Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-11-30
From the Ne,o York Courier f. Enquirer.

From the Netc York Courier & Enquirer
MunDEn.-It is now long since the public pa.
pers announced. that a female had been aPpre.
hende,l at Bremen on charge OF having commit
ted murders Of unparalleled atrocity. The slow
progress made in criminal proceedings there, as
is common through all Germany, has prevented
her being brought to trial and sentenced until late
". Our last papers from Europe contain the fol.
lowing account Of the proceedings IN the case VI
this woman:
Marguerite Timm received tolerably good
education, her father, tailor at Bremen, lived
in easy circumstances. In 1908, at the age Of
90 years, she married one Mettemberg, satller,
who always possessed some property. Seven
children were the fruit of this marriage, 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 car
ried off her mother and her three remaining chill
dren. The following year her only brother also
died, on his return home after long absence and
when the property Of the father was about to be
divided.
In 1917 the widow entered into second mar
rage, with Mr.. Gottfried, with whom she, by
her own confession, had carried on an illicit in
tercourse during the life Of her first husband.-
Some days after the marriage, GOttfried died sud
denly. Six years elapsed, & she was on the point OF
marrying Mr.. Zimmerman,w when he was attacked
BY severe illness and died In 1926. the widow
sold her house to Mr.. Rumpf, a cartwright,
retaining. however, one apartment IN 1t Tor her
own use. Snme months expired, and the wife
of Rumpf died in chiIdbe6, when the widow
Gotfripd took charge Of the househould of RumPf.
He was attacked from time to time with violent
Al. ho
ed that a piece of bacon which had been cooked
by the widow Gottfrled, was covered with some
strange substance. He caused it 10 be examined
by his physician. who Immediately declared that
there was large quantity Of arsenic on it. On
information gwen by the physician, the widow
Gottfrisd was apprehended.
The police then received considerable nforma-
ton from different persons in relation to the con.
duct of this woman. 1t was proved on the trial,
and she confessed that she had given arsenic to a
number Of persons, fifteen Of whom died in con-
sequence, and seventeen others survived. On the
trial, circumstances came out which justified a
belief that she bad given poison to other iadivi.
duaIs, to whom it had not been fatal. In conse-
quence Of the number Of murders proved against
her, it was however thought unnecessary to 90
into an investigation Of these cases.
The woman confessed that she was induced BY
motives of interest to commit some Of these MUIR
ders, but as to others, she could only attribute
her conduct to an Irresistible desire TO give poi
son and TO see her victims perish The counsel,
| in her defence, endeavored to avail himself Of
this latter declaration show that she was lacor-
| ing under monomania. and in consequence, that
| there was no criminal intention. Medical men
who were examined ON this point declared that
they could discover in her no physical cause which
could give rise to such monomania. and this de-
fence in consequence did not succeed The fol-
lowing is the judgment given by the criminal
court Of Bremen on the 18th September, 1880.
In the trial held ON Marguerite Timm, widow
of the late Michael Christopher Gattfried. accus-
ed of poisoning and Of other crlmes the Court de.
clares the widow Gottfrsed. (who has besides
committed sundry thefts, acts Of swindlins and
perjury, as we'll al attempted to cause abortion,
convicted and guilty
LIST. OF having assassinatcd. by means of poi
son, her father and mother, her three children,
her first and SECOND husband, her brother, her be.
trothed Paul Thomas Zimmerman, Mrs. Anne
Louisa MeyerhoiZ, Mrs. John Noses, the wife
Of the cartright, JOHN Christopher Rulnpf, whe
vile of the cooper. Frederic Schmidt and lastly,
the wife of the ockssnith, Frederick Kleine, at
Hanover. as also of having besides caused the
death by poison Of Miss Eliza Schmidt, daughter
y Il
Of the said Frederick Schmidt, which last act was
not premeditated.
I'd. Of having administered poison to the said
John Christopher R,tnpf. at divers times, with
the intention ofkillbg him, after having BY the
same means DESTROYED his health.
Sd. OF having al hinistered poison to a great
number of other individuals. with premeditation,
but without intenth to kill them, though it prov
ed extremely perntious to the health Of those in.
dividuals.
In consequence, and conformabIy to the 1soth
article of the crim1al code, the Court condemns
the Willow Gutifred for the crimes she has CON-
United; and as ,sefef warning to those WHO
might be tempted % initiate her, to have her head
cut of with the svtrd. and that the expenses of
trial, judgment a1 execution, shall be betrayed
from the propertyif the condemned person.
The executions the Widow Gottfned took
place on the s1st tpri, 1881, on the Cathedral