The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1831-12-13
From the Morning Courier.l

y
papers announced, that . female had been
spprehended . at Bremen on . charge Of hav-
ing committed murders Of unparalleled afro.
city. The slow progress made in criminal
there, ss is common through all
has prevented her being brought
to trial and sentenced until lately. Our last
papers from Europe contain the following |
account the proceedings in the case Of this
woman:
Marguerite Timm received q tolerably
good education, her father, tailor, at Bre.
men, lived in easy circumstances. In 1905,
at the age of20 years, she married one Met
temberg. q ssddler. who also possessed some
property. Seven children we're 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 decesse of her husband, death also car
children. The following year her only broth
er also died, on his return home sfter long
absence and when the property Of the father
was about to be divided.
In 1917 the widow entered into second
marriage, with Mr.. Gottfried, with whom
she, by her own confession, had carried on
an Illicit intercourse during the life Of her
first husband. Some days after the marriage
Got,fred died suddenly. Six years elapsed,
and she was on the point Of marrying Mr..
Zimmerman, wheL he was attacked by . se.
we're illness and died. In 1926, the widow
Gottfried sold her house to q Mr.. Rumpf,
| cartwright, retaining, however, one apart
ment in il for her own use. Some months
expired, and the wife Of Rumpf died in child
l. l. l.. n sol oh
of the household of Rumpf. He was attack.
ed from time to time with violent vomiting.
On the 9th March, 1928, he perceived that q
piece of bacon which had been cooked by the
widow Gottffied, was covered with some
strange substance. He caused il to be ex
amined by his physician, who Immediately
declared that there was q large quantity Of
arsenic on il. On information given by the
physician, the widow Gottfried was spprs.
hended.
The police then received considerable in.
formation from different persons in relation
to the conduct ofthis woman. 1t was proved
on the trial, and she confessed, that she had
given arsenic to q number Of persons. fifteen
Of whom died in consequence, and seventeen
others survived. On the trial, circumstan noes
came out which justified beliefthat she had
given poison to other individuals, to whom it
! had not been fatal. In consequence of the
| number of murders proved against her, 1t was
however thought unnecessary to 60 into an
investigation Of these cases.
The woman confessed that she was nduc-
ed by motives Of interest TO commit some Of
| these murders, but IA to others, she could
| only attribute her conduct to an irresistible
deslie to give poison and TO see her victims
r,oh IN hav hafo
deavored to avail himself Of this latter declars.
ton to show that she wss lsboring under
monomania, and in consequen nee, Tint 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 mono
| ma mia, and this defence In consequence DID
not succeed. The following is the judgment
given by the criminal court Of Bremen on the
l7th September, 1880:
In the trial held on Marguerite Timm,
widow Of the late Michael Christopher Gott
| fried, accused Of poisoning and Of other
! crimes, the Court declares the widow Gott-
fried, (who has besides committed sundry
thefts. acts Of swindling and perjury, ss well
as attempted to cause sbOrtion) convicted
and guilty
1st. OF having sssassinsted, by means Of
poison, her father and mother, her three chill
dren, her first and second husband, her broth
er, her betroihed Paul Thomas Zimmerman,
Mrs. Anne Louisa Meyerholz Mrs. John
Mosees, the wife Of the cartwright, John
Christopher Rumpf the wife Of the cooper,
Frederick Schmidt. and lastly. the wife ofthe
locksmith. Frederick Kleine, at Hanover, as
also Of having besides caused the death BY
poison Of Miss Eliza Schmidt, daughter ofthe
said Frederick Schmidt, which last act how
ever was not premedltsted.
I'd. OF having administered poison to the
said John Christopher Rumpf at divers times.
with the intention Of killing him, after having
by the same means destroyed his health.
81. OF having administered poison to
great number Of other individuals, with pre-
meditation, but without intention to kill them.
though it proved extremely perncious to the
health Of those individuals.
In consequence, and conformsbly to the
l30th article Of the criminal code, the Court
condemns the Widow Go,tfried for the crimes
she has committed; and as q useful warning
TO those who might be tempted to initiate her.
10 have her head cut OF with the sword, and
tina, the expenses Of trial, judgment and exc
cution shall be betrayed by the property Of
the condemned person."
The execution of the Widow Gottfried
took place on the 2ist Of April, 1881, on the
Cathedral square at Bremen. The Protes.
tan, clergyman who attended her during her
imprisonment, only Quilted her at the last
moment. Her hair was cut Of, and she was
then clad in a white under dress, decorated
with black ribbons, q white cap with the
same colored ribbons, was placed on her
head. She showed the utmost resignation,
and entered the fatal cart, which passed
through number Of streets, with the great.
est coolncss but when she reached the foot
Of the scsGold. she had hardly strength to
descend from the cart.