The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-25
Jane TOppan, Insane Nurse, COnfesses to Killing
 3O Persons
NURSED HER FRIENDS ID
 GRAVE INSTEAD OF HEALT HI
Said She Could Not Resist the Desire to See Her Patients Wriggle, and Would FondIe Them
 After Death.

Boston, June A.-Jane Toppan, mur- deress and degenerate, committed to Taunton insane asylum as the outcome of yesterdays trial wherein she was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity of poisoning Mrs. Mary D. Gibbs of Cataumet, has killed at least thirty other persons, according to her own confession Her case Is one of extraordinary cir cumstances. A nurse by profession, en- toying the confidence of an unlimited ac- quaintanceship, of seemingly loving dispo- sition, skilled in the uses of medicines especially of narcotics, she was at heart a maniac, whose delight at times was to see her patients writhing In death s agony. And her work did not stop there for having baffied medical skill so that the attending physician would assign a natural cause of death, she would seem to recover her normal mental boise and sorrow with the living for the loss of a loved one.
 Her confession was not made as a story of wholesale murder, but has been drawn out little by little.
 To the commonwealth's officers upon
  for murder, the terrible nature of her crimes was known and step by step they followed her movements as she had nursed, not to health but to the grave, members of families into which she had admission as friend and companion.
 Indicted Last Spring.
 She was indicted last srring for killing Mrs. Gibbs. her sitter, Mrs. Harry Cor don of Chicago, and her father, Alden P Davis of Cataumet, and her trial yes- eIday the shortest On record in this commonwealth. was for the murder of the first named. The case rested on the tes- timony of alierists who not only pro- nounced Jane roppar to be insane but to be a degenerate. They said that her imruses irresistibly compelled her to murder her patients in order that she might enjoy the sight of their strug- gles.
 To her senior counsel, Judge F. M. Blk by of Brockton, she first admitted kill ing the three persons named in the in- dictment and then of other persons until the lisG numbers thirty-one This list Is held by her counsel and 1t is not expected
  able incident In connCo tion with this list is that when 3t was made up she re- reated with show of irter est the vic tins names, checking off the number on her finger tips. She had spoken of the desths of Ms. O. A. Brigham of Low ell. life long friend, being the daugh- ter of Mrs Toppar who took Jane from a founding hospital in Boston, where she had borne the namo of Kelly; of Mrs. PaDDiGter gicTpr Mrq RriU- htu; Miss Florence N. Calkins. house keeper fer the Brigham family; Miss My ra Corners of the Episcopal Theologi- cal school in Cambridge, wno secured for her a position in the institutions; of Mrs. McNear of Waterto1'n and of MT. and Mrs. Israel P. ounham of Cambridge.
 Told How She Killed Them.
 She told how she killed each, saying she used morphine and atrophine mixed In mineral water and whisky. Some times she used injections in the case of the deaths at Catamut She did not remember how each individual was kill ed, where they were poisoned. but the drugs were those mentioned.
 To the aliensts to whom she made a confession of the Catamut cases. she spoke without reserve describing deliber- ately the most indelicate details, believ- ing that 1t was knowledge due to them as DnYSlclHnS. one Sdlu lHt piloAyb bHho oI desire were intermittent and there were times when patients were quietly dying that her better nature would become up- permost. and she would try to check approaching death. She might nurse the patient ever so carefully and seek to effect cure, then would come crav- ing to administer poison and this amount ed to the strongest uncomfortable im- pulse, which only physical restraint would stop and then she would render her patient unconscious
 In the presence of death she would gleefully fondle the patients, stare into the eyes as If 1t were to see the inner workings of the soul; do all possible to intensity the agony of the patients. and then when the end came, back she would become herself. She told of setting fires in homes in which she was nurse or visitor and intimate acquaintance. and of speculations of money and jewelry With the money she earned or obtained one way or another she was in the habit of making lavish presents to her friends She believes she is not of unsound mind and declares she knew she was doing wrong.
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