New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-21
THE KNIFFIN INQUEST.
NO POISON FOUND IN THE BODY OF THE
MURDERED WOMAN
FRIENDS OF MISS PURCELL WHO BELIEVE THE
ACCOUNT OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THAT MRS. KNIFFIN WAS KILLED
WITH CHLOROFORM.
JBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. :


Trenton, n j. Jan. oO-It was expected that
he coroners jury in the KnifIn muvder case would
finish its work today. but another Adjournment 'ooN
place until next Monday. There is much complaining
at the slow methods of the jury. but slch lue> III
New-Jersey placid institutions and aloee'heI III
different touching public opinion cOhcerh'ns '0
The first witness this morning was Arthur Loi",''
Knifin brichteyed manly boy of seven, son Oh inc
murdered woman. His relatives ana pay mates Vii
him "Lennie7 He questioned CohocI"i"E "'
irst reported robbery at his fathers mousse D' Nc"
nothing further than that he felt his bed sa"s once
that night and that Miss Purcell toiu MN "eA' ~
ing that burglars had been in the ROOM
Miss Hattie O'Hara. a typewriter employeu at inc
Emnire Rubber Company's works, where MISS Iutceh
ortod testified that the latter told her the de'aiS
Of the first burglary H. ,s ,uor
enid Won not tell her at That tine, saio 'ur'r'
q that she had the nightmare 2"
mContainIv not replied Miss O'Hara as If greatly
astonishcd at the question
c, au,ittod that she had seen DR.. Kniftn accom-
rv Miss Purcell several times far as the rubber
comnanv,s Office She had never heard any OF the
reone about the Office crticise their actions ana She
,rcbt nothing unusual Of Them as they were cousins
I'D Dr Knihin always acted like gentleman. she
had spoken to her associate, Mrs smith, concerning
The matter but could not remember what she answered
oIs il usual for ladies to make no reply to such re-
norris as that?" asked Juror PierSon.
II was no report, sir. and only mentioned 1t on
one occasion"
Tho witness had never heard that Dr. and Mrs.
Xnifin lived unhappy, and had met Dr. shannon only
orce on that occasion he was calling with MS vile al
the Knffn house.
Doctor William d. Struble, who took part IN inc
antopsy testified that the scratches on Mrs. knhh
face were causedsi his opinion by Mrs hnlnh hef-
set in her efforts to throw back the chloTofornl-
soaked towel from her mouth.
can YOU positively say that Mrs. Kniffn died from
the effect of choroform ~
NO il is only an opinion formed by the general
appearance of the body
Gould anything else have caused the paralysis Vi
NE hearth ,oro
,rodnced IT also shock or fright. From the lndica
lions Of the wndppe some irritating volatile matter
had been used
Can a person be chloroformed while asleepl'
"That is a debatable question. thlnk Mrs
Kniffn must have been instantly awakened by the
irritation on her throat struggle ehSueu' ouV was
feeble against the chloroform7
Mrs. Nellie f. smith, another typewriter at the
rrnire Rnbber Works. testified that she beicVeu uc
November burglary story, as told her by MISS r"I'oi
Professor Henry B. Cornwall, of Princeton College
testified that he had analyzed the stomach Vi "'o
dead woman with view To the po''Ioe u ~
of poison, but thorough examination laileu ~ '''
David Purcell being recalled. testified that ne Is a
no reason to believe that DR.. shannon ooih.eu ' ~;
murder II the latter INSTRUCTED the authorizes J..
their investigation. IL simply because he thought
he was doing right. lie l. OF quick nervous us
nostOn and is always short in his answers
The overSeer Of the poor James kersey, VINO podIuN
where DR. shannon does. that the doctor Wa
AT home at II 80 o'clock on the night of the murder
samuel johnson, colOred, testified tlat he W'S hIn
TO clean the clubhouse DR.. Kninin's premises. ne
found n it twenty two bottles. handAcrcnS anu
towel six of the bottles were without coIkS.
A four-Ounce bottle that was found WITHOUT d
cork was shown 10 Druggist Patterson ana ne Sad
mat il looked like bottle that he rehlled WIN phos
phateS for Miss Purcell last summer II had never
contained Chloroform 10 his knowledge. lie iad
never filed bottle of that size with choroiorm
except for physicians. ,,. ;.,o,,.
Would YOU not sell that much choroiorm WITHOUT
hNo, Sir. / would not sell enough to kill any
body except to a doctor.
- DO not some druggists do so?7
d" They NAV. ] worked for druggist once, VINO
rehuted NE for refusing to sell certain quantity oI
morphine 10 a man who had no prescription. -,
called the man back and gave him the poiNOl. Inc
next morning showed the druggist newspaper con
flaming an account Of the mans death. That shows
how some druggists do it,. This one was Qla al1
and wanted the money for the morphine. l-auGWfr.
Mr. Patterson was shown the towel found III me
outhouse II was blood stained. The witness Saiu
that he had been informed by Roscoe MIriN tla'
Dr shannon threw the towel into the vauls, aitci
using il on DR. Knn's wounds the night Knhin tired
10 commit suicide.