The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-11-24
MRS. MACK C0NFESSES.
Woman AccompIlce Tells in Court How
Thorn Murdered GueIdensuppe.
A SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

Crowds Besiege the Queens County Court
House to Hear the Story OF the Hor-
Mrs. Mack Betrays Her Partner
In Crime-Turns States Evidence.
New YORK CRY (speciaD.-Goaded by
terror and remorse, Mrs. Augusta Mack
went upon the witness stand in the Queens
County County Court House at Long ISL
and City and confessed that she and Martin
Thorn together had plotted the death Of
William Gueldensuppe, the Turkish bath
attendant, who disappeared on June "a
last; that she lured him to the place fixed
upon for his assassination and there waited
until the deed was done; that, with her
accomplice. who had dismembered the
body, she helped to dispose Of the dreadful
evidence Of the crime.
It was an intensely dramatic recital-be-
gun In calmness, and ending, In frenzy:
Step by step the wretched woman told Of
densuppe should be slain, Of her horror
stricken rejection, Of the constant persus-
sion and her final yielding, and the prepa-
rations for accomplishment and conceal
ment. As she went on, Mrs. Mack raised
her voice, until at last her phlegmatic, i'm
perturbable nature could stand 1t no longer,
and she almost shrieked, "I am glad this
day has come. am here before the peo-
pie and before my God. I free my con.
SCIENCE"
Her face became contorted, and down
her cheeks rolled scalding tears. Sobs
convulsed her, and for moment she could
not speak. Then, looking up, she con-
tinued: "No matter what comes Of this;
don't care what happens to me; they can
hang, they can kill. tell ALL"
Martin Thorn, the prisoner at the bar,
was sitting sphynx-like when Mrs. Mack
entered the court room. His usually pale
tace became paIer still as she advanced to
the witness stand, but the only other sign
Of emotion he showed was convulslve
movement Of the throat and moistening
Of the thin lips. He seemed to be making
desperate effort to attract Mrs. Nack's at
tention, but her eyes never once looked Into
his. showily dressed In silk, and with
ichu Of lace about her throat, she took her
place In the witness chair, and began the
story Of her life from the time Of her mar
CloSO III 0O1uloAy W W h0h ha0SSAhe 49,
Gueldensuppe, and later with Thorn In this
country and the awful events that followed.
The woman was on the stand about four
hours. The other witnesses Of the day
we're mostly men who knew Gueldensuppe
and who had identified the parts Of the
body. The owner Of the house at Wood
side testified to renting the house to Thorn
under the name Of E. Braun, and said that
Thorn introduced Mrs. Mack as Mrs:
Braun. he identified Thorn and Mrs. Mack
In court.
Mrs. Nack's confession necessitated rad
lcal change in the lines Of Thorn's defense.
william 2. Howe, his counsel, began by
denying that Gueldensuppe had been killed
or that there was any conclusive evidence
on the subject. Upon hearing Mrs. Nack's
story he abandoned this theory. he had
long, earnest consultation with Thorn, who
gave an entirely new version Of the affair,
insisting that the woman had killed Guel-
densuppe with her own hand and began to
hack him to pieces before life was extinct.
Thorn's trial was adjourned late in the
afternoon on account OF the sudden illness
Of Magnus Larsen, one Of the jurors.