The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-27

MURDERER OF MRS. LOUISA FOSTER
MAKES A CONFESSION.
lie SAYS the Woman Wanted Him to
Kill Her and He SOIemnIy
Promised to Do So.

NEW YORK, May ga special TO the
World from Syracuse. n. Y, says: Ernest
Hecht who murdered Mrs. Louisa Foster
Thursday night. made full confession
to-day. He said: L came to Syracuse in
the early part OF December, 1S99 and about
Christmas, 1899 1 met and became ac-
quainted with Mrs. Louisa Foster at her
home. / called on her at her home four or
five times. and she in turn called several
times at my boarding house. / learned to
love her and became much infatuated with
her. About ten days ago she spoke to me
about being tired OF life, and demanded a
promise Of me under solemn oath that
would come and kill her. and agreed TO
do so, and also to die with her. next saw
her on the morning of May "a. as / was
about going to work, but had little to say
10 her or she to me. called on her again
at noon. and she told me that she had all
preparations made for her death and burial,
and that she had made full arrangements
with some one in Rochester. n. Y, to get
her jewels, come after our bodies and see
that we were buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery
side by side.
L then went to my work. and about 4
a key 10 the spring lock of her door, l
went to her rooms and tried to persuade
her TO desist from her purpose. I left her
a little after p. m, assembled to my room,
took the Bible and read il and brooded
over what was TO come. returned to Mrs.
Fosters room about s D. m. When /
reached there let myself in with the key
and found Mrs. Foster lying asleep on, a
sofa. She awoke as / entered, and at
once showed me the preparations she had
made for her death, she having placed on
dresser In the front bedroom, first. a
bottle filled with chloroform: second. a
small vial containing pills, which she said
volver.
She acted in a dazed state and / sur
missed that she had already partaken of the
morphine She prepared a cup of coffee,
then counted out twenty-four Of the small
pills IN the vial, which she said amounted
10 three grains. put them in her mouth and
drank the coffee afterwards. Upon this
again demonstrated with her, asking her 10
give me one substantial reason why she
desired 10 die: that l did not wish to pry
INTO her affairs, but simply wanted TO know
the reason. but she would give me no
reason. simply saying: There is no hope
LETT Tor me- Then, in accordance with ouI
agreement. / took some of the pills, per
maps dozen or them. and swallowed them.
al the same time asking her what effect
they would have on me, as I had never
taken morphine before She said she did
not know. / then began telling her the
story Of my pas life. what hard luck and
misfortune I had experienced since leav-
ing my home IN Europe. and asked heI
why she had singled me out among all her
friends TO DO the act and that 1 now posi-
lively refused TO kill her.
finally consented TO remain with her
until she. was dead. She was lying on the
PED at :his time. and asked me TO hand
ner the bottle OF chloroform on the dresser
handed II 10 her, she saturated a hand
kerchief which she had lying beside he
on the bed with the chloroform, placed II
over her mouth and nose and. taking hold
OF my hand. pressed IL over the handker-
efief with her hand. She pressed my hand
upon the handkerchief for some moments
and began breathing hard. but the stuff
old not work fast enough 10 suit her. SC
she told me 10 get towel, wet IL an(
lay II on her face over the handkerchief
! saturated the handkerchief again ane
replaced II over her mouth and nose an(
Put the towel On IL. directly after which
she died"