Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-02-26
WIVES DISAPPEARED.
Mystery Surrounding Death
and Vanishing of His
Former Consorts.
ARRESTED ON MURDER CHARGE.
Suspect Brought to HamiIton-con-
fesses to the Mayor All the Details
of His crime-choked Wife to
Death Then Threw Body in River.

Death Then Threw Body in River.
Indianapolis, Feb. 26.-Albert A.
Knapp was taken by the police yes
terday from the home of his bride on
a charge of murder. The police say
that the wife at whose home Knapp
was arrested, and whose maiden name
was Anna May Gamble, is Knapp's
fourth wife, and that the others have
disappeared in manner which war
rants investigation.
Knapp, it is said, married the fol-
lowing women in the order given:
Emma Stubs, Jennie Connors, Han
nah Goddard and Anna May Gamble.
Knapp formerly lived in Hamilton,
o., where Miss Connors and later Miss
Goddard, were married to him. Miss
Goddard, according to complaint
made to the police at Hamilton by an
uncle, disappeared December %, last.
A few days later Knapp was married
to Miss Gamble in Indianapolis.
An investigation at Hamilton showed
that Miss Goddard or Mrs Knapp No.
5, really disappeared December 81,
and that the following day Knapp was
seen to take from the house a large
box and carry it away in a wagon
rented from a livery stable. Further
investigation showed that Jennie Con-
nors, wife No 2, was found dead a
few years ago, in canal at Hamilton
The coroner investigated at the time.
but arrived at no definite conclusion
regarding the manner of her death.
When asked yesterday about the
disappearance of Miss Goddard, Knapp
said she had simply gone away; he
did not know where. He said the box
he took from the house contained old
clothes.
Knapp is an indianapolis man, hav-
ing been reared in this city. His
parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. j. Knapp
lived here until about month ago
when they moved to Cincinnati
Knapp has local police record and
has served many years in the peni-
Tertiary. He was sent to the Michi-
gan City penitentiary in October 1899,
a young girl He was released in
June, 1902. He has also served terms
in Joliet, H., Jacksonville and in Co
lumbus, o., for various crimes. The
local police, however, know little
about Knapp, except that he was sent
to the prison at Michigan City.
A special from Jacksonville, Ind,
says: Knapp was sentenced to the
local prison December 6, 1886, from
Dearborn county. His occupation was
given as that of a shoemaker. His
term was for one year and he earned
80 days for good behavior
Hamilton, o., Feb. 26.-Afbert
apolis yesterday and brought to this
city on suspicion of having killed his
wife, Hannah Goddard Knapp last De-
cember, has confessed When it be
came known that Knapp had con-
fessed there was talk of mob violence
and the authorities prepared to resist
any attack on the city jail. There is
quite crown about the Jail but the
authorities think they will have no
trouble. Knapp admitted yesterday
to Director Of Police Mason,
Captain Lehman and Mayor Bosch that
he choked his wife to death on the
morning of December %, but says that
he does not know why he did it. He
says he then came to town, hired a
spring wagon, secured a wooden box
and drove back home. He stuffed the
body into the box, being obliged to
double it to get the lid down. He then
drove to the Miami river and dumped
the box containing the body into the
water and drove back to town. He |
continued to deny his guilt all day,
but weakened this evening.
Il don't know why killed Hannah"
he said, but | guess | might as well |
admit that | did it, | guess l will |
have to go to the electric chair. She |
was good wife and I loved her. We |
never had quarrel in our lives. |
choked her to death as she lay in bed |
and then put the body into the shoe t
box and took it to the river. Then |
left town. ] met mail carrier. just I
as | was about to unload the box from |
the wagon and he spoke to me- | |
waited till he got by and then pushed I
the box over into the water"
When he was taken back to jail. I
Knapp told Chief of Police Kuemer-
ling that he had something else on
his mind that he would tell before be I
Aied. Il may tell it to yon In the /
he said, "but will not tell /
anyone about it tonight | cry every |
timeJI think of poor Hannah and
feel like crying when | think of this
other thing
This statement is believed to be the |
forerunner of confession from the t
that he killed his first and t
second wives, both of whom died mys-
Seriously. His first wife died sudden
ly about II years ago, and he soon
married the second, whose body was
found in the canal in Cincinnati In
1894.
yaat,SH ~. s~s. fs. III