Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-06-28
CONFESSED 81 MURDERS
Jane Toppan, Wholesale Poisoner
Makes q Statement.
DECLARES size IS NOT INSANE

Says She Could Not Help Committing
the Crimes, and That There Woulc
Have Been Many More Victims Hso
She Not Been Arrested.
Boston. June 25.-Jane Toppan. who
was sent 20 the Taunton insane Asy
Ium by Jury at Barnstable Monday
where she was tried for the murder
OF Mrs. Mary d. Gibbs. has made q
confession 10 her senior counsel. Judge
Fred N. Bixby. that during her career
as professional nurse she killed nc
less than 81 human beings. Judge
Bixby said that Miss Toppan had ad
mitted that shs had set fres and com
mitted other serious acts. She said
she could not help committing the
crimes. She argued. moreover. that
she was not insane. She said she
knew she was doing wrong when she
administered poison to her victims,
and she asked Judge Rixby how. un-
der the. circumstances. she could be
OF unsound mind.
Morphine was Miss Toppan's agency
for producing death. Many of her vic.
tins were unsuspecting and most init.
mate friends. others were the patients
OF reputable physicians, who employed
her on account of her ability as a.
nurse. Miss Toppau was so expert In
her knowledge of how to employ drugs
and Boisons that she was able to es.
cape detection for years. In the de.
tailed story as told TO Judge Bixby by
Miss Toppan she did not enumerateI
h0F VT -
admit the killing OF Mrs. Gibbs. Mrs
Harry Gordon. of Chicago, and Alden
P. Davis, all of whom died at Catau-
met last summer.
Miss Toppan murdered to crafty a
passion. She was responsible for nu-
merous fires in houses in which she
was a nurse. and had she remained at
liberty she admits that many more
people would have died and many more
incendiary fires would have occurred
Jane Toppan's crimes were revolt
ing beyond all description, but the de
tails perhaps will never be known, for
the lips of her counsel are sealed. Her
confession was not made as a story
OF wholesale murder, but has been
drawn out little by little, from time to
time, when he counsel have talked
with her in Barnstable jail.
She said her impulses irresistibly
compelled her TO murder her patients
IN order that she might enjoy the
sight OF their struggles, She told how
she killed each. saying she used nor.
phine and atrophine mixed in mineral
water and whiskey. In the presence
OF death she would gleefully fondle
the patient. stare into the eyes as II Il
were to see the inner workings OF the
soul. do all possible to intensity the
agony OF the patients. and when the
end came she would become herself
again.
Alienists say that Jane Topaz EN-.
bodied the worst types OF degeneracy.
and with this clear, there was no
doubt OF her mental condition. While
murder was Jane Toppan's greatest
crime. there were many lesser forms of
mental depravity. each In themselves
deplorable. She told OF setting fires
In homes in which she was a nurse or
visitor, and intimate acQuaintances
tell OF peculations of money and jew
elry.
Judge Bixby and the experts doubt
the accuracy OF portions of Miss Top
pans confession, but IT is doubtful III
they can ind evidence that will ever
disprove o. substantiate It. No mat
ter what the doctors say, Miss TOP
pan has stated that she killed those
81 people, and despite a reputation she
mas for being untruthful, this state
ment will doubtless have 10 he occant
ed as true.