Maritime Murder by Steve Vernon

by insanity. However,” the foreman went on, “we would recommend strongly that the court’s final judgment should be tempered with considered mercy.”
    â€œThe court will reserve sentence until the following Monday, after I have had time to consider the verdict,” Justice Fitzgerald stated. “Court dismissed.”

The Verdict
    Minnie was declared guilty of the murder of her youngest son, Johnny, on July 19 , 1912 . Two days later, newspapers reported that she had formally confessed the killing of her children to Dr. Duncan Stewart of Georgetown.
    Minnie wrote the confession down while she was lying on her jailhouse cot following an hour’s conversation with the doctor. The confession was short and to the point:

    Georgetown Jail, July
21
. I remember sending to Mahar’s [a local store] for five cents worth of matches before the five children died. I soaked the matches in weak tea and sugar and gave them to the five children about the middle of the week on which the children died. I think I gave the solution only once, but I am not sure. I saw Johnnie [sic]
first on Sunday evening. I sent him Tuesday to Hicken’s store for a box of matches. I got some more matches at Mahar’s on Thursday but they were for my own use and not for Johnnie. I soaked matches for Johnnie between Tuesday and Thursday. I don’t know how many matches I soaked for Johnnie but I used whatever amount Johnnie got at Hicken’s on Tuesday. The matches I got at Mahar’s Store I intended to take myself.

    The confession was signed “Mrs. Patrick McGee.”
    It is perhaps particularly telling that Minnie misspelled Johnny’s name (Johnnie) throughout her written confession.
    A short time later, Minnie was reported as remarking to Constable McCarron that she had given the children poison in the form of matches. “Since the death of my two children from pneumonia, I have been feeling poorly,” she remarked. “I had decided to put an end to myself and the children. They will be better off. They will be in heaven.”
    On July 22 , 1912 , Minnie attended her sentence hearing.
    â€œDo you have anything to say before I pass sentence?” Justice Fitzgerald asked.
    Minnie closed her eyes and composed her thoughts. She took a long, deep breath.
    â€œTake mercy on me,” she began. “I have had a hard life. In January my head went all astray, and worse in February, and worse in April.”
    She pointed to her temple. “The pain in my head went right through. The last four months, the pain was dreadful. I was actually going to do away with my own life. I cannot do away with the pain in my head.”
    She looked up at the judge. “Before I would be sick, my husband, Pat McGee, would beat me, and when I would get sick he would beat me in bed. He would not get me a drink, no matter how often I begged for it. He would say I could stay there until I rotted. He would go around and say that he was going to shoot himself.”
    She thumped her finger hard against her skull. “There is a pain in my head that goes right through. I don’t know just what is the matter with it, but I am tired of all that pain. I would just as soon do away with my own life. There is terrible pain in my head. I warned him. He should have taken the children away. He had four months’ warning. It was his fault, not mine. It was all my husband’s fault. I dearly loved my children.”
    Very little of this final statement was true. By all reports, Patrick McGee was a loving father and husband who spent most of his time away from home trying to earn the means to support his family; but Minnie remained unshakeable, certain of the reality of her self-inflicted delusion.
    â€œAfter due consideration,” Justice Fitzgerald announced, “I find that I have no choice but to sentence the defendant to death by hanging. This sentence will be performed on the morning of October 10 , 1912 ,