Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-05

A terrible suspicion now rests on pretty
Miss Purcell, of Trenton, N. j. It is
thought she murdered her cousin, the
wife of DIR. KnifiD. A story is now current
that she was not unconscious when found
with the dead woman. The whole affair ID
yet mystery, and the police are poWerIess.
TRENTON, N. j., January 4.-The bold
burglars who, Miss Emma Purcell says, in
Yaded the home of Dentist Arthur S.Knifin
during his absence yesterday, ehloroiorm-
ing and killing Mrs. Myra Knifin. and
giving Miss Purcell only enough Of the
narcotic to render her unconscious.
have not been captured. The police
don't believe the murder was committed by
burglars. or that any burglars entered the
house. Miss Emma Purcell, the pretty young
typewriter, is practically prisoner in the
apartments of DIR. Knifin. She has not been
told she Is prisoner, nor has she been for
mally put under arrest, but the con-
slant presence of the officials means the
same thing.
One or two of the highest officials in town
look upon the mystery as solved, although
they may find it very different matter
when it comes 10 proving anything. Miss
Purcell tells good, straight story, and
sticks to it in every particular. On the
subject of her arrest, Chief MeChesney was
non-committal He will not allow any one
to visit the house. nor will he permit Miss
Purcell to be interviewed.
MISS PURCELL HAS MYSTERIES.
With the prosecutor of Pleas, Mr.. Bayard,
Stockton, it was different. He said the
burglar theory had been dropped altogether.
Miss Purcell told him the straightest kind
of a story, but it looked as If she knew
more than she wanted to tell He was
waiting for clew that might settle every
thing.
Shortly after II O'Clock Miss Purcell was
informed by member of the family of the
grave suspicious which rested upon her.
She began shrieking and crying and went
off into Mysteries. She raved wildly for q
while, but calmed down alter an opiate.
had been given Der by DR.. Shepard, who
was in attendance. SIT cannot be. she
said, that anyone could think ! did id such
thing. oh, no, it cannot be" Then she
became hysterieal again. 1t was exceed
ingly unfortunate to have the subject
brought up, after the cross-examining the
woman has been subjected to.
The police seem to be overcome by the
fact that terrible crime has been committed,
and are as helpless a lot as is possible for
M en- clothed with authority to be.
THE CHIEF GOING AWAY.
They know nothing positively, and Chief
Charles II. McChesney talks calmly Of
taking a much needed trip to Harrisburg.
which he is sorry he ''put off so long" Il
guess 1 will go tomorrow" he said. st
ought to have gone yesterday"
That is fair sample of the interest he
takes in this case.
The situation. as far as the crime itself ID
concerned, is almost the same as when DR..
Shannon first made the discovery. It has
leaked out through physician thar Miss
Purcell, the pretty typewriter, was not un-
eoncious when she was found. She was
almost in the full possession of her senses,
and it required very little doctoring to
restore her to a taikative mood.
There Is considerable gossip, a hundred
wild rumors floating about, and the towns
people, who are talking the most, are direct
ing their suspicious toward Miss Purcell.
The body of the dead woman lies in an ice
box in the operating room, and Miss PurcelR
is in one of the apartments upstairs.
A POSSIBLE MOTIVE FOR MURDER.
As the case now stands there can be only
one conclusion, and that is that Mrs. KnifA
fms death was caused by powerful
anasthetie administered in a heavy dose,
and not by strangulation- Nothing further
can be truthfully said. Miss Purcell is
under suspicion, and she will have hard
time to prove she is innocent, as she claims.
But the motive is lacking. except it
is found in the rumor that there
existed between Miss Purcell and her
cousins husband, DR.. Knifin, a relationship.
which was at least unlawful. The death OF
Mrs. Knifin would release the husband.
Under the pillow on the bed in which the
woman slept was loaded revolver, placed
there by the murdered woman to use in just
such an emergency as Miss Purcell claims
arose. 1t was found undisturbed when tha
body was moved.
THE HOUSE CLOSELY GUARDED.
The interior of tine house is as far removed,
from the inspection of the reporters as
though it was out of existence. Policemen
guard the entrances and no one but officers
Or members of the family are admitted. To-
night it was announced that DIR. Knifin and
Miss Purcell had engaged counsel to repre-
sent their interests, particularly at Mondays
inquest. A post mortem examination Of
Mrs. Knifin's remains was held this after
noon, and resulted in a decision that death
was caused by chloroform. To obtain all
the light possible on the subject the stom-
ach was sent to Prof Cornwall, of Prince
on College, for chemical analysis. 1t Is
understood that it will be returned on Nom
1ay.
DR.. Knifin and Miss Purcell remained at
he Knifiu residence all day, except that
DR.. Knifin, accompanied by relatives, took
! drive during the time that the post NOR,
em examination was going on.