The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-07-02
MODERN BORGlA
DID MANY MURDERS
.uwLy ADMITS HAVING KILLED
7n,RTY.oNE PERSONS.
p,osence of Death She Would
E,..fuIIy FOndIe the Victims Nor
..;re Her FavOrite Drug.

rhine Her FaVOTtAC O'"S
.od of the death of eleven
.,n.. but indicted for mudering on
40 Miss Jane Toppan, who was
400 declared insane IN Bos'
-. confessed that she has killed
har career as a professional
~ less than thirty-one human
|. :. statement was made to Judge
N Bixby of Brockton, senior
,a.ol at the trial at Barnstaole'
~ Miss Toppan was found not gull
Sr reason of insanity on the charge
numbering Mrs. Mary D. Gibbs
hoe Bixby also said that Miss Top
had admitted that she had set fires
committed other serious acts She
sba could not help committing the
mos She argued, moreover, that
NOS notinsaue. She said she knew
was doing wrong when she admin
AVOID noison to her victims, and she
"a Jndge Bixby how under such
,rmstance could she be of unsound
J nd
Mainline was Miss Toppan's agency
inducing death. MANY OF her
films were unsuspecting and most
innate friends: others were patients
reputable physicians who employed
On account of her ability as a
srse. Miss Toppan was so expert In
\ knowledge of how to employ drugs
nelson's that she was able to escape
tection for years. In the detailed
!. by as told to Judge Bixby Miss Top
& h did not enumerate her many VIC
h, although she did admit the kill
Of Mrs. Gibbs, Mrs. Harry Gordon
chicago and Alden P. Days, all OF
HON died at Calumet last summer /.
iss TOppan was indicted last Deem
r for these three murders, the state
ecing to try her on the Gibbs count
st
Miss Toppan has been taken to the
lunton insane asylum to begin her
e sentence.
4 TO the alienists TO whom she made a
HiessiOn of the Calumet cases she
Oke without reserve, describing de-
beately the most indelicate details.
fieving that it was knowledge due to
len as physicians. In fact, she dis
ssed the cases as if she were stu;
Ent in medicine or surgery at clinic.
'he implied to them that it was TO
hatify an abnormal passion that she
llt patients to death, and during the
tterVal of ebbing life and the depart
Re Of natural heat from the body it
las her passion also to handle the
pdies of her victims.
She said the parOxysms of death were
ltermittent and there were times
men her patient; were quietly dying
pat her better nature would become
ppermost and she would try to check
preaching death. She might nurse
patient ever so carefully and seek to
Rect cure. Then would come a
FaVng to administer poison, and this
mounted to the strongest uncOntrOlla-
Ie impulse which physical restraint
'Ould stop, and then she would leave
er patient unconscious.
10 the presence of death she would
leefully fOndle the patient, stare into
le eyes as if it were TO see the inner
OrKlngs of the soul, do all possible to
lenSlfy the agony of the patient,
% then when the end came she would
8cOme herself again.
The alienists, listening with wonder
TIE story, We're forced to study Jane
Oppan as a subject. They found that
e embodied the orsttypes of degen-
scy' and with this clear there was no
'uOt OF her mental condition. While
uruer was Jane Toppan's greatest
l0e there were many lesser forms of
eltal depravity, each in themselves
'plOra0le. She told of setting fires
homes in which she was a nurse or
'llor, ana Ultimate acquaintance
UOI her regulations of money AMI
very With the money she earned
OOtalned one way or another she
" IN the habit of making lavish
esents to her friends. To her &C
alntances she was generally of hap
disposition. She ate ded the Con-
'ss'lonal church at Lowell, and at
Hmes was devout.