The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-11-20
ACCUSED Of NANYh MURDERS
The Remarkable Case Of Miss TOP
pan, a Professional Nurse.
ALLEGEDSHE POISONED PATIENTS
Held in Massachusetts on Suspicion OF
Wipins Out the Davis Family of Four
Persons Investigation of Deaths
Where the Accused Woman Was q
Nurse-A Specific Murder Charge Made

Persons Investigation of Deaths
Where the Accused Woman Was Q
Nurse-A Specific Murder Charge Made
Boston. Mass.-Barring the case OF
Mrs. Sarah J. Robinson. now serving
a life sentence in the Concord Refor.
matory for poisoning three persons at
Cambridge, nothing Of the kind IN re.
cent years mas attracted such wide.
spread attention as the case Of Miss
Jane Toppan. trained nurse. now
confined in Barnstable Jail upon the
charge of numbering Mrs. Mary D.
Gibbs. Of Cataumet. by the use of
drugs. Wherever Miss Toppan went
in her professional capacity a 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 Torpan is stout. good-natured
appearing. about forty. and she bears
every indication Of being a nurse that
would handle patient with the great
est care Over her hangs the suspicion
Of having caused the death Of a
family Of four adults at Cataumet dur.
ing last summer. Since her arrest
uDon the charge of poisoning Mrs.
Gibbs. in every part Of Eastern Mas
sachusetts cases are being brought to
light of where Miss Toppan's nursing
was followed by death within few
days of the time she took charge. In
some of the cases 1t is charged that
money and articles of value were miss
ing from the houses where the woman
had cared for sick people, and she Is
suspected Of killing the inmates Of the
Davis house at Cataumet for the pur-
pose Of ridding herself of financial
obligations she is said to have been
under to Alden P. Davis, the head Of
the household.
Miss Toppan was familiar figure
to residents Of Cataumet. having
passed several summers there. To-
ward the last of June Mrs. Davis, wife
OF Alden P. Davis, became i'll and the
nurse was called to take charge of her.
On June 81. upon Miss Toppan's ad-
vice, the patient was taken to Cam
bridge. where she died in July, heart
disease being ascribed as the cause.
Next, Mrs. Harry Gordon. of Chicago,
q daughter Of Mrs. Davis, was taken
sick, her illness being due, it was sup
posed, to grief over the loss Of her
mother. She died within few days.
but tie physician, DR.. Latter, died
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 Sec
ond daughter, and last Of the house
hold, then succumbed.
The four deaths within so short a
period naturally caused comment at
the time and finally. at the instance
Of Captain Paul Gibbs, father-in-law
Of Mrs. Gibbs. the bodies of Mrs. Cor
don and Mrs. Gibbs were exhumed
upon August 81 and autopsies held.
Professor Wood, of Harvard, exam.
Ined the viscera taken from the re-
mains Of Mrs. Gibbs. and it was due
to what he discovered that warrant
was issued charging Miss Toppan with
murder. The arrest was made at Am
herst. N. H., State officers having
shadowed the prisoner from the time
she left Cataumet early in the sum-
mer. Miss Toppan waived extradi-
tion rights and went willing ly to
Earnstable, where she was arraigned::
A plea Of not guilty was entered. anu
ct the request Of the Government the
case was adjourned.
The original suspicion that the deaths
in the Davis family were not naturai
occurred to Dr.. Ira E. Gushing, or
Brockline, who knew the family and
who was not disposed to accept as
mere coincidence the quick succession
of deaths.
District Attorney Holmes, of Barn
stable County. who ordered the arrest
Of Miss Toppan, said:
"There are many things in a matter
of this kind about which a District
Attorney cannot talk. but l Will say
that the newspapers have been close
to tie track in what they have told
about the happenings at the Davis
house before the death of Mr.. Davis,
his wife and their daughters, Mrs.
Harry Gordon and Mrs. Gibbs
When District-Attorney Holmes was
asked if there is any truth. in story
that Professor Wood found evidence
of morphine when he Examined the
remains Of Mrs. Gibbs and MI. DAVIS
he would only saJ:
"Professor Wood alone knows that.
All I can say is that there have been
eleven suspicious deaths in houses
where Miss Toppan was employed as
q nurse. and they are all being lnVes-
tigated."
oo1aT0 CROP Is ABUNDANT.