The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-27
.C0NFES s;
5MU.RDERS.
Albert Knapp Tells Of Series
Of Grimes.
GIVES :E;; NO EXPLANATION
Says He Was lropelIed by an irresistible
Desire to klIl--He is Suspected OF a
still Other Crimes and Many
Murders.
l 4

(By Associated Prrss)
HAMILTON, OHIO. February 2e,--r I've
murders the victims of which were al
women, and two Of them his wives--sicil
| Is the revolving record of Albert Knapp,
| given to-day In q sworn confession given
| BY the murderer before Mayor bosch.
knapp, according to the police, us n de-
generate Of tho most pronounced typo.
The murder of his third wife, Annie Cod
dard Knapp, which led to Knapp's ar
rest yesterday in Indianapolis, was done.
II don't know Why" to quote the prls-
oner
knapps confession, which was sworn
| to before Mayor Bosch, Is as follows:
| ION JANUARY 81. 1884, I killed Emma
| Lttleinan In lumber yard In Gest
| street, Cincinnati; on August ], 1894,
killed May l1ckert in Walnut Street,
opposite the y M. c. A. In Cincinnati;
on August Z, 1884, l killed my wife, Jen-
| ME Conners Knapp, under the canal
| bridge in Liberty Street Cincnnati. and
threw her into the canal in Indianapolis
| on July, 1885, I killed Ida Gcbhard; on
| December 90, 1902. I killed my wife, Annie
Knapp, at No. $3.50 South Fourth Street,
| in Hamilton. and threw her into the river
l. ..ALBERTs KNAPP
II make this statement by my own free
will and not by the request Of any OH
Ger or any one else.
1.'(slgned), "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 canal near Gin
| cinnati Bruises were discovered on the
head, but an Investigation led to no deli
| mite conclusion concerning the manner
| of her death.
The most recent of the murders to
which Knapp has confessed-that OF his
| third wife. Annie Goddard Knapp, of
| Hamlton--led to his arrest at the homo
OF his fourth bride in Indianapolis. An
uncle Of the victim. hearing OF knhpps
marriage to q Miss Gamble In lndianapo-
lis a few days after the mysterious dis
appearance of his niece formerly Annie
Goddard, started an investigation.
The police were prepared for a grne-
some story to-day, Knapp having adj
mlttcd his guilt of the Goddard murder
last night, but they were dumfounded
at the revelations which the prisoner
made when put under oath to-day.
After this confession Knapp admitted
that he had repeatedly assaulted women
He said8i
II met the Litteman child In the lum-
bcr yard and choked her to death Wnen
she made an cutlery.
II went into the room with the Eckert
girl: sat down with her. She cried and
/ stranged her with o towel and hur-
ried from the house. sl
II vase 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 1 deny that ! poisoned her.
mover told any one l. did. After she
was dead | threw the body into tho
| canal
4 Ida Gebhard killed, but my memory
| Is not clear as to what / did. cannot
! tell what made me Kill these people. l
could not help 1t. Some kind of de-
| sire to Kill took hold Of me. and could
/ not resist the temptation to Kill. 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.
] Attorney c. f. Tenny, Cincinnati was
! allowed to see Knapp, and told him to
/ make no further statement. Knapp was
4 surprised that his people had secured a
4 lawyer for him.
i Knapp talks much of the Pearl Bryan
i murder and is afraid Of being lynched.
/ Knapp Is now suspected OF stranglng
| three women at Evansville. Ind, and of
! killing women elsewhere He was In the
/ Cincinnati House of Refuge when seven
i teen years old and new records are being
! discovered almost hourly.
| tW
. /. i 49, . 7