The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-11


not know when he would move in. Then
Thorn told me that he would kill Gulden>
suppe in the Ninth-avenue house, put his
body in a blanket and send it away 1 said
No, don't do this Thorn then told me
to bring Guldensuppe to the Woodslde
house and he would kill him there. 1 had
to do all Martin told me to do"
THE MURDER.
Gradually the lawyer led the witness up
to the morning of Friday, June 25, the day
that the crime was committed. She said
she and Guldensuppe left New York be-
tween and 10 o'clock that morning ana
after they had crossed the ferry they
boarded a trolley car, which left them at
the Woodside cottage II had the key to the
house." she said, land opened the front
door I told Guldensupre to enter and ex-
anime the house while 1 went into the
yard. He went upstairs and heard a shot.
Martin Thorn came running down and when
he met me he said: I've shot him: he is
dead. He was very excited and / was half
dead" said the self-confessed murderess
Weller
He asked me to go home and come back
at O'clock"
In relating what had been done with the
various parts of Guldensuppe's corpse Mrs
Mack said that When she went back to the
cottage at o'clock Thorn had everything
tied up in parcels, some of them in the OIL
cloth that she had purchased in Long Island
City. When they were ready to leave the
cottage she took one parcel and Thorn an
other. Hers contained Guldensuppe's cloth
ing, and in Thorns parcel was the dead
man S head which he had incased in plaster
paris in the washtub of the cottage. They
went directly to a ferry-which one she
did not know-and she went to the front of
the boat and Thorn stayed on the rear. Soon
after the boat was in midstream Thorn re-
Joined her and said that he had thrown the
head overheard. On reaching New York
VA CHI h11rY1 1nd
the parcel containing the clothing On June
26 they went back to the cottage and found
the other bundles stil there. On leaving
Thorn carried one of the bundles with him
and they again crossed the ferry, and Thorn
stayed on the rear of the boat until it had
nearly reached New York when he came
to her and said that he had dropped his
bundle in the water 1t contained a part of
the dismembered body.
other packages were brought in the surrey
and deposited in the river and the Ogden
woods near High bridge She spoke fairly
Ineligible English with very strong Ger
man accent. During the recital Thorn'S
lawyers left their accustomed seats near
the prisoner and were accommodated with
to every word with his lips closely COM
pressed. his hands clasped and resting on
his knees Frequently his lips became dry
and parched and occasionally he would
moisten them with his tongue. His face
bore that same stolid look of Indifference
which it has worn all through, but his eyes
were unrestful. When he was not gazing at
his accuser he was casting furtive glances
around the courtroom and up into the gall
lerieS, which were crowded with men and
women. During her direct examination
Mrs Mack broke down and cried, but this
had nc. effect on the prisoner. and if any
thing, he seemed to enjoy her discontinue,
as the old-time grin played around his
mouth.
Attorney Weller showed Mrs Mack four
photographs Of Guidensuppe, which she
identified. He asked why do you make
this statement?' w
Mrs Mack replied, Il don't want to have
it on my mind"
OF HER OWN FREE WILL.
Then she began to cry. She tossed about
in the witness chair, used her handkerchief
and sobbed for some time Her emotions
affected nearly every one in the courtroom.
1t was some minutes before she resumed
her testimony, and she said: 81 make this
statement of my own free will. 1 want to
set it off my conscience. No promise of
mercy has been made me. / wanted to clear
my mind. don't care what hangs over me
or what they do with me-
Mr.. Howe began his cross-examination in
a very insinuating way and soon made her
acknowledge that the house in Woodside
was rented for the sole purpose of killing
Guldensuppe there, that she decoyed him
there, that when she bought the oilcloth
and other wrappings it was for the purpose
of packing up the portions of his body after
Thorn would have finished his murderous
task Clevery the lawyer led the woman
up to the most damaging and cold-blooded
preparations for getting rid of her lover.
"And did you cry then?' asked the cross
examiner.
No"
Did you cry when you hired the house?"
The lawyer continued this line of inquiry
leading up to the moment of the murder
getting the same stolid mo" for an answer
each time. And now, may ask, did you
cry when Thorn told you he had shot your
0d
Mrs. Nack's eyes filed up and she replied:
Yes, did cry then. L could not help it,"
What did you DO when you first came
to this country. What was your occupa-
Midwife" was the reply.
Mr.. Howe retired from the courtroom for
few minutes, during which time Lawyer
Moss and the prisoner held an earnest con-
sultation. Thorn seemed to be very deeply
interested and whispered to his counsel with
lips close to the latter's ear.
Mrs. Nack's letter to Thorn written in the
Queens county prison. in which nd she Daar ad
child and suggested that they end. their
lives, was translated. She acknowledged
that she wrote the letter, but insisted that
she had never been intimate with him. and
had not loved him at any time and was
pretending that she did only because she
Il did everything I could to. satisfy
Thorn" said Mrs. Mack. II gave him every
cent of money had. -
why was it you We're AFRAID or Ihorn!
asked Mr.. Howe.
'',Thorn had a syringe and said that he
would put something in it which would be-
stroy my eyesight and that Of Gulden-
WAS it a fear of this syringe that made
YOU buy the oil cloth before the man was
dead and the same fear after he was dead
which made you burn his clothing?'
YES"
Mr.. Howe continued his cross examination
step by step till he had led the witness to
repeat her whole story as given in her hrst
confession. 1t did not differ materially from
that brought out in the direct examination:
'How many children nave you kllleo'
asked Mr.. Howe.
mot one that / know Of"
How many children-stillborn infants
in bottles have you in your house,"
II have two.
said: 81 never gave money or offered
money to any one to kill my husband |
never said So" Mrs Mack said that she
never used instruments in her profession as
n midwife and that when she had case
where instruments had to be used she al
ways called in doctor
THE WITNESS STARTLED.
Mr.. Howe changed his tactics after this
and turning suddenly he shouted at the top
of his voice: Mrs. Mack was it not you
who shot Guldensuppe?'
The woman was startled. but regained
herself in a moment and half shrieked:
mo / did not"
was it not you who cut up the body?"
was the next question.
The woman frantically yelled back de-
hant mo"
Mr. Howe asked the permission of the
court to reserve further cross examination
of the witness which was granted.
Attorney Weller proceeded with the re-