The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-06
TRENTON is Wild
A New Horror Added to the
Murder Mystery.
DR.. KIFFlN ATTEMPTS SUICIDE
He Gashes His Thoat and Wrist
and Swallows an ounce
Of Aconite.
DIR. KIFFlN ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.
Speciol to 7he JERSEY city Neaos.

TRENTON, N. j., Jan. 6, 1S9O.-The ex-
element in the Kniffin case was height
ened this morning by the intelligence
that DR.. Kniffin had committed suicide.
About three o'clock David Purcell, who
is staying with his sister in Dr. Kniffin's
house, was aroused by a peculiar noise
coming from DR.. Kniffin's room. Upon
going there he found the Doctor vomiting
violently and bleeding from wounds in
the wrist and throat.
He hastily summoned DR.. Shepherd,
who examined Kniffin and found that he
had taken an ounce Of aconite; cut q
deep cash in his throat and opened the
artery of his left arm. He had taken
enough aconite TO kill seven men, and to
that is due the fact that he is now alive
Had attention not been attracted to him
by the sound OF his vomiting he would
have bled to death.
DR.. Shepard sewed up his throat and
checked the flow of blood in his arm. He
is now resting easily and recovering.
DR.. Knifin said yesterday that he did
not care to 1--we after this.
AS the news flew about the city crowds
fccked to the house and the greatest, ,ex-
citement prevails throughout the city.
ALL GONE BACK ON HIM.
While binding the wounded throat DR..
Cooper, who isa close friend of the Kniffin
family, and who has been their next door
neighbor for years, asked
What is the matter, Kniffin? Why do
you want to die?''
81 think il is better So hope I will
die. and it don II succeed now-but that's
no matter. Look at the prospects before
me- What will become ofme?''
~ Nv hat do you mean? You have friends
who believe in you, = returned DR. Cooper.
No, haven't They have all gone
back on me. all gone back on me-
moaned Kniffin, despondently.
DR.. Cooper then picked up the empty
bottle from the floor and asked:-"What
was in this?"
.sAconite,'' answered his patient
This is deadly poison if just a suffi-
cient quantity is taken; but the bottle
held one ounce, and one ounce is an over
doze.
s.Was the bottle full? Did you swal-
low it all?'' asked the physician.
s'Yes, every drop of 10. | was afraid of
the knife, returned Kniffin, and to this
he probably owes his life. The overdose
of poison turned his stomach and caused
him to vomit it up again, thus purging
himself of the deadly dose, and also at
tracing the attention of the others in the
house before he bled to death.
knitfin's throat panied him SO that 1t
became difficult for him to breathe.
DIR. SHEPARD's STORY.
Dr. Shepard. who was with DR.. Cooper
in attendance on Kniffin, said:-"Mr.
Kniffin made the attempt on his life
about one O'Clock this morning, or at
least he told me SO when was attending
him. DR.. Cooper fixes the hour at about
four o'clock, but think he must be mis-
taken.
II am sure Twas summoneda little after
three O'Clock, and DR.. Cooper was there
few minutes before me- We left the
house together shortly after four o'clock,
and then Mr.. Kniffin was out of all
danger; so think it must have been very
x early when he cut his throat, although he
may have taken the aconite later, but not
later than three O'Clock.
IA more gruesome scene have seldom
witnessed than when / entered Mr.. Knit
fms chamber this morning. Blood was
everywhere-on the bed, his clothes, his
hair, his hands, his face and the carpet
ana walls.
everything was in disorder. The unfor-
tunate fellow had cut his wrist attempt
ing to sever the radial artery, and so
bleed to death. but had not succeeded,
and then, in desperation, he gashed his
throat, but even then did not succeed in
his purpose of ripping the jugular vein.
".Doctor, when did you do thisS' and
he replied:I guess about one O'Clock
this morning. used the razor and swal-
lowed an ounce Of aconite afterwards, fear
ing would not succeed the other way
10 f,r0nlnflv raplied.
'sfIhe cash in his throat found was
about four inches long, but not danger.
ously deep. The jugular was not. even
touched. l think the man lacked nerve.
"The poison was pumped entirely out
of his stomach, and have no doubt of his
recovery"
ssDo you think he really meant to kill
HIMSELF" asked the reporter, but to the
question the doctor would give no an
.'Did Miss Purcell see hims" was also
asked, and again he declined to speak.
ssWell, she was in the house, wasn't
sheS" the reporter persisted. The worthy
medico said Yes"
A STAR CHAMBER INQUEST
About sixty witnesses have been sub
poenaed to testify at the inquest Among
The witnesses will be those who will tes-
tify to fact in connection with the al
legged burglary Of November 80. The in
quest will last some days.
1t will adjourn nc the close OF the ses-
sion this afternoon until Wednesday, on
account of the funeral. Ii is believed
that Miss Purcell will be able to take the
stand, although the Coroner is not quite
sure that he will call her until after the
funeral.
The members Of the Coroner's Jury
are.- Edward b. Sterling, broker; Benja-
min Sholes, Alfred 4. Osmond, carpet
dealer; Philip Arnold, shoemaker; Charles
Fl. Walker. coal dealer; William Pierson,
superintendent; Charles y; Lawshe dry
rison, John II. Scudder, teamster; Charles
Baumgartner. dry goods merchant.
When the reporters aud correspondents
asked for admission 10 the court room
where the inquest wns 70 BE- held they
we're confronted by Deputy sheriff Shans
non, who denied them admission, giving
as HIS authority Coroner Bowers. The ro-