A MOTHER'S SHOCKING ACT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1788, 28 June 1913, Page 5

A MOTHER'S SHOCKING ACT.

HANGS HER DAUGHTER.

TERRIBLE DEED AT WARKWORTH

(By Telegraph.—Pr««» Association.! Auckland, June 27. The death of Isabel Hall, it chi!<l ten years of age, was caused by her mother at Warkworth this afternoon. Apparently during a condition of mental derangement, Mrs. Hall hanged her three children in a barn on her husband's farm, and the girl died instantly. Tho woman is under arrest on a charge of murder. The tragedy was enacted early in the afternoon. Tiio father of the child (Ernest Hall) has, during the past year, been farming about a mile from Warkwortn, some forty miles north of Auckland, tnis jnorning he left Jus homo to , wor k a mile and a half away, and left his wilea woman about 30 years old-at home witn tho girl Isabel, and their two boys, aged eight y«nrs and three years- Shortly after tho midday meal Mrs. Hall proposed that thoy should go into the barn and play "gaol," under her direction. The children stood on boxes, and she then tied light ropes to a i? liwnS' nooses round each child a neck. Having oompleted these preparations, the mother knocked awoy tho boxes, and, leaving the children hanging, ran out into the road. The girl was killed instantly, her, neck being broken. The little bovs did not fall so far, and were not actually insured. Their cries were heard by the mother, who appartntlv returned immediately, «nd out the ropes by which they were hanging. The first person to bo acquainted with Hie tragedy was a Mr. Shino, who was stopped by Mrs. Hall as he was passing, and asked to release tho body of the child. When he found that tho girl W93 already dead, Shine decided not to interfere with it, but went immediately to summon some of the neighbours. Ho returned shortly afterwards with iissistance, but. in the 1 meantime, Mrs. Hall had cut the Tope The constable stationed at Warkworth was absent on business in Waiwera, and, In the interval before his return, some neighbours took care of Mrs. Hall. She wag afterwards arrested on a charge of murder, and plaoed in detention in the Warkworth Courthouse. She will be brought to Auckland to-morrow. The presumption that the death of the girl was caused by her mother during a temporary disorder of tho mind, is indicated by the fact that Mrs. Hall afterwards appreciated the consequences'of her act, ana was terribly distressed. Some time ago Mrs. Hall suffered from a nervous breakdown, which apparently ; seriously affected her intellectual condition. On several occasions she has displayed pymptoms of mental aberration. , ■ For tome days recently she had been pressed In spirits, lint, when her husband loft home in the morning, she appeared to bo quite cheerful, and in excellent spirits.