The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-03
IS MISS TOPPAN A POISONERY
fNVES7IG ALTON or DEATHS
WHERE SHE WAS A NURSE.
Held In Massachusetts on Suspicion OF
wipInE Out the Davis Family Of -Four
Persons-Spccinc suricr Charge

NiptnE Out the Davis Family OF -Four
Persons specific siuricr Charge
Madc-Seycn Other Cases Considered.
BosToN, Nov. 2.-Barring the case Of
Mrs. Sarah j. Robinson, now serving n
life sentence in the Concord R~eformatory for
poisoning three persons ut Cambridge.
nothing OF tho kind in recent years has at
tracted such widespread attention as the
case OF Miss a Toppan. a trained nurse,
now confined In Barnstable Jail upon the
cha ge Of numbering Mrs. May ID. Gibbs
OF Cataumet, by the use OF drugs. Wher-
ever Miss Toppan went in her professional
capacity n trail OF death followed. and up
to the present time no less than ten sudden
deaths, IN addition TO that OF Mrs. Gibbs,
are being investigated by the authorities.
Miss Toppan is stout. good-natured APP
pearing, about 40, and she bears every indi-
cation Of ncing n nurse that would handle
n patient with the greatest care. Over
her hangs the suspicion Of having caused
the death of a family Of four adults at
Cataumet during last summer. Since her
arrest upon the charge Of poisoning Mrs.
Gibbs, In every part Of eastern Massachu-
sets cases are being brought 70 light OF
whore Miss Toppan's nursing was ollowed
by death within a few days of the time
she took charge. In some Of the cases IL Is
charged that money and articles OF value
were missing from the houses where the
woman had cared for sick people. and she
is suspected Of killing tho inmates Of the
Davis house AZ C8taumct for the purpose
of Kidding herself Of financial obligations
she is said to have been under 20 Alden p.
Davis, the head Of tho household.
Miss Tonnan UNA "A ia u,iliaF Ap1lrN TO
residents of %Cataumet, having passed sew
eral summers there. Toward the last OF
June, Mrs. Davis, wife of Alden p. Davis,
became i'll and tho nurse was called to take
charge Of her. On juno q, upon Miss
1oppan's advice. the patient was taken
TO cambridge, where she died In July, heart
diseas" being ascribed as the cause. Next,
Mrs. Harry Gordon OF Chicago. a daughter
of Mrs. Davis, was taken SICK, her illness
being due, II was supposed. To grief over
the loss of her mother. She died within
a few days. but the physician. DR.. Latter,
dice a short time after and no certificate
giving the cause Of Mrs. Gordon's death
WAS ever filed. Then Mr.. Davis was taken
sick and, two days after, he passed away.
Mrs. Gibbs, the second daughter and last
! Of the household. then succumbed.
The four deaths within so short a period
! naturally caused ommcn at the time
and finally, at the instance OF Capt. Paul
Gibbs, father-in-law of Mrs. Gibbs, the
bodies Of Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Gibbs
were exhumed upon Aug 81 and autopsies
held. Prof. Wood Of Harvard examined
the visCcra taken from the remains or
Mrs. Gibbs and il was due TO what he dis
covered that a warrant va issued charging
Miss Toppan with murder. the arrest
was made at Amherst. y. H., on last Tues
day, State officers having shadowed tho
prisoner from the time she left Cataumet,
early in the summer. Miss Toppan waived
extradition rights and went willingly to
Barnstable. where she was arraigned on
Thursday. A plea OF not guilty was en-
, tered, and at the request Of the Government
the case was continued until Nov. y.
Miss Toppan IL permitted to have no
visitors except her attorney. Two notes
which were among the papers OF Alden
y. Davis are now said TO be missing. and
IL Is said that Mrs. Gibbs saw Miss Ioppan
rummaging among these papers shortly
after Mr.. DAVIS death. IN alteration
followed. and within a few days she died.
This is said TO be an important link III
the Governments chair OF circumstanual
evidence. II il now said that Miss Toppan's
mother died III al insane asylum and that
she has q sister now under restraint IN a
similar institution.
The original suspicion that the deaths IN
the Davis family were not natural occurred
TO Or. Ira y. Cushing Of B~rookhne, who
knew the family and Who was not disposed
/ TO accept as a mere coincidence the quick
succession of deaths. DIR. Gushing said
i have been at Cataumet for years,
and am pretty well acquainted with all
the summer residents. When i learned
of Mrs. Davis's illness and her death /
thought little Of II. but when. after seeing
Mr.. Davis al the station one day, l learned
the next morning hat he had died IN IN"
! night. probably Of apopleAy. thought, ms
death looked strange soon ! learned ,i
the other deaths aid then ] took sIeps 70
1 have the matter investigated nfNlkl Il
( friend ] Interested Capt. Paul Cubs a. We
one most concerned. AID IA" rest has iol-
lowed. A. that time ! did not suspect
arsenic. A. ! did not know al! ~" sNInpl"IhS
ia the SEVERAL CaSes but as J learie ed th'm
/ came 10 the conclusion that u was ar-"nic,
This il oasiiv used and acts quickly !
| think tina II one could gr' accurate d'tAll-
Of the SYMPTOMS ~ each Cgt" previous 70
dealt one would ful them the same
Dls'rc' A'tlr'rv Holmes oi bar1IstAhl'
county. who ori"r'4i IA" arrest 81 hh'-
Tllpln. rH- u BlSion Tins morning lh'rf-
viewing Prof " ud .
There are many things Va a matter ~
this Kind be- said 'ablut which a District
H. arv-rat-rs hAE" h~"u very "lp-" 20
,n. tark 900 vhai hey UaN" told al IA 10
I~Hup-rluE- a. the Dlyis hpw lsiu~' 'l'
death uf NJ Davis ti- MI" and ti"lr dsugn
tors ~ HairN GuriHr aud Mfr '''r
,sru fi' trdlnV 90 ls1i-uu u ~" Il.'
,ll.. fNr. GihIt- au3 Nr- Gurnun W.
uHll,- Nu. maA' Too idWi. -I.l- u"f 81 ir
toll - tl- Lul ~ I.I-.u, I- lNrr'Hl lN
e. Z NuYt Nhsu a-keu n l"f" am
.ru.fu n q story that Prf NIHt found
,,ttsuo. Il muUphiur when De- rttnln'i
fhr t-uihI.- g Nh tiiti- and W DAVE
b., would only ray
Prof WOOD alone kIavs 'iN All ] can
cav H. that there IaNr TO- 90 ci't'u su7il'INr
It attn boz house Whrf" Mi-H luppau 80
~suUlnysI o. a uut-s HEd ihsy are al uug
IUkrstlgal-i