The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-25
DEMON
MISS TOPPAN KILLED THIRTY
ONE PERSONS.
Knew That She Was Doing Wrong,
But Couldn't Help 1t.

Boston. June 24.-Suspected Of the death
Of eleven persons. but indicted for muir
dering only three. Miss Jane Toppan,
who was yesterday declared insane, has
confessed that she has killed in her
career as a professional nurse. no less
than thirty-one human beings. This
statement was made TO Judge Fred NJ.
Bixby of Brockton, senior counsel at
the trial at BarnstabIe yesterday when
Miss Toppan was found not guilty by
reason Of insanity on the charge of
numbering Mrs Mary D. Gibbs. Judge
Bixby said also that Miss Toppan had ad-
mitted that she had set fires 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 do
ing wrong when she administered poison
TO her victims and she asked Judge Blk
by how under such circumstances she
could be of unsound mind.
Morphine was Miss Toppans agency for
producing death. Many of the victims
were unsuspecting and most intimate
friends; others were the patients OF repu-
table physicians who employed her on
account of her ability as a nurse Miss
Toppan was so expert in her knowledge
of how to employ drugs and poisons
that she was able to escape detection
for years. In this detailed story, as
told TO Judge Bixby, Miss Toppan did
not enumerate her many victims, al
though she did admit the killing OF Mrs
Gibbs, Mrs. Harry Gordon OF Chicago,
and Alden p. Davis. all OF whom died
at Calumet last summer Miss Toppan
was indicted last September for three
murders, the state electing to try her on
the Gibbs count. Miss Toppan was taken
to the Taunton insane hospital today TO
begin her life sentence.
Boston, June A.-The list of Miss Top.
pans victims is held be her counsel
and it is not expected that il will be
made public. The remarkable incident
In connection with this last is that when
1t was made up she repeated with
show OF interest the names of her victims,
checking off the number on her finger
tips
She had spoken of the deaths of Mrs
o. a. Brigham of Lowell, lifelong
friend the daughter of Mrs. Toppan. who
ANph jane rum Il LOuUGlluS nDSplttl III
Boston, where she had borne the name
of Kelly; of Mrs. Edna H. Bannister, sis
ter to Mrs. Brigham; Miss Florence n.
Calkins, housekeeper for the Brigham
family; Miss Myra Conners Of the Epis-
copal Theological school in Cambridge.
who secured for her a position in the
institution; Of Mrs. McNear of Water
town, another friend; of Mr. and Mrs.
Israel P Dunham of Cambridge.
She told how she killed each. saying she
used morphine and atrophine mixed in
mineral water and whiskey Some times
she used injections. as in the case Of
the deaths at Calumet. She did not re-
member how each individual was killed
but where they were poisoned the drugs
we're those mentioned.
While murder was Jane Toppan's great
est crime there were many lesser forms
or mental depravity. each In themselves
deplorable- She told Of setting fires IN
homes where she was a nurse or a Wis
itor and intimate acqaintances tell OF
peculations OF money and jeweIry. With
the money she earned or obtained one
way or another, she was IN the habit Of
making lavish presents To her friends
Tc her acquaintances she was generally
Of happy disposition She attended q
church in Lowell and AZ
all times was devout