The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-12
LEFT TRAIL OF a u

MRS. mi Accused of Murdaf,
Has a Remarkable Record
Grayling, Mich, June 9.--Mrs. Mary
Mcknight, who is In the Kalkaska jail
awaiting examination on the charge
Of numbering her brother, John Mur--S
ply, of Fife Lake by poisoning hin,s,&hasS
been pursued in the last ten years by
such misfortunes that the record OF
evils which have befallen her is#ap-
palling. Following is the listsof deaths
that have afflicted her since her first;
marriage: s.SSsss8&S
Three children by her first husband
James Ambrose. all Of whom died before
they were named. 5sa %
Jane Ambrose, aged Z years. Mrs. Me-
Knights daughter.
May Ambrose. aged 5 years, another
James Ambrose, Mrs. Meningitis first
husband. s
Eliza Chalker. her niece, died May, 1882
Sarah Murphy, her sister, February, 1891
Ernest Mcknight. her second husband.
November, 1895.
r,s MIS- = s~cs5neeourger. 9 relative by mar
Mrs. Curry, daughter Of Mrs. Schnee-s3
burger, in Saginaw.
K no5othy go 5snT EI},. guest st, OF Mrs.. Nc
William Murphy, shot in November.
1872, by Asa Valentine.
Baby Murphy, daughter Of John Murphy,
S Sars' ~ Mehnight,s brother; found dead
Mrs. John Murphy, died the same day OF
heart disease.
John Murphy, died suddenly q week
later.
Children Died in Infancy.
Little is known Of Mrs. Meningitis
history prior to her coming TO Grayling
as a widow some nrteen years ago. She
told her friends here that her husband,
James Ambrose, a painter in Alpena,H
had been Ill with consumption for years
and that for six months prior to his
death he had not left his bed. Her
first three children had died imme-
diately after birth, she said. not even
living long enough to be baptized. The
eldest child lived to the age Of years
and had gone on a visit to her grand
mother at Monroe, when she vas seize
with diphtheria and died. This wa
the story told by Mrs. Mcknight to her
friends here.
She. stayed with her sister, Mrs
Chalker, for q few weeks, until her
marriage to Ernest Mcknight, and
h went to Alpena with him. The
couple lived there a short time.
e was In 1892, after they had re-
Of deaths that have occurred here took
place. She was visiting at the home
OF her sister, Mrs. William Chalker, and
sat down to tea with the family. Eliza,
the ~14-year-old daughter OF Mrs
Chalker, seemed ~listless and did not
eat anything. left the room and a few
minutes later they found her ia
her limbs writhing n twisting In s.
most peculiar manner Thesg girl died
in a few minutes.
Didn't See His Fortune.
The following February another little
party gathered around the same$tables.
and the same mysterious occurrence
was repeated. In this case the victim
was Miss Sarah Murphy, the 18-year-a
old sister OF Mrs. Mcknight and Mrs.
Chalker.
The next to die was Ernest Nc.
Knight, Mrs. McKpight's husband. He
came home from his work In the aeldss
in November, 1898, having taken hisS
lunch with i'm. III horses galloped
upsto h house and he was carried I'M
side, deathly sick. This was on Stature
day. Monday he grew better. but Tues
day he died. sss
Mrs. Mcknight was here three years
ago, when she received word that4a
friend, Mrs. Mckenzie O.. Saginaw.
Mich, had died in a hospital there ais
the result OF an operation. The rela-s
tionship between them was remote.
Mrs. Mcknight went to Saginaw as
soon as she received the message and
helped to take care Of the house. Mrs
Schneeberger, a woman Of SO years
was SO much broken down by the death
Of her granddaughter that she,.35 too.
died soon after Mrs. McKnight's arr
rival. Her daughter, Mrs. Curry, had
been most ass1duous in her attention
to her mother and her health had
Broken down. She died few days
later, -
Mrs. Mcknight was particularly
friendly with Mrs. Jensen Of this place,
and when the latter was In a hospital
early last year Mrs. McKnightl|took
care OF her daughter Dorothy. One
evening the ne1ghbors found the child
dying. She had been playing with q;
skipping rope and as she was known
to have a weak heart the doctors gave
heart disease as the cause OF death.
The next tragedy in the circle 81
Mrs. Meningitis associates was
shooting Of her brother, William MUIR
ply, in Maple Forest last fall BY Asa
Valentine. Then followed the myster-5
ious deaths of her brother and of John
Murphy of Kalkaska with his wife and
~2-year-old daughter tbs spring.
Three Bodies Are Exhumed.
The only development In the case
was the examination Of the bodies OF
Murphy, his wife and three-month-oldE
baby at Fife Lake yesterday.
This is the second time Murphy,ss
corpse has been disinterred. Thelnrsss
time only the stomach was removed.
It was sent to Ann Arbor, where after
analysis s~trychnfne was found. Thfp
time, however. internal organs were&re,
moved from all three bodies.