TRAGEDY AT HERMAN

About 8 o’clock this morning, Mrs. Doll of Herman, not long since returned from the Norfolk asylum, killed her *two little girls aged 3 and 5 years by chopping their heads with a hatchet. Her husband works in the Crowell lumber yard, and she was alone with the children. Soon after the woman herself took concentrated lye and was dead before doctors Bedal and Palmer arrived in response to a telegram sent down soon after the killing of the children. The eldest child was not yet dead, but the head was horribly mangled and its death must follow.

Note *one son and one daughter

16 Apr., 1891 - The Pilot

An Awful Tragedy in Nebraska

HERMAN, NEB., April 10 - One of the most sickening and horrible tragedies that ever occurred was enacted here yesterday morning, and is evidently the outcome of a long cherished plan wrought in the brain of a mother as a result of sickness. Mr. Andrew Doll and his family, consisting of a wife aged 30, a boy and a daughter aged 7, have resided here for a long time, and are well respected. Some years ago Mrs. Doll was taken ill and has never since fully recovered. Her disease developed into mania during which she planned to murder her little ones and made away with herself. At the time her intentions were discovered she was adjudged insane and sent to the state asylum where she has been until recently when she was pronounced cured and sent home. Her conduct since her return has been such as to dispel any suspicion of other than the fullest possession of her faculties, and the home had resumed it wanted tranquility and happiness so long lacked through her absence. Yesterday morning Mr. Doll rose and went to his work as usual, suspecting no harm. Shortly after his departure, however, Mrs. Doll aroused her little ones from their slumbers, took them to the kitchen, and with an axe crushed their little heads to jelly. Taking up the bodies she replaced them in the bed, nailed up the door, went to the kitchen and drank a strong decoction of concentrated lye. Climbing out of a window she called to her neighbors to come and see her children whom she said she had slain. A crowd soon gathered and bursting open the door found Mrs. Doll in the kitchen in the agonies of death from the poison, and on the bed lay the almost lifeless but moaning little children.

The mother died in horrible convulsions at 9:30, and was shortly after followed by the son - the daughter lingering until later in the afternoon. Mr. Doll was summoned as hastily was possible, and is now almost a raving maniac, while the entire community is in a state of gloomy sorrow and horror.

Note: Daughter Julia did not die as the newspaper item stated.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #98660653