The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-01-12
STRONG EVIDENCE OF BURGLARY.
Special to The Sunday MornsnO Ee,os.

Special 10 The Sunday Mornino Neics.
TRENTON. Jan. IL. 1s90--Now that DR..
Kniffin and Miss Pursel have been re-
leased from prison, the public prejudice
which has been bitterly against them has
cooled down. For the first time in week
people have stopped to think. They are
asking themselves today why they have
been SO down on the suspected pair, and
whether there is really anything to jus
tfy the assumption that they committed
The murder.
Such qnestionings cannot fail to cause
reaction in favor of the accused The
case against them has been of the most
curious kind. Deliberate inventions, pre-
posterous misstatements of fact, and wild
and unwarranted differences and assump-
lions have been the principal material of
The structure of suspicion. 1t is true
there are one or two odd circumstances
which are hard to explain and which
weigh against Miss Pursel and
against her only, for there is really not
the ghost of ground for suspecting the
doctor SO far-of course 1t was from
these that the suspicion arose; but these,
standing in opposition to all rational
probability, and to a large mass OF evil
dence, are of absolutely no account with
impartial minds, and afford no kind of
excuse for the system of persecution in
which the police and press have joined.
Indeed, it is impossible to speak too
strongly in condemnation of the course
both OF the police and the newspaper
men. The former have outraged the
rights of citizens in their conduct to-
wards persons whom they were afraid to
arrest for lack of evidence. The latter,
having adopted the theory which offered
the most sensational prospects, have fol
lowed it up with an unscrapulous viru-
lence which / should be inclined to de-
nominate seoundrelism, not journalism.
They have run wild over the thinnest fic-
lions bearing against the doctor and the
girl; they have distorted the facts to suit
their theory. and they have kept public
feeling keyed up by unstinting rhetoric
Of the denuneiatory order.
In the midst of the tangle of lies and mis-
takes, contradictions and inconsistencies
which the newspapers have presented,
the public is bewildered Even the cor
respondents themselves hardly know
what is true, what Is false The case has
been wrapped up in tissue of falsehood;
how shall it be extricateds
SWORN FACT
1t is the purpose of this article to re-
store the case, so far as possible TO q basis
OF ascertained fact. Two sessions of the
Coroner's inquest have been held, and all
the most prominent witnesses have been
heard There are therefore two or three
sworn versions of all the principal facts.
In the review of the case which propose
to make, / shall use only these sworn
statements, and in their light shall ask
the candid reader how much foundation
there is for the theory that Miss Pursel
killed her cousin as the result of con-
spiracy with her cousins husband.
This is the theory of the prosecution,
and of the newspapers. and to supply a
motive they assume an Illicit amour be-
tween the pair, and proof thereof assert
that they were often seen together in the
streets. They claim that the Doctor went
tothe country to afford an opportunity for
the murder, that Miss Pursel committed it
during the night, and then waited alone
with the corpse through the long hours
of darkness until the awaking world dis
covered the crime in the morning. Then
they claim she counterfeited insensibility
and nervous prostration to conceal her
guilt.
The theory of the defence is that the
murder was ommitted-probably with
out intent-by burglars. VINO searched
the house and went away unrewarded,
in their way.
BEYOND DISPUTE.
Before taking up the evidence. let me
establish in the readers mind q few pre-
liminary facts, concerning which there is
no evidence, because there is no disagree
was about forty years old and was
successful practising dentist who
lived and had his office on the
upper floors of the house, No.
2S6 Mercer street. Trenton, the store IN
which was occupied by Alfred Raymond
Patterson, a druggist DR.. Kniffin had a
partner. DIR. Shannon. Mrs kniffln was
good-iooking, pleasant, though not an
educated woman. Of about twenty-eight.
The couple had son, eight years old.
There lived with them Miss Emma Pur
sci, cousin of Mrs. Kniffin. She was a
typewriter, girl of good family, of in
teliigence. and. down TO the discovery of
the murder. of unquestioned good char
acter. She was good looking, and natur-
ally robust, but had been in somewhat
poor health for few months back. It
was said she had oyer-studied. The
parents Of both Mr.. and Mrs. Knifiin are
Swing. DR.. Kniiin had amassed some