The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-10
HAS MRS. MACK CONFESSED9
nER coUNsEtg SAYS SHE WILL AP-
PEAR IGLINsT THORN.

|
she Laughs ana says IT'S No Such ThinE-He
Sends word to District Attorney YsunEs.
to Thoru's Counsel. and 60 the Newspapers
Observation-Disclosures Much Use." says mr..
Y~ouprs-"Caut Unaeratand Rriend." says
~Iuoyre-"Thnt ssttIes IT," says Zee Noes.
Emanuel Friend, counsel for Augusta Mack,
who IL indicted with Martin Thorn for the muir
der Of William Gieldsensuppo In q cottage At
woodside, Long Island, telephoned to TIE SUN
Office last night that Mrs. Mack had made o con.
fossion, and that she would appear as q witness
for the State on Thorn's trial. He said:
"Ihave a statement to make TO YOU. This 10
It: Mrs. Mack has confessed. and will appear
40 q witness for the State on Thorn's trial
That IL all I can tell you."
when did she confessf"
."I cannot tell you that" replied Mr.. Friend.
what does she confessf'
ct told you 1 would not say anything moro
about it. replied Mr.. Friend.
when will she DO called as q witnessf'
II cannot tell you anything more" said Mr..
Friend.
Mr.. Friend, at tho same hour. between
0 and 10 o'clock at night, sent word to
the Same effect TO District Attorney Youngs.
r. TO william F. Howe, counsel for Thorn.
, and to various other persons. He asked
District Attorney Youngs TO moot him carly this
morning at the Long Island City Court House
and said that he would then furnish MIR. Youngs
with full particulars.
Mr.. Friend said last night that the confession
was locked up in his safe and that nobody would
know anything about It's contents until this
morning. when 1t will be produced in the court
room, and when, az he understands, District At
torney Youngs will call Mrs. Mack as tho first
witness OF the day.
Mr. Friend says It Is understood that Mrs.
Mack herself will DO allowed TO plead guilty Of
murder In tho second degree, involving impris-
eminent for life.
She wasinduced to make the confession by the
Rev. Mr.. Miles OF the Ravenswood Presbyterian
Church. who has been her spiritual adviser
since she was removed to the Queens County
Jail. She has been very much wrought up, es-
pecially since the trial opened, and has been In
o condition bordering on hysteris.
Finally Mr.. Miles told her that II there was
ever a time when she was going to make q state
ment about this case. to tell the truth, and make
her peace with God, this was the time to do 1t.
She sent for her counsel. Mr.. Friend. yester-
day afternoon, and when they were alone made
the confession to him. That is all Mr.. Friend
. would say about the case last night.
Sheriff Don't went to the Long Island City Jail
late last evening and sent his night Warden,
Jack Leonard. to Mrs. Nack's cell to ask her
whether she had confessed. Mrs. Mack was
asleep. Her cellmate, Mrs. Kate McGrath, was
awake.
Leonard asked Mrs. McGrath whether Mrs.
Mack had confessed. Mrs. McGrath said she
hadn't heard anything about 1t. The converse
tion awakened Mrs. Mack.
whats the trouble r. she asked.
1--WE heard you had confessed, and wanted to
ind out about It" replied Leonard"
Mrs. Mack laughed heartily.
"Tnere amt q word OF truth In it." che said.
Then she closed her eyes and went TO sleep
again.
Mr.. Friend had an interview with Mrs. Mack
yesterday afternoon. He left the jail ut 5:45
o'clock. No one in Long Island City except Mrs.
Mack knows what their conversation was about.
District Attorney Young said last evening
that his only as to Mrs. Nack's
confession was ~containe d in Mr.. Friends brief
telephone message. He had made no arrange.
ment to put Mrs. Mack on the stand against
Thorn. The confession, he said, would make
little difference with the outcome @: tho case.
as he was already in possession of positive
proof that Thorn killed Gieldsensuppe. and
was prepared to adduce the evidence on
the trial. Mr.. Friend, 1t 10 said, was fully ap-
praised Of this fact, which may account for the
readiness with which Thorn's~ accomplice offered
to turn States evidence, with the idea Of saving
her own life at the expense>of her lovers.
The evidence which the District Attorney had
secured to complete the chain against Thorn
was all provided by the prisoner himself
in statements which he made to various
persons. In each of these statements the
prisoner gave some name or fact which
enabled tho people to add to their case until 1t
was as near perfection as anything could posi-
bly, DO. District Attorney Youngs was of the
opinion last night that Mrs. Mack could add but
little to tho evidence already possessed by the
prosecution.
NJ ~ n------ --.t--.A T. 4
at the Park Avenue Hotel about $3.50 by q bell
boy, who handed him Q card upon which was
written:
W. !. Hown. Mrs. Mack has confessed and win b
the first witness for the State in the morning.
z. N. FRIEND.
els Mr.. Friend at tho telephonef" asked Mr..
Howe.
Nc sir" was the answers; "he told mo to
take that message to you in order that you
would not DO taken by surprise. and said that
he had nothing moro to say"
Mr.. Howe did not appear perturbed. and made
. statement Of what effect Mrs. Naok's comics
sion would have on Thorn chances Of A~cquittal
AT first 1 was astonished," no said, "bui
two minutes reflection dismissed my doubt and
perturbation. l came to the conclusion that Il
Lady Macbeth killed Duncan she had . perfect
right TO say SO. but she lied about 1t when she
said her husband committed the crime.
II knew. and Nanny Friend know, that
had as perfect a case rs could be built. I an
utterly at loss to understand how any lawyer
could sanction his client making . confession
when there WAS such an utter absence of proc
against her. Assuming her story is true. which
ldeny as far as it may implicate Thorn. Their,
would be no evidence to prove that she wal
more than I'm accessory.
81 cannot understand Mr.. Friends conduct
have had long talks with him about the case
Several times he has denied the published re
port that Mrs. Mack had offered a plea of man
slaughter in the second degree, and that Il hat
been refused. believed in him as q gentleman
He has been in the courtroom constantly sine,
the opening of the trial, writing bulletins TO
one of tho 'yellew' journals. l asked him to
day why he was there, and he replied that h,
was looking after his clients interests. He ais,