Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-06
WAS GAS TRIED FIRST7
An Alleged Revelation in Tren-
tons Murder Mystery.
THE LITTLE BOY LENNIEs STORY.

Fhe Gas Was On But Uniighted in His
Mothers Room ON the Occasion OF Miss
PurcelPs First Alleged visit from the
Bupclars.
TRENTON, N. j., Jan. 6--Trenton's mys-
terious murder is in statu quo, and the
police, while taking no stock in Miss Pur-
cells burglar story, are still apparently
As much in the dark as ever From all APP
pearances, however, they are evidently
strongly Of the opinion that the pretty type
writer either chloroformed the dead woman
or bad hand in some way in her taking
of. Physicians state that If Miss Purcell
had been chlorpformed as she claimed about
4 a. M, she would not have remained under
the influence OF the drug until hate In the
morning, when she vas found apparently
unconscious by DR.. Shannon. Another
peculiar circumstance is the following: 1t /
is said that when the young woman was
found lying on the floor her night clothes
had been drawn neatly down 50 as TO cover
her completely. They were not disarranged |
as they would have been had she been seized
and chloroformed and had fallen.
Mrs. Knifan Was Jealous.
The coroner has been informed that wit
nesses will come forward TO tell Of occasions
when DR.. Kniffin had quarrels with his wife,
of remarks concerning her which he made
that now have peculiar significance and Of
her jealousy because Of his partiality for
Miss Purcell. His fondness for her and for
his pair Of fast horses were noted here. Who
the witnesses are the coroner does not yet
definitely know His jury is already se-
lected. 1t ia made up of well known busi-
ness men, having been formed with even
more than usual care.
DR.. Knifin's Defense.
The father and mother Of Dr. Knifin ar
rived here from Clinton, w. Va. The body
of airs. Kniffin is packed in ice It will be
sent to Mount Pleasant, n. j., next Tuesday
morning and buried there. That was the
home Of Myra Murphy before she became
Mrs. Knifin.
Horatio N. Barton, one Of the shrewdest
criminal lawyers here has been retained by
DIR. Kniffin in the interest Of himself and
Miss Purcell, and has advised them not to
talk.
The Little Boys Story.
What may be an important clew was dis
closed in a conversation between a reporter
and Lennie KnifIin the 1O-year-old son of
the dead woman. In speaking Of the first
alleged visit Of the burglars to the house
described by Miss Purcell to the police, the
boy said:
i,Yes, / remember it we'll Cousin lnean-
ing Miss PurcelD and l had both gone tc
bed that night. We always slept there to
gether and mamma was sleeping ia tbs
Prom room III ms same bed where she ziep
last Thursday night. Before we went K
bed Miss Purcell left one of the Window
open little bit because she said we wanted
some fresh air. / slept very soundly al
night and only on one occasion / thought
felt the bed shake little. The next morn
ing we got up all right and then later in tn,
day Miss Purcell told me about the burglar
Miss Purcelrs Burglars.
mamma and cousin had had some con
versation that morning about something
couldn't make out, and they didn't tell ms
right away because they thought 1 would b
scared. Miss Purcell then ~ I'D me that sh,
had been awakened during the night by {
burglar who had come up ladder and il
through the open window. She said tn
burglar drew a big knife and threatened Il
kill her if she said word. She was so yer,
! much scared that she did not speak, an,
then the burglar got away
I "And where were you, Lennie, all thi
timer
r Il was in bed with cousin; but / didn'
I hear word, because she told me the mex
morning that slept very sound that night.
+ Was There a Previous Attempt?
: From what Lennie told next it appear
t that on the night Miss Purcell claims t
+ have received a midnight call from burg
= lars what, in the light Of subsequent event
ooks like an attempt to kill Mrs Kniffir
was made.
The Gas Was Turned on.
mamma could not sleep we'll that night,
said the boy, 'but she heard no burglar
She got up once on account Of some terrib
strong smell, but thinking that it might CON
from the heater went to bed again ST
went to sleep again and woke very sic
shortly after. She looked all over the room
not knowing where the sitting smell can
~ from, and finally discovered the gas in h'
bedroom turned on full force, but no ligl
burning. She told me that maybe the burr
lars might have done it, but Iremember we
that she did not hear any that night
"And where was papa that eveningp
"He was away. just like last Thursda
night"
Strange, to Say the Least.
The story Of Miss Purcells midnight Wis
tors was told to the police few days late
and a short account Of it was published
the loc& papers here. The police worked {
the case for few days, but dropped it aga
for reasons best known TO themselvt
Nobody knew at the time that Miss PURGE
did not sleep alone while the burglar sto'
over her with big knife, nor has it ev
before been stated that an apparent attem
to do away with Mrs. Kniffin was made tn
night Little Lennie tells a straightforwa
story, and there can be no doubt that
speaks the truth. Take the facts as he stat
them, they are suggestive Of a variety
ossibilities-tragic, muderous possibiliti'
He shared the bed with his cousin, Miss Pr
CELL yet slept calmly all night and kns
nothing of burglars holding a conversat
and making diabolical demonstrations WI
a knife.
A Peculiar Coincidence.
m Even after the alleged marauders wit
drew Miss Purcell did not awaken him. n
did she call his mother, but, presumabl
E calmly went to sleep again. Indeed, 5
d seems to have made no mention of {
terrifying occurrence until she talked wi
Mrs. Knifin in the morning. Then {
episode Of the escaping gas in Mrs. Kniftir
room, it was fortunate that Miss Pure
should have left the window in her ro'
open, it seems not to have been her custc
to do So There is, too, coincidence in
n fact that on each of these alleged burgla
Gus intrusons, DIR. Kniffih should have be
away from home.
Alleged Sensational Evidence.
-Dr USrv;,, E;shar who xvorkad for