St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-04
MURDERED BY whom;
The Body Of Mrs. Arthur Knif-
fin Found Dead in Her
Home at Trenton.
Miss Purcell. a Pretty Type
writer, Chloroformed and
Left Unconscious.
The Crime Evidently Com
mitted by Men in Search
Of Plumber.
Defaulter Burke Can't Return
to New Orleans Because
He's Busy Elsewhere.

TRENTON, n. j., Jan. 9.-Arthur S.
Kniffin, one of the best known and most
popular dentists in town, left his home
on Broad street yesterday morning to
make business trip up in Warren
county. The fact that his wife and Miss
Emma Purcell were to remain alone did
not trouble him. for such trips were
not infrequent. Besides, the dental
rooms were IN the same house. and his
business partner, DR.. Shannon, gener-
ally remained III the Office until late
hour. Miss Purcell is young woman
OF twenty-five. She is a Typewriter,
employed at the Empire pottery, and
has lived with the Knffins several
years. She is cousin of Mrs.
Kniftin. Dr.. Kniffin's little son
had gone to the house of his
grandmother. Mrs. Rastein Murphy, in
Cooper street, and it is said that he was
kept there over night, owing to the fact
that he was frightened at home in the
latter part OF November, when burglars,
during the absence Of DR.. Kniffin,
entered the house and created
some excitement. DR.. Kniffin's Office
IS over Albert W. Peterson's drug
store, at No. 2O6 South Broad street, and
his living apartments are in the same
building. South Broad street is main
thoroughfare, bright with electric lights,
lined with stores, shops and Offices. and
regularly patrOlled by the police. When
DR.. Shannon left last night he
LOCKED THE OFFICE.
door after bidding both women a CHEEKY
good night. Then he went to his
boarding house, less than block away.
There was murder in the pleasantly
furnished rooms over the office after he
left, not Intentional or deliberate
murder. but murder as the result
Of a crime. 1t was nearly 9
o'clock this morning when Dr.. Shannon
left the house where he lives for the
dental rooms. The street door was
locked just as he had left it. and moth
ing in the outside appearance of the
house indicated that anything was
wrong. The building is a three-story
one, and the operating rooms and labor
atories are on the second floor. When
he entered he found the place in
state Of the widest confusion. Draw
ers in the table and desks had been
pulled out, and their contents strewn
over the floor. Tools and instruments
were scattered about on the floor. With
feeling of terror at not knowing what
he was to encounter next, the doctor
made his way hurriedly, yet with faint
heart. to the apartments above. which
were occupied as nome by his BUSH
ness partner. wife and typewriter. The
first door he came to was partly open,
and through the aperture he saw a
portion of white night robe, and, Just
peeping out from under the hem, the
small bare foot of a woman. With a
trembling hand he pushed the door open
Just little and stepped across the
threshold. The PROSTATE figure was
that of Miss Purcell. 1t lay just as she
had apparently fallen, with
ONE BARE ARM
stretched out above her head. Reaching
down, he tuok hold of her hand; it was
warm, and he felt relieved. Then he
shook her. but she failed to show any
evidences of life. The apartment was
just in such state of confusion as he
had found the Office. Articles of wear
ing apparel were strewn over the
floor, and the drawer of a small
desk was laid upon a center table. In
the bed room, lying upon q bed, the
doctor found Mrs. Kniffin. She was
dead. Her features were fearfully
distorted, and her cllnched right hand
held in its grasp of death the lace at the
neck of her dainty night robe. The ap-
pearance Of the body indicated
that death had won her in the bat
tie for life after most desper-
ate struggle. Mechanically ne placed
his hand upon the forehead of the dead.
1t was as cold as though life had never
existed, nor warm blood coursed in th e
veins meath the delicate skin. In every.
room the disorder was the same. Trunks
had been opened and bureau drawers
forced. The contents of these recepta-
cles were found lying about VIII ere thew
had been thrown by hurried hands.
Clear enough, it was case where
thieves had broken in to steal and had
left death in the path. In the same
row of houses on Broad street DR.. Shep-
herd has an office, and he was hurriediv
called in to attend to Miss Purcell, who
was still unconscious. For over
an hour the two worked over
the form of the pretty type-
writer, and then she opened her ewes,
and was herself again At first she
rambled i'll her speeches, and muttered
lDcoherently, but the continued appff.
cation of the restoratives brought her
around until she was rational. Chief
Of Police McCheSney was Informed by
messenger of the
DOUBLE CRIME,
and he came in a carriage. When he
was ushered into the sitting room of tie
kniffinS he found Miss Purcell bolstertd
up in big arm chair, looking pale. Te
him she told the story Of the night, so
far as she knew it.
- 1t was quite late when Mrs. Kniffin
and myself RETIRED" she began. I've
lay talking and laughing in bed, and
Mrs. Knit1fn- remarked that she was no
more sleepy than an owl. We con-
tinued talking until dropped to sleep.
! was awakened later by hearing Mrs.
kniffin scream that burglars were fore
ing III the door. / jumped out of bed
and rushed into the next room. and att
tempted to raise the front window, while
/ screamed murder" Then | was
seized from behind and thrown to the
floor. and wet cloth was pressed "a
my face. That was the last / kneg
until found myself in bed in the next
room and the doctor beside me this
morning."
The statement was taken down, and
Ghlet McChesney made an examination
OF the apartments. One thing struck
hi o,e, Il