Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-04
A NEW Jersey MYSTERY.
The Strange Murder of a Tren-
ton Dentists Wife.
WAS SHE KILLED BY BURGLARS

Suspicious Circumstances Surround the
violent Death OF Mrs Arthur 5. Knif-
fen-she Was Found chloroformed in |
Bed-Miss Purceil's story.
TRENTON, Jan. 4.-Mrs KnifIin, wife Of
DIR. Arthur s. Kniffin, a prominent dentist
Of this city, was found dead in bed yester-
day at her home, No 206 South Broad
street. She and her cousin, Miss Purcell,
had been chloroformed, presumably by
burglars Miss Purcell is employed as a
typewriter in rubber factory, and has
boarded with Mrs Knifin for some time
past.
The Police Were InoreduTgas.
DR.. Knifin was not at home. He was In
Warren county on business His wife, their
l0-year-old son and Miss Purcell slept In the
apartments over the dental rooms, which
are upon the second floor. When the report
that burglary, and perhaps a worse crime,
had been perpetrated at DIR. Kniffin's resi-
dence came to the ears OF the police, they
were inclined TO make light Of it, because
Miss Purcell had recently started a sensa-
tionnl story about an attempted burglary
which proved 70 have no basis except in her
imagination.
The Scene of the Murder.
When the police visited DIR. Knifiin's
house everything on the second floor was
found TO be in confusion. Some Of the fur
niture in the operating room was upset and
instruments were scattered over the floor.
i a /. led. aHa
chamber upstairs DIR. Shannon, partner
of Dr. Knifiin, and Dr. Shepard, the physi-
clan summoned TO resuscitate Miss Purcell,
who was unconscious, were present during
the examination Of the promises
Discovery of the Crime.
DR. Shannon says that during DIR. Knif-
fins absence he carries the keys TO the
office. He entered the dental rooms at
about o'clock a. m. and was surprised TO
find that the drawers of the cabinets IN the
operating room had been drawn out and
their contents scattered. Suspecting some
thing wrong, he hurried upstairs to get, II
possible, an explanation from Mrs. Kniflin.
He had to pass the door Of Miss Purcell's
room; as he did SO he saw Miss Purcell, ap-
parently unconscious lying on the floor in
her nightdress.
After vain attempt to arouse Miss Pur-
cell he glanced through an open door into
Mrs. Knifiin's bedroom. His partners wife
ley dead IN bed, with her features somewhat
distorted.
Miss Purcells Story.
Dr. Shepard succeeded in restoring Mss
Purcell to Consciousness. She was nervous
and hysterical but managed % tell con
| nected story to Chief McChesney.
Mrs Knifin and / = said she, "went u
bed between and 10 o'clock Mrs Knifii
was restless, and said that she could no
sleep. fell asleep while talking with her
Some time eaftsrward-how long cannot sa,
Il was startled by her screams for assist
ance jumped from my bed and tried t
raise window in order TO call for help Be
fore / reached the window was seized by
man who placed wet handkerchief owe
| my face i felt as II / were sulfocating. an,
then lost consciousness
A Hard Fight for Life.
Coroner Bower made careful exsmina
5 tion Of the room where Mrs. Kniffinis bod,
Z lay The bedclothes were piled in con
! fused heap and there was every sign tina
] the victim had made hard fight for life
! Her face was drawn with pain and the righ
c arm was thrown across the forehead Bot
/ hands were firmly clenched. A strong smel
4 Of chloroform pervaded the room, and a via
Z which had contained some of the anmstheti
lay empty upon the floor. Chief McChesne
was puzzled by the fact that there seemed Z
be no way by which the perpetrators Of th
? deed could have left the house. DIR. Shanno
, was positive that the front door was locke
0 when he entered Augustus A. Reid stated
! however, that he entered the house immed
o ately after DR. Shannon and that he foun
i a hack door unlocked
The Police Puzzled.
The police are as yet unprepared TO offe
! any solution to the mystery The Knihi
family is not so wealthy as to attract burs
> lars, and the most valuable things which Ii
house contained were left untouched. Th
10-year-old boy slept peacefully through Il
night
II Is commonly reported that the relation
4 Of Dr. Knifin and his wife have beenstra
! ! and that a skeleton has existed in the hous
y hold for some time.
4 Nothing Was Stolen.
4 One OF the officials said that the person
i person who used the chloroform were fami
) lar with the drug, and that it was probabl
\ taken from DR.. Kniffins dental rooms 4
far as is known nothing Of value is missir
from the premises, and this leads many
discredit the story that burglars entered Il
e house.
q DIR. Kninln Sees the Body.
n When DR.. Kniffin arrived in Trenton,
l. $50 last night he was met at the depot
le three detectives, who escorted him to poll,
Ie Headquarters, where he was taken into Chi
!, McChesney's private room. There Dr. Kniff
4 was kept for some time and closely que
d toned by the chief Of police. He denied
report that his family relations were n
pleasant, and that he has been attentive
Miss Purcell.
He Met Miss Purcell Thursday.
z The police afterwards professed theI
y selves satisfied with his statement, whi,
y embraced the narrative OF his journeyin
Z Z since he left Trenton Thursday. He a
= mitted that he had met Miss Purcell
Z Phillipsburg, but said be had only fe
~ moments conversation with her, they mes
" ing on the depot platform, where she W
taking a train for Trenton. while be W
bound further up the road to view farI
IL is understood that the farm adjoins oi
y on which Miss Purcells parents live. 81
=, says she was visiting them Thursday.
The doctor burst into tears when he sa
y the dead body of his wife The police are
g charge of the house, and are continuing d
= investigation Of the case. This move ON Il
part of the police increased the excitemel
and started the rumor that DIR. Knifin VI
suspected of knowing something about b
g wife's death. The report was also circulat'
V that the police did not take any stock in Mi
IN Purcelrs story that burglars had killed Mr
a. Kniffin, and that the police suspected u