The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-11
Says She Killed Her Brother, His
Young Wife and Baby by Giving
Them Strychnine.
OTHER SUSPICIOUS DEATHS
EIGHT MORE PERSONS DIED WHILE
LIVING WITH MRS. MKNIGHT.
All Except One Were Stricken Sud-
denly with Symptoms Resembling
Strychning Poisoning.

KALKASKA, Mich, June 10.-After two
weeks work Prosecutor E. C. Smith has
secured the confession of Mrs. Mary Nc
knight to the cold-blooded, premeditated
murder of her own brother John Murphy,
Gertrude Murphy. his young wife. and their
three-months-old babe. A partial confession
was made Monday evening. in which Mrs.
Mcknight denied killing the baby. Late last
night Smith again called at the woman's
cell at her request, and this time she made
a complete confession. In her first state
ment she admitted giving Mr.. and Mrs.
Murphy capsules of strychnine and quinine
mixed. Last night she said:
'T didn't intend to harm any of them.
did give the baby the strychnine. 1t woke
up and cried while its mother was gone and
/ mixed little strychnine in a glass with
some water and gave a spoonful TO the
baby. l did not mean to harm the little
thing at all. 1 confessed all to the Lord
this afternoon and / feel that he has for
given me. 1 really did not mean to harm
any of them. When Gertrude came home
and found the baby dead she got awfully
nervous. She came to me and said: Mary,
can't you give me something to quiet me,
something that you take yourSelf?' / said
/ would and / really did not think II would
hurt If 1 gave her one of the capsules. She
had spasms right after that and suppose
now that the strychnine killed her. l really
John seemed to feel badly about 1t, so brok-
en- up, that I often thought after Gertie
died that it would be better II he were to
go too. John was feeling bad one night a
couple of weeks after Gertrude died. He
came to me and wanted something to quiet
him. had two or three OF the capsules on
my dresser and / told him to go and get
one of them. 1 did not mean to hurt him.
but thought that it would soothe him and
then thought it would be for the best If he
were to go anyway. He helped himself
whether fUO
Then he went to bed, and by and by he
called me. Mother came, too, and he began
to have those same spasms. / suppose the
Strychnine was working.
The whole of the confession was given vol
unfairly and Mrs Mcknight signed it after
Prosecutor Smith had written it out.
OTHER SUSPICIOUS DEATHS.
Eight other persons, besides the three to
whose murder Mrs. Mcknight confessed,
investigation shows, have died in the last
| fifteen years under circumstances that, in
view of the womans confession, are now
thought to be very suspicious. All of the
eight were either relatives or intimate
friends who died while living with Mrs
Mcknight or while she was at their house.
All are said to have shown symptoms that
are now believed to indicate strychnine
poisoning. They are:
Ernest Mcknight, the woman's latest
husband; James Ambrose, her first hus-
band, who died at Alpena in 1887; Mrs. Nc
knight, the wife of James E. Mcknight
who was a partner of Ambrose; Baby
Teeple. Mrs. Meningitis niece: Eliza
Chalker, another niece, who died at Gray
ling in May, 1892; Sarah Murphy, Mrs
Meningitis sister, who also died at Gray
ling in February. 1898; a Mrs. Curry, who
died in Saginaw in 1893, while Mrs. Nc
knight was at her mothers house, and
Dorothy Jensen, child. who died in Gray
ling while under Mrs. Meningitis care dur
ing the absence of her mother.
Investigation of these deaths show that
all of these persons except Mrs. Curry
We're taken suddenly iii and showed what
are now regarded as unmistakable symp-
toms of strychnine poisoning. Dr. Leighton,
who attended Ernest Mcknight, says that
he is now confident that Mcknight died of
strychnine poisoning. DIR. Leighton was
baffied by Meningitis trouble and the sud-
denness with which 1t came, but says he
of strychnine poisoning. Eliza Chalker and
Sarah Murphy were stricken at the table.
while Mrs. Mcknight was present. Both
died IL commissions In a few hours.
| There was no suspicion against Mrs. Nc
knight in connection with the death of
Murphy until she filed a mortgage on her
| brothers property after his death, on
which the figures had, 1t Is alleged been
raised from 5000 to 5000. An investigation
was then begun. The body of John Muir
| ply was exhumed and strychnine was
| found in the stomach. Mrs. Mcknight was
| placed under arrest with the result that
day was entirely voluntary and she seemed
perfectly sane. although under great mental
strain. No motive for the crimes can be
found