-Sergeant Gallagher and Const. Hamilton, and many neighbours, who assisted in every way the four doctors in their strenuous efforts to save the lives of the children. The scene during the next few hours was simply heart-ending, and will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The screams and moans of the poor children were dreadful to hear, and the agony they suffered, relieved by occasional periods of unconsciousness, and finally released by death, must have been awful.
They were first taken from the room in which they had been poisoned together and laid on sofas and beds about the house, each doctor attending to a patient. The stomach pump was used and every remedy applied without delay, but with out success, except in the case of Willie, the baby, who apparently did not swallow the acid, but splattered it out over his face, arms, and chest, which are badly burned.
The scene was an experience to move stout hearts, and many present were unmanned. With scorched and swollen faces and blistered mouths, the poor children struggled for breath and life, as the corrosive poison continued its torturing and fatal course.
The mother died at died about 7.30 on Saturday night; Jennie, the fourth daughter, passed away at 8.30 on Sunday morning ; Mary, (the third daughter, at 9.15; Matilda, the second daughter, at 9.45; and Annie Marian, the eldest daughter, lingered on till 4 o'clock on Sunday (yesterday) afternoon, being during the greater part of the time
unconscious.
The doctors are of opinion that the two-year-old child Willie will recover, but his mouth is in a bad state and various portions of his arms, chest, and face blistered and burnt. Throughout the sad affair Inspector Meldrum, Senior-Sergeant Gallagher, and three men have been in constant attendance night and day at the house, and have done all that was possible to assist in every way the afflicted family.
An inquiry will be held during the week into the matter. The police have elicited the fact that the carbolic acid was bought at a grocers about three weeks ago for the purpose of washing parts of the house to kill cockroaches.
Mrs. Spence was an industrious woman, a good housewife, and very fond of her children. The family in material wants were comfortably situated and the husband, Mr. W. Spence, cannot account for his wife's conduct. When he went home that evening he did not observe anything wrong in her manner or appearance ; she was of strictly temperate habits, and he had had no quarrel with her on that day. He had been in the employ of E. Booker, juor., for some years, but had given notice to leave with some others on Friday night. His wife begged him to go back to Mr. Booker's, who had always treated him well in the past, but he left the house without deciding what he would do. It appears that Mrs. Spence, senior, who is about 80 years of age, when she heard that her daughter- in-law was talking about poisoning her children walked down to the police station and informed the police. Senior Sergeant Gallagher and Constable
Hamilton went in a cab at once to the place to find the deed already done.
The funeral of Mrs. Spence and her four daughters takes place at 8 o'clock this afternoon.
Maryborough Chronicle Monday 11 June 1894
Mother: Marion Friar
Father/parent: William Spence
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A MOTHER POISONS HERSELF AND FIVE CHILDREN.
ONE CHILD SAVED.
One of the most terrible and shocking domestic tragedies ever recorded any where, and certainly the most awful that has ever happened in Maryborough, occurred early on Saturday night in the home of Mr. W. Spence, slaughter man, and very old and well-known resident of the town. In a terrible moment, which for want of any known motive must be generously regarded as a moment of insane desperation, the mother
deliberately forced five of her six children to drink carbolic acid and then drank some herself, with the result that they all died, except the youngest child, after varying periods of intense agony, and the surviving child will probably be dreadfully disfigured for life.
The father was away at the time, and the eldest boy only escaped by running away from his mother when she sought to give him a dose of poison. The fearful event naturally created a painful sensation in town, for such a tragedy had never occurred in our midst before, and it is to be hoped will never again.
Mr. W. Spence and his family resided in a comfortably furnished and cleanly kept cottage in Union street, at the back of the Albert School. The other members were, the mother (Marian), aged 33 ; John, 13 years ; Annie Marian, 11½ years ; Matilda, 8 years ; Mary Davidson, 5 years ; Jeannie May, 4 years ; and Willie, 2 years. It may be mentioned here that Mrs. Spence was expecting confinement in less than a month ; and shortly after her death Dr. Harricks by an operation delivered the child, but it was dead.
With regard to the incidents of the tragedy, as far as we can ascertain, Mrs. Spence had spoken about using poison several times during the day but not much notice was taken of it, as no one ever dreamed that she really contem plated anything of the sort.
The only witness of the actual poisoning was the lad, John. He has stated that between 6 and 7 o'clock on Saturday night, his mother undressed him and the other children and put on their nightgowns. She said she would give them no supper, as they did not require any. She gave them an apple each and then brought out a glassful of carbolic acid which he had seen her pour out of a bottle marked "poison" on a red label and "carbolic acid" on a white label. She told them that it was medicine, but the boy knowing that carbolic acid was poison ran out of the house by the back door to his aunt's, who lives behind their place, with a fence dividing them. He told his aunt, a Mrs. Spence, that his mother was giving his sisters carbolic acid and telling them it was medicine. Mrs. Spence, it is stated, went to her sister in law's house, and seeing a glass containing what she took to be carbolic acid, on the table, threw the stuff out into the yard. She asked Mrs. Spence (deceased) what she meant to do with the acid, and she replied that she was going to poison herself and the children. She spoke quite cooly, and was in no way excited. Thinking she had no more carbolic acid, Mrs. Spence then left the house, but in a little while she heard the children screaming, and went back again and found that Mrs. W. Spence had given the children carbolic acid and taken some herself. She had all the children in bed in a back room. The alarm was at once given to the neighbours, and the doctors sent for.
Dr. Luther was the first to arrive, but Mrs. Spence, who must have taken a very large quantity of the acid, died before any remedies could be applied. Drs. Harricks, Penny, and Garde appeared on the tragic scene shortly afterwards, and were followed by Senior-Sergeant Gallagher and Const. Hamilton, and many neighbours, who assisted in every way the four doctors in their strenuous efforts to save the lives of the children. The scene during the next few hours was simply heart-ending, and will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The screams and moans of the poor children were dreadful to hear, and the agony they suffered, relieved by occasional periods of unconsciousness, and finally released by death, must have been awful.
They were first taken from the room in which they had been poisoned together and laid on sofas and beds about the house, each doctor attending to a patient. The stomach pump was used and every remedy applied without delay, but with out success, except in the case of Willie, the baby, who apparently did not swallow the acid, but splattered it out over his face, arms, and chest, which are badly burned.
The scene was an experience to move stout hearts, and many present were unmanned. With scorched and swollen faces and blistered mouths, the poor children struggled for breath and life, as the corrosive poison continued its torturing and fatal course.
The mother died at died about 7.30 on Saturday night; Jennie, the fourth daughter, passed away at 8.30 on Sunday morning ; Mary, (the third daughter, at 9.15; Matilda, the second daughter, at 9.45; and Annie Marian, the eldest daughter, lingered on till 4 o'clock on Sunday (yesterday) afternoon, being during the greater part of the time
unconscious.
The doctors are of opinion that the two-year-old child Willie will recover, but his mouth is in a bad state and various portions of his arms, chest, and face blistered and burnt. Throughout the sad affair Inspector Meldrum, Senior-Sergeant Gallagher, and three men have been in constant attendance night and day at the house, and have done all that was possible to assist in every way the afflicted family.
An inquiry will be held during the week into the matter. The police have elicited the fact that the carbolic acid was bought at a grocers about three weeks ago for the purpose of washing parts of the house to kill cockroaches.
Mrs. Spence was an industrious woman, a good housewife, and very fond of her children. The family in material wants were comfortably situated and the husband, Mr. W. Spence, cannot account for his wife's conduct. When he went home that evening he did not observe anything wrong in her manner or appearance ; she was of strictly temperate habits, and he had had no quarrel with her on that day. He had been in the employ of E. Booker, juor., for some years, but had given notice to leave with some others on Friday night. His wife begged him to go back to Mr. Booker's, who had always treated him well in the past, but he left the house without deciding what he would do. It appears that Mrs. Spence, senior, who is about 80 years of age, when she heard that her daughter- in-law was talking about poisoning her children walked down to the police station and informed the police. Senior Sergeant Gallagher and Constable
Hamilton went in a cab at once to the place to find the deed already done.
The funeral of Mrs. Spence and her four daughters takes place at 8 o'clock this afternoon.
Maryborough Chronicle Monday 11 June 1894
Father/parent: William Spence
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
A MOTHER POISONS HERSELF AND FIVE CHILDREN.
ONE CHILD SAVED.
One of the most terrible and shocking domestic tragedies ever recorded any where, and certainly the most awful that has ever happened in Maryborough, occurred early on Saturday night in the home of Mr. W. Spence, slaughter man, and very old and well-known resident of the town. In a terrible moment, which for want of any known motive must be generously regarded as a moment of insane desperation, the mother
deliberately forced five of her six children to drink carbolic acid and then drank some herself, with the result that they all died, except the youngest child, after varying periods of intense agony, and the surviving child will probably be dreadfully disfigured for life.
The father was away at the time, and the eldest boy only escaped by running away from his mother when she sought to give him a dose of poison. The fearful event naturally created a painful sensation in town, for such a tragedy had never occurred in our midst before, and it is to be hoped will never again.
Mr. W. Spence and his family resided in a comfortably furnished and cleanly kept cottage in Union street, at the back of the Albert School. The other members were, the mother (Marian), aged 33 ; John, 13 years ; Annie Marian, 11½ years ; Matilda, 8 years ; Mary Davidson, 5 years ; Jeannie May, 4 years ; and Willie, 2 years. It may be mentioned here that Mrs. Spence was expecting confinement in less than a month ; and shortly after her death Dr. Harricks by an operation delivered the child, but it was dead.
With regard to the incidents of the tragedy, as far as we can ascertain, Mrs. Spence had spoken about using poison several times during the day but not much notice was taken of it, as no one ever dreamed that she really contem plated anything of the sort.
The only witness of the actual poisoning was the lad, John. He has stated that between 6 and 7 o'clock on Saturday night, his mother undressed him and the other children and put on their nightgowns. She said she would give them no supper, as they did not require any. She gave them an apple each and then brought out a glassful of carbolic acid which he had seen her pour out of a bottle marked "poison" on a red label and "carbolic acid" on a white label. She told them that it was medicine, but the boy knowing that carbolic acid was poison ran out of the house by the back door to his aunt's, who lives behind their place, with a fence dividing them. He told his aunt, a Mrs. Spence, that his mother was giving his sisters carbolic acid and telling them it was medicine. Mrs. Spence, it is stated, went to her sister in law's house, and seeing a glass containing what she took to be carbolic acid, on the table, threw the stuff out into the yard. She asked Mrs. Spence (deceased) what she meant to do with the acid, and she replied that she was going to poison herself and the children. She spoke quite cooly, and was in no way excited. Thinking she had no more carbolic acid, Mrs. Spence then left the house, but in a little while she heard the children screaming, and went back again and found that Mrs. W. Spence had given the children carbolic acid and taken some herself. She had all the children in bed in a back room. The alarm was at once given to the neighbours, and the doctors sent for.
Dr. Luther was the first to arrive, but Mrs. Spence, who must have taken a very large quantity of the acid, died before any remedies could be applied. Drs. Harricks, Penny, and Garde appeared on the tragic scene shortly afterwards, and were followed by Senior-Sergeant Gallagher and Const. Hamilton, and many neighbours, who assisted in every way the four doctors in their strenuous efforts to save the lives of the children. The scene during the next few hours was simply heart-ending, and will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The screams and moans of the poor children were dreadful to hear, and the agony they suffered, relieved by occasional periods of unconsciousness, and finally released by death, must have been awful.
They were first taken from the room in which they had been poisoned together and laid on sofas and beds about the house, each doctor attending to a patient. The stomach pump was used and every remedy applied without delay, but with out success, except in the case of Willie, the baby, who apparently did not swallow the acid, but splattered it out over his face, arms, and chest, which are badly burned.
The scene was an experience to move stout hearts, and many present were unmanned. With scorched and swollen faces and blistered mouths, the poor children struggled for breath and life, as the corrosive poison continued its torturing and fatal course.
The mother died at died about 7.30 on Saturday night; Jennie, the fourth daughter, passed away at 8.30 on Sunday morning ; Mary, (the third daughter, at 9.15; Matilda, the second daughter, at 9.45; and Annie Marian, the eldest daughter, lingered on till 4 o'clock on Sunday (yesterday) afternoon, being during the greater part of the time
unconscious.
The doctors are of opinion that the two-year-old child Willie will recover, but his mouth is in a bad state and various portions of his arms, chest, and face blistered and burnt. Throughout the sad affair Inspector Meldrum, Senior-Sergeant Gallagher, and three men have been in constant attendance night and day at the house, and have done all that was possible to assist in every way the afflicted family.
An inquiry will be held during the week into the matter. The police have elicited the fact that the carbolic acid was bought at a grocers about three weeks ago for the purpose of washing parts of the house to kill cockroaches.
Mrs. Spence was an industrious woman, a good housewife, and very fond of her children. The family in material wants were comfortably situated and the husband, Mr. W. Spence, cannot account for his wife's conduct. When he went home that evening he did not observe anything wrong in her manner or appearance ; she was of strictly temperate habits, and he had had no quarrel with her on that day. He had been in the employ of E. Booker, juor., for some years, but had given notice to leave with some others on Friday night. His wife begged him to go back to Mr. Booker's, who had always treated him well in the past, but he left the house without deciding what he would do. It appears that Mrs. Spence, senior, who is about 80 years of age, when she heard that her daughter- in-law was talking about poisoning her children walked down to the police station and informed the police. Senior Sergeant Gallagher and Constable
Hamilton went in a cab at once to the place to find the deed already done.
The funeral of Mrs. Spence and her four daughters takes place at 8 o'clock this afternoon.
Maryborough Chronicle Monday 11 June 1894
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