DASTARDLY DADS FROM THE ARCHIVES (Deerfield, Massachusetts - 1886)

Dad EUGENE TAYLOR was one of those fathers you still see today. The kind who thinks that a financial reversal (in this case, the loss of a borrowed farm horse) somehow justified--at least in his own twisted mind--the brutal murder of his own child.

In reality, there is a lot of code here suggesting a very difficult, abusive, and manipulative personality--such as the father's generally "despondent disposition." Or the "dispute" with his brother-in-law, which led to the brother-in-law taking back his horse. Or his "family troubles." Besides, what kind of father deliberately laces candy with strychnine before handing it to a 3-year-old? In fact, it seems to me that his major motivation was punishing his wife, who had sided with her brother in this "dispute." No, there was a lot more going on in this man's head than the loss of a farm animal.

But note we still have breathless praise for the father, too--how he was "respected" and "hardworking" and "trustworthy." How all the local farmers thought Taylor was "the last person they would believe capable of such a crime."

Very similar to the "he seemed like such a nice guy" clueless neighbor comments that too often go with the killer father stories of today. Some things just never seem to change....

From the New York Times, May 21, 1886

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9406E5DD1738E533A25752C2A9639C94679FD7CF

A FATHER'S HORRIBLE CRIME.

HE POISONS HIS YOUNG SON AND THEN ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.

GREENFIELD, Mass., May 20.--A tragedy occurred in the quiet village of Deerfield last night by which the home of a once respected farmer is broken up. Eugene Taylor has for 15 years been a hard-working farmer at Deerfield, has carried on various farms on shares, and worked out among the farmers, and everywhere was considered a trustworthy hand. Of late he has carried on a farm with his brother-in-law, McDowell, a new-comer to that town, hailing from Moor's Junction, N.Y. The other day they had a dispute, which resulted in McDowell withdrawing his team from the farm, leaving Taylor without a horse with which to carry on his farm work. Taylor's wife sided with her brother, and Taylor, naturally of a despondent disposition, became decidedly morose. Yesterday afternoon he came to Greenfield, bought five grains of strychnine at a local drug store, saying he wanted to poison a dog. Going home last evening, he called his little boy to him about 7 o'clock and gave him a quantity of candy to eat. The child ate heartily, and no one in the family knew Taylor had loaded the candy heavily with strychnine until about half an hour after the child had eaten it. He was then seized with horrible convulsions, and died about 9 o'clock in horrible agony. Seeing that he had succeeded in his attempt to kill his child Taylor then attempted suicide by taking a heavy dose of the poison himself. He was made sick, but by vigorous exertions the physician saved his life. This morning early, while in bed, he took a jack-knife from his pocket and cut his throat from ear to ear, but before he could finish the deed he was discovered and the knife was taken away. News of the tragedy spread quickly, and at 10 o'clock Taylor was arrested for murder and removed to the county jail at Greenfield. He was arraigned for murdering his child and held for examination.

The cause of the trouble is to some extent shrouded in mystery. Taylor says he was tired of life and wished to end it and take his child with him, attributing the act to despondency and family troubles. The boy was a bright little fellow, not quite three years old, and was the only child of the family. Taylor's crime is a great surprise to the farmers in that section, who say he is the last person they would believe capable of such a crime. His wife is prostrated with grief.