DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (Fremont, Ohio - 1884)

Father JOSEPH HARTMAN, like a lot of modern abusive dads, didn't much care for it when his wife left him (in 1884, a wife didn't have many options except to return to the home of HER father and mother, which Hartman's wife in fact decided to do). So Hartman crept into the wife's parents' house one night, and attempted to murder their five-month-old baby with chloroform (now that's a murder method one doesn't hear much about anymore). He also tried to dose his wife and her sister, who were sleeping in the same room. All three survived when the grandparents were roused from their beds to investigate.

From the archives of the New York Times, October 27, 1884.

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9D03E7DA1038E033A25754C2A9669D94659FD7CF

A FATHER ATTEMPTS INFANTICIDE.

Cleveland, Oct. 26.--Joseph Hartman, of Fremont, was arrested last night on a charge of attempted murder, the victim being his own child. A few weeks ago Mrs. Hartman left her husband, and, with her child, took up her residence with her father, Fred Voss. Hartman entered the house during the night by aid of skeleton keys, and made his way to a room where his wife and her sister were in one bed and his 5-months-old babe in a crib by their side. Without wakening anyone he poured chloroform, mixed with oil of cloves, in the mouth and nostrils of the baby. The burning of the oil of cloves caused the child to scream with pain. Hartman, before the mother and sister-in-law awakened, gave them a slight dose. Hearing the parents of his wife coming down stairs, he left the house in haste. Mr. and Mrs. Voss claim that they saw him and recognized him as he was leaving the house. The intended victims have all revived, but the baby still suffers from the effects of the burning fluid.