The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-16
HER LOYAL BROTHERS.
How the Knifin Tragedy is Viewed
at Mss PurseI's Home.

DCl vi 0LAOO 4 oA0CA OeAAAA
for a moment the slightest suspicion
that she is guilty of killing Mrs. knit
fin, her cousin and friend. In a talk
at the old homestead, near Broadway.
David Pursel, her brother, said
I'VE have no fear Of the final result.
Amy is innocent" 1.-THE Pursel fam
lily all speak of Emma as Amy
s<What we look forward to with APP
prehension is whether the poor girl
will be able TO stand it and whether 1t
will prove fatal to our aged mother.
ut seems a shame" he continued,
that by reason of the unfortunate
accident of her being the only person
present the accusation should be laid
at her feet. This, too, when her life
has always from childhood up, been
pure, virtuous and upright. You may
hunt Warren county over without
finding q single person who believes
her to be guilty of the charge brought
against her. They all declare her in
nocent.
ssThere," he said, pointing to a
arge bundle on the table, ''are letters
and kilograms not only from this Vi
entity, but FROM different parts OF the
country, written by relatives n
friends, expressing belief in her limo
enc Many of these ask the priyl-
lege to send on money to defray the
expenses of the trial, but we will not
allow it.
I'VE will sell out our farms and use
every cent we have in the world, if
necessary, in order to prove her inno-
cence.fa
s.Yes.n. interrupted his younger
brother, with a sudden outburst OF
feeling, ssif we have to use the pick
and shovel on yonder railroad to do
it.'
what is your theory of the muir
derf' ~
ssThat of burglary" was the answer
ofDavid.
NHave you any evidence to sub
stantiate such a belieffn
I'VE have. We have conclusive
evidence, of t."
Then in answer to a question Mr..
Pursel said:-Yes, we have de-
tectives working up the case.
nfyfaet they have been at work
ever since the day following the MUIR
DER The only unfortunate thing
aboutit is that the roo of the house
in which the affair occurred was inn
mediately SOU AIRED up.
NssWhat facts have your"
1--WE have traced them into the
house. We have found that the shut
ters over the refrigerator have been
forced open, and the entrance to have
been effected by that way. In the
house we have traced them to the
second floor. In the sitting room the
seat OF a chair has been broken in by
an attempt to light the gas. This
-. Al 81 4IN r1,nr. xya hAnXTxy flh0
imprint made in the seat is found to
tally with footprints elsewhere. All
the other evidence is minor details en-
tirely i'll the knowledge of the de-
tectives.n
Have you suspicion of any p%articu-
lar men2''
Eyes, we have found that a negro
and we have strong evidence as to who
he is-was watching the outside of the
house while the burglars were at work.
We think that we have the robbers.
At any rate the evidence is very strong
against them We have them spotted
and their movements watched closely
every hour. A very interesting feat
ure about it is that they are not pro-
fessional crooks. They are not well
known in any way.
In an opinion as to the aus of the
death of Mrs. Kniffin Mr.. Pursel said:
Il am as inclined to believe that she
was as much frightened to death al to
say it was due to the effects of chloro-
form. "A bold attack in the middle of
the night with no protection will give
enough fright to cause death to any
one subject to heart failure. How do
we know then that the effects of
chloroform did it? 1t is only conject-
ure at best"
Suppose on Monday last, contin-
ued David Pursel, DIR. Kniffin had
succeeded in killing himself. Take
that superstition. ] was the only one
present in the house at the time. Do
YOU know where | would be today?
Lodged i'll q prison cell. | would inn
medlately have been charged with the
murder of my cousin, who, they would
allege. knew that my sister was guilty.
They would say the relations between
Amy'and him had been improper, and
in a fit of jealousy Amy killed her
cousin.
Now the charge against me would
be based upon an attempt to cut off
all evidence against my sister. L,
therefore, did 1t to a " her. What a
lucky escape! When / entered his
room that night and saw blood gush-
Ing lIOlA ilo tAliOett1 thlc lCIIlpIS
thought came to me. l Immediately
called everybody and the doctor was
saved. 1t seemed to me that it was
the work of Providence to show the
Innocence Of my sister. Hers was a
similar case, only unfortunately Mrs.
Kniffin did not survive to tell it.
s'ln answer to the charge that the
robbers could not getin the bedroom
with the bedstcad against the door
before a alarm could be given, | will
say that / have sufficiently proven
this to two members OF the Coroner's
Jury. The bedstead has been placed
against the door, and /, by myself,
have opened it in a flash. The weight
ON the door throws the bedstead in
the position it was found on the morn
ing of the murder.
1.-THE fact that Mrs. Knifin was
found in bed with clothes disar-
ranged, and Amy on the floor of the
next room with the night gown
smoothed down, is easily explainable.
Mrs. Kniffin, in a struggle, falls back
dead from heart failure. She is left
as she was. Now, after they had
drugged Amy, it is not likely they
would let her drop on the floor. No;
they would place her down. You stand
mp with a long gown on and allow
some one to place you carefully on
fha floor. and YOU will not find the