Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-26
KILLED FIVE WOMEN.
Astounding Confession Of Al
fred Knapp at Hamilton.
TWO VICTIMS WIVES
MURDER OF IDA GERHARD
FINALLY EXPLAINED.
The Murderer offered No Explanation
Of His Fiendish Propensity
to Kill Women.
TWO VICTIMS WIVES
MURDER OF Ida GEBHAnD
FINALLY EXPLAINED.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
HAMILTON, Ohio, February 26.-Alfred
Knapp, confined In the county jail. mas
proven to be the most remarkable criminal
OF the age. He can only be compared to
Holmes, the Philadelphia Bluebeard.
Knapp Thursday morning confessed to
the murder Of five people. He made the
confession to Director: OF Police Mason.
Chief Keummerling, Captain Lenehan and
Mayor Bosche. The confession is stagger-
ing In it's sensationalism and stamps Knapp
as a moral degenerate Of the worst type;
man who revels in murder, who gets pleas
ure from the mere killing Of human beings.
He Is on a par with Jack the Ripper, the
London enigma who murdered many women
a few years ago and whose crimes shocked
the entire world and nysti1ed the police Of
two continents.
in Indianapolis by Captain Lenehan and
brought to this city to answer to the charge
of numbering his wife, Hannah Goddard
Knapp.
Murdered Five Women.
He has confessed to the murder OF five
women and has given the dates on which
the atrocious crimes were committed.
He says that on June p. 1894, he COM
mftted his first murder. His victim was
Emma Littleman, whom he killed In
lumber yard in Gest street In Cincinnati;
He says that on August i. 1894, ne killed.
Mary Eckert on Walnut street opposite sMe
Y. NJ c. A. in Cincinnati. August z. 1894,
he killed Jennie Knapp. his wife, under the
canal bridge, in Liberty street In Cincin-
natl. and then threw the body Into the
canal. In July. 1895. he killed Ida Gepnare
in Indianapolis.
December o. 1902 he killed his third
wife, Hannah Knapp, in 4th street, In Ham
lton, Ohio, and threw her BODY INTO Inc
river near Lindenwald.
He concludes his affidavit with the Woros'
"This Is the truth. I make this statement
of my own free will and not at the request
of any officer or any one else" This state
ment is witnessed by Gus kuemmerHns,
chief of police; Thomas Lenehan, captain
Charles E. Mason. director Of police; Peter
Bisdorf, sheriff. AS stated above 1t was
sworn to before Mayor Bosch.
Made in County Jail.
This stupendous confession Of crime was
made In the county Jail at 10 o'clock Thurs
day morning by Alfred Knapp. He had
been questioned repeatedly by the mayor
the chief, the captain and the director OF
police and for awhile refused to admit
any other crime than the killing Of Hannah
Goddard.
Subsequently, however, he weakened, and
the confession followed. He stated several
times before he finally determined to make
q clean breast Of it that he had something
on his mind which he would like to tell, but
added that he was not quite ready yet to
unbosom himself. Then followed a period
of reticenee. in which he declined to say
anything. He kept his eyes on the floor
and would not be moved. Suddenly he
Strengthened up. and announced that he
guessed he would tell 1t all. Tears gathered
in the monsters eyes as he began the reia-
ton of the story of his awful crimes. y
have committed five murders" said he. Il
don't know why I did 1t - but I did. I
couldn't help killing women when I was
once started at it," He told a great deal
more in detail, and then agreed to make
the affidavit which is now in the possession
of the police authorities. and which will re-
suit in sending Knapp to the electric chair.