The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-03

Hamilton. o., February 26.-Alfred
Knapp. the s~elf-confessed murderer
made a long statement tonight at the
jail. He adhered to his written CON-
fession and added some points. Of
these. the most interesting relates 10
his first wife, Emma Stubbs. whose tate
a been overlooked. Knapp declares
that she is still alive and is now IN
louisville, Ky. He says that she got
Il divorce from him. Another chapter
was added to Knapp's list Of confessed
Grimes tonight when he asserted that he
was implicated in several ho.d ups here
hast December.
Five murders, all Of whom were wo-
men and two of them his wives-is
the revolving record of Albert Knapp
given today in a sworn confession
given by the murderer before Mayor
Bosch. Knapp according To the police
is a degenerate of a pronounced type.
The murder Of his third wife, Annie
Goddard Knapp which led to Knapp s
arrest yesterday in indianapolis, was
done, " don't know why" to quote the
prisoner.
Knapp's confession which was sW orn
% before Mayor Bosch is as follows:
ION January q, 1894. l killed Emma
Littleman in a lumber yard in Gest
street, Cincinnati. On August 1, 1874 1
killed May Eckert in Walnut street,
opposite the Y. NJ. c.. a. in Cincinnati.
On August Z. 1894 1 killed my wife
Jennie Connors Knapp under the canal
bridge, in Liberty street, Cincinnati
and threw her into the canal. In In
d~ianapOlis in July 1895, l kill ID Ida Geb-
hard. On December 22d 1902. 1 killed
49, ru;fo ~-;o E-a- - 900 CN,,+ l.
Fourth street. in Hamilton. and threw
her into the river at Lindenwald.
This Is the ruth. Albert Knapp"
81 make this statement uv my own
free will and not by the request of any
officer or any one else.
(Signed.) "ALBERT KNAPP"
The confession clears up the mystery
of at least one death-that of Jennie
Connors Knapp, Knapp's second wife
This woman's body was found in the
sluggish waters of a canal nea Gin
innat Bruises were discovered on
the head, but an investigation led to no
definite conclusion concerning the man.
ner of her death.
The most recent of the murders to
which Knapp has COnfessed-that Of his
third wife, Annie Goddard Knapp Of
Hamilton. led to his arrest at the horne
of his fourth bride in Indianapolis. An
uncle Of the victim. hearing of Knapp's
marriage to n Miss GaTnble in India
napolis a few days after the mysterious
disappearance of his niece. formerly
Annie Goddard started an inYestiga-
ton.
The police were prepared for a grue-
some story today. Knapp having adj
mitted his guilt of the Goddard MR.
der last night. but they were dumb
founded at the revelations which the
prisoner made when under oath today.
After his confession Knapp admitted
that he had repeatedly assaulted wo-
men. He said: Il met the L~ittler9n
child in the lumber yard and chuked
her to death when she made an Outoty.
I went into the room with the E-kert
girl. sat down with her. She cried and
/ ~strangled her with a towel and hur-
ried from the house. / was mad at my
wife Jennie ConnOrs Knapp. I
killed her. We We're Xxi along
Liberty street. l sat her dow rde
the bridge and chOked her TO death. I
deny / poisoned ter. l eve told any
one 1 did. After che was dead I thew
the body into the canal. Ida Gebh&rd.
I killed but my emor is hot clear as
TO what l did. | ann tell what made
me kill these people l could not help
1t. Some kind of 4 desire tCOk hold of
me and I could not resist the terDta-
ton to kill. l am sorry for my crimes.
out no." L nope lneJ Will De easy Win
me-"
After the confessions Il formal charge
of murder in the first degree WAS fled.
Attorney c.. T. Tennny, Cincinnati.
was allowed to see Knapp and told
him to make no further statement.
Knapp was surprised that his people
had secured a lawyer for him.
Knapp talks much of tho Pearl Bryan
murder and is afraid of being lynched.
Knapp is now suspected of sIrangr:ng
threee women at Evansville. Ind. and
of killing women elsewhere He WIS
I'm the Cincinnati house of refuge when
seventeen years Did. and Uew records
are being discovered almOs hourly.
Cincinnati, February 26.-The parents
of Knapp tonight said Albert was IL
sane and his confession should not be
believed. Albert had given them so
much trouble they believed he would
be better dead.