The Washington bee., 1899-07-08
A FAMOUS POISON GASE.
Anna Maria Zwanziger is a
Name of Unpleasant Proml-
nence in Crime.
SHE LIVED IN GERMANY.
Had Reputation for Honesty and
Probity Which Enabled Her to
Secure Victims Very Easily. ~


Mental Constitution pscuIiar-Had Passion
for Poisoning-Her Grimes Only "SIight
Errors"-Never Expressed RemorSe or
Rspentanee-Fortunate She was Diseov-
cred She Could Not Control Passion.
In the so-called renaissance period OF
European civilization poison served
many a purpose of political intrigue
and personal vengeance. The demise
of victim was rarely followed by a
judicial investigation save in instances
where the ecclesiastical authorities
found an opportunity to intervene.
In the early part of the nineteenth
century there was a series of murders
committed in Germany which have
given TO the name OF Anna Maria
ZwanZiger an unpleasant prominence
in the annals Of crime. Anna Maria
Zwanziger, or Anna Sehouleben, as
she called herself, was living in 1907
in Baireuth supporting herself by knit
ting. Her reputation for probity and
her exemplary mode of life induced
Justice GlaSer, who was at that time
separated from his wife, to take her a3
his housekeeper in 1908. In July OF
that year GlaSer was reconciled to his
wife, through the efforts. it seems, of
Anna Schouleben, but within q month
after the wife's return she was sud-
denly taken sick, though a strong and
healthy woman, and died in a few
days. Anna now left Glaser's service
and went to live as hOusekeeper with
Justice Grohmann. He was q sufferer
from gout and was confined to his bed
In May, 1909 after an illness of eleven
days, accompanied by strange Symp-
toms, he died, and his houSekeeper ap-
peared incOnSolable. Her good name
and her skill as a nurse soon procured
her another place, this time at Magis-
trate Gebhard's house, as nurse for his
wife. Soon after her advent. Nine.
Gebhard was seized with violent ill
ness and died in great agony. AT diff
ferent times within the next few
months curious and suspicious symp-
toms--yomiting. spasms, etc.-visited
several persons in the house, guests as
well as members Of the household.
Then superstitious fear of the
woman's unlucky presence, gradually
deepening into distrust and suspicion,
spread in the neighborhoOd, and Geb-
hard was induced to dismiss Anna
ever, a written character for honesty
and fidelity. But it was at her depar-
ture the strangeSt occurrences were no.
ticed. On the morning of that day. il
was afterward remembered, she had
exceeded the usual limits OF her du-
ties: she had filled the kitchen salt
box from the barrel and had taken
pains to make for the two maids some
coffee, which they drank. Leaving
the house with every sign Of cheerful
ness and affection. she took Gebhard's
child in her arms as she said farewell
and gave it biscuit soaked In milk
Scarcely half an hour had elapsed
since her departure when the child be-
came alarmingly ILL; in a few hours
the maids were attacked in a similar
way, and the kitchen salt box, with
the barrel, proved, upon examination,
to contain a quantity of arsenic. When
she was apprehended shortly after
ward q packet of arsenic was found In
her pocket. and upon exhuming the
bodies Of CHASER. GrOhmann and Geb-
hard distinct traces of arsenic were dis
covered in two of the three corpses.
She was taken before a magistrate,
and here the peculiar features of con-
tinental criminal procedure were strik-
ingly brought out.
The circumstantial evidence Of muir
der against her was in reality not
strong. Now. the favorite German
mode of obtaining results In criminal
cases Is by some means or other to ex-
tract a confession. and here, evidently,
only a confession could furnish the
necessary evidence. According to the
most approved methods. therefore. she
was subjected to a long series of rigid
examinations alone in the presence OF
the judge and notary. All the cum
ming and adroitness of the Judge were
brought to bear, In order TO entrap her
into a confession. but for nearly six
months, from October 10, 1909, until
April is, 1910, she absolutely denied
every form Of the charge against her.
The fact that poison had been found
In the two corpSes was not announced
to Anna ZwanZiger until April Is. This
produced the desired effect, for after
two hours Of stubborn cOmposure. she
broke down, wept, wrung her hands,
and at length confessed to all the
charges against her. and to several
other murders that had passed for nat
ural deaths. On September IL, 1911.
she suffered death at the block, and
her name is celebrated throughout
Germany as the most infamous poison
er eyer known.
There can be no doubt that her men
tai constitution was peculiar. She had
a passion for poisoning and spoke OF
her deeds as only slight errors" and
"trifing offenses." never expressing
any remOrse or repentance. 1t was in
deed fortunate for mankind as she
said, that she was 10 die, for she nayer
could have ceased to poison.