The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-03-05
HAD A DESIRE TO KILL
Alfred Knapp Found Satisfaction in
Choking Women.
HE MURDERED TWO OF HIS WIVES.
lie Has Confessed to Also Having Killed q
Child and Young Woman at Cincinnati
Relatives Of the Fiend Assert that He Is Ia.
sane-iiis Indiana Bride Of Two Weeks
Still Loves Him.

Hamilton, O. (SpeciaD Five mur-
ders, the victims of which were all wo-
men, and two OF them his wives-such
is the revolving record OF Albert
Knapp given in sworn statement by
the murderer before Mayor Bosch.
Knapp. according to the police, is a
degenerate of the most pronounced
type. The murder of his third wife,
Annie Goddard Knapp, which led to
knapps arrest in Indianapolis, was
done Il don't know why" to quote the
prisoner.
knapp's confession is as follows:
On January 81, 1894, | killed EN-
ma Littlcman in a lumber yard in Gcst
street. Cincinnati. On August l..
1894, | killed May Eckert in Walnut
street, opposite the Y. NJ. c. A.. in
Cincinnati On August 7. 1904. | kill
ed my wife. Jennie Connors Knapp. un-
der the canal bridge in Liberty street
Cincinnati, and threw her into the ca
nal. In indianapolis in July, 1906. |
killed Ida Gebhard. On December 22
1902, | killed my wife, Annie Knapp
at 33o South Fourth street. in Haml-
ton, and threw her into the river at
Lindenwad. This is the truth
ALBERT KNAPP.
Il make this statement by my own
free will and not by the request of any
officer or anyone else.
ALBERT KNAPP"
Sworn to before me this 10th day OF
February, 1903.
c. F. BOSCH, Mayor.
The confession clears up the mystery
oi at least one death-that of Jennie
Conners Knapp. Knapp's second wife.
This woman's body was found in the
sluggish waters of the canal near Gin
cinnati. Bruises were discovered on the
head, but an investigation led to no
definite conclusion concerning the
manner OF her death.
The most recent OF the murders to
which Knapp has confcsscd-that OF hi;
third wife, Annie Goddard Knapp, OF
Hamilton-led to his arrest at the
home OF his fourth bride. i'll Indianapo-
lis An uncle OF the victim. hearing OF
knapp's marriage to a Miss Gamble, in
indianapolis, few days after the mys-
terious disappearance OF his niece. for
merly Annie Goddard, started the in
vestigation.
The police were prepared for a grue-
some story, Knapp having admitted his
guilt of the Goddard murder, but they
were dumbfounded at the revelations
which the prisoner made when put un-
der oath.
After his confession Knapp admit
ted that he had repeatedly assaulted
women. He said: Il met the Little
man child in the lumber yard and chok-
ed her to death when she made an out
cry.
Il went into the room with the Eek
ert girl and sat down with her. She
cried and l strangled her with a towel
and hurried from the house.
II was mad at my wife. Jennie Con
nors Knapp, when | killed her We
were walking along Liberty street.
sat her down under the bridge and
choked her to death. | deny that |
poisoned her. / never told anyone |
did. After she was dead | threw the
body into the canal.
Ida Gebhard | killed, but my mem
ory is not clear as to what | did
cannot tell what made me kill these
people could not help it. Some kind
OF a desire 10 kill took hold OF me and
could not resist the temptation to
kill. l am sorry for my crimes, but
now hope they will be easy with me-"
After the confessions formal charge
OF murder in the first degree was filed.