Litchfield enquirer., 1831-12-08

Here it was discovered that the entire story was fictitious. and had been framed with the object of seducing the female from her resi- dence, for what purpose 1t is impossible to say. We have at the request of the gentle man referred to, made this statement, in or der that others may not be ensnared by the wiles of viIlainy.-Phh. Enq.
 Murder.-It is not long since the public pa- pers announced, that female had been ap- prehended at Brennan on charge of having committed murders of unparalleled atrocity. The slow progress made in criminal proceed ings there, as is common through all Gsrma- ny, has prevented her being brought to trial and sentenced until lately. Our last papers from Europe contain the following account of the proceedings in the case of the woman:
 Marguerite Timm received tolerably good education, her father, a tailor al Brennan, liv- ed in easy circumstances. In 1903, at the ago of 20 years, she married one Mettemberg, a sa addler, who also possessed some property. Seven children were the fruits of this mar riagp, three of them survived their father, at whose decease the widow found herself in possession of an ample fortune. In 1915, in the space of few months after the decease Of her husband, death also carried of her mother and her three remaining children The following year her only brother also di- ed, on his return hSme after long absence and when the property of her father was a bout to be divided.
 In 1917 the widow entered into second marriage, with Mir. Gottfried, with whom sine. ny her own confession, had carried on an illicit intercourse during the life of her first husband. Some days after the marriage, Gottfried died suddenly. Six years elapsed, and she was on the point of marrying a MT. Zimmerman, when he was attacked by se- were illness and died. In 1926, the widow Gottfried sold her house to a Mir. Rumpf, cartwright, retaining, however, one apartment in it for her own use. Some months expired, and the wife of Rumpf died in childbed, when the widow Gottfried took charge of the household of Rumpf He was attacked from time to time with violent vomitings. On the 9th March, 1928, he perceived that piece of bacon which had been cooked by the widow Gottfried, was covered with some strange substance. He caused it to be exam ined by his physician, who immediately de- cIared that there was large quantity of ar- senic on if. On information given by the physician, the widow GottCried was appre- hended.
 The police then received considerable in- formation from different persons in relation to
 
 on the trial, and she confessed, that she had given arsneic to number of persons, fifteen of whom died in consequence, and seventeen others survived. On the trial, circumstances came out which justified a belief that she had given poison to other individuals. to whom it had not been fatal. In consequence of the number of murders proved against her, it was however thought unnecessary tO go into an investigation ofthese cases.
 The woman confessed that she was induc- I'd by motives of interest to commit some of these murders, hut as to others, she could on ly attribute her conduct to an irresistible de- sire to give poison and to see her victims per. ish. The counsel, in her defence, endeavor- ed to avail himself 0f this latter declaration to show that she was laboring under monoman- a, and in consequence, that there was no criminal intention. Medical men who were 1 on this point declared that they ] could discover in her no physical cause which could give rise to such monomania, and this tefence in consequence, did not succsed.- The following is the judgment given by the court of Bremen on the a17th Sep ernber, 1880.
 In the trial held on Marguerite Timm, wid- 'w ofthe late Michael Christopher Gottfried, accused of poisoning and of other crimes, the 1 Court declares the widow Gottfried, (who ! las besides committed sundry thefts, acts of 1 winding and perjury, as well as attempted | 0 cause abOrtion,) convicted and guilty
 lst. Of having assassnated, by means of ,oisOn, her father and mother, her three chil- iren, her first and second husband, her broth .r, her betrothed Paul Thomas Zimmerman. Mrs. Anne Louisia Meyerholz. Mrs. John M Mosees, the wife of the cartwright, John ] Christopher Rumpf the wife of the cooper, 1 Frederic Schmidt. and lastly, the wife of locksmith. Frederick Kleme, at Hanover, as also of having besides ca,rsed the death by 1 poison of Miss Eliza Schmidt. daughter of the said Frederick Schmidt, which last act however was not premedltated.
 2d. Of having administered poison to the l said John Christopher Rumpf. at divers times, l with the intention of killing him, after having ! by the same means destroyed his health. . !
 Sd. or having administered poison to great number of other individuals, with pre- meditation. hut without intention to kill them, though 1t proved extremely pernicious to the health of those individuals.
 In consequence, and cOnformably to the 1SOth article of the criminal code, the Court condemns the Widow Gottfried for the crimes she has committed; and as a useful warning to those who might be tempted to initiate her. to have her head cut off with the sword. and that tho expenses of trial. judgment and exc cution shall be defrayed from the propertv of the condemned person."
 The execution ofthe Widow Gottfr;ed tooG place on the 9lst April, 1881, on the Caths- dral square, at Bremen. The Protestan,' clergyman who had attended her during her | n NM nf nn1a, kol L..