The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-24
A NOAAH'S AWFUL CRIMES
Gave Poison For Medicine to Brother,
His Vie and Babe.
EIGHT OTHER STRANGE DEATHS

hrG. II = MchniGnt, OF haiRoska' hicu's
Wheh Speaking OF Her Terrible Deeds,
Said IT Didn't Mean Any Harm ~
| Victims Died Under Suspicious Cir
cumstances While Living With Her.
Kalkoska, Mich.-Lizzie Holiday, the
woman poisoner Of Boston, who muir
1ered nearly a score of victims Gefore
her mania for destroying life was
brought to a halt. has counterpart
N Mrs. Mary IcKnight. Of this place,
who freely and without fe.lr Of con-
sequences, has just confessed to having
killed her brother, his young wife and
their baby, and who. it Is also thought,
may be able to lift the veil Of mystery
surrounding the deaths of at least eight
other relatives and friends who have
lied suddenly.
| For two weeks Prosecutor Smith has
worked with untiring persistence to
break down the lraZen denials of the
accused woman. who finally weakened
and made full confession to having
killed her brother, John Murphy, and
his little family.
In her first statement the woman ad-
mitted giving Mr.. and Mrs. Murphy
capsules OF strychnine and quin!ne
mixed, but denied killing the baby.
She said:
II 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 I mixed up little
strychnine in q glass with some water.
and gave a spoonful to the baby.
didn't mean to harm the little thing at
all. I confessed all to the Lord this
afternoon and I feel that He has for
given me. really didn't mean TO
harm any Of them. When Gertrude
came home and found that the baby
was dead she got awfully nervous.
She came to me and said: Mary.
can't you give me something to quiet
I.me-sUmething that you take your
selfT I said that would, and I really
didn't think that it would hurt her r.
I gave her one of the capsules. She
had spasms right after that, and I
suppose that it was the strychninc
that killed her. 1 really didn't mean
to hurt her. John seemed to feel so
badly about 1t, so broken up, that I
often thought after Gertie died that 1t
would be better if he were to go. too.
John was feeling bad one night a
couple of weeks after Gertrude died
and wanted something to quiet him.
I had two or three Of the capsules on
my dresser. and I told him to go and
get one of them. didn't mean to, hurt
him, but I thought it would be for the
best If he were to go, anyway. He
helped himself. I don't know whether
he took one or two. Then he went
to bed, and by and by he called me.
Mother came, too, and he began to
have those same spasms. I suppose
that the strychnine was working"
The confession was given voluntar-
lily. and Mrs. Mcknight signed it.
Eight other persons. besides the three
to whose murder Mrs. Mcknight con-
fessed. investigation now shows have
died in the last fifteen years under
circumstances that, in view of the
woman's confession. are thought to be
suspicious. All of the eight were either
relatives or intimate friends
They are: Ernest Mcknight, the
woman's last husband; James Am.
brose, her first husband. who died in
Alpena in 1887; Mrs. Mcknight. the
wife of James E. Mcknight. who was
the partner Of Ambrose; Baby Teeple,
Mrs. Meningitis niece: Eliza Chalker.
another niece, who died in Grayling in
May, 1892; Sara Murphy, Mrs. Nc.
knights sister, who also died in Gray
ling in February, 1898; Mrs. Curry,
who died in Saginaw in 1893 when Mrs.
Mcknight was visiting there. and Dor.
othy Jenson. child. who died in Gray.
ling under Mrs. Meningitis care dur
ing the absence of her mother. No
motive for the crimes can be found.