The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-22
Self Confessed Murderer Of 5
women to Face Jury In Court
CASE TO Be CALLED WEDNESDAY
List Of Ms Crimes as He Gives lt-four OF
Ills Slaylngs Were Mysteries Until Re
Told Of Their Commission.

Hamilton. o., June 22.-Aifred Andrew
Knapp. the stranger and self-confesseo
murderer OF Ave women and girls VIII
ne placed on trial for his life In the
Common Pleas court OF Butler county
on next Wednesday.
The crime for which Knapp VIII De
tried Is the murder OF his WIFE Hanhah
Goddard Knapp. on the morning OF Dec
% 1902. For no known reason, Knapp
while his wife still slept, grasped her
throat with the fingers OF both hands
ana strangled her 10 death. He placed
her body in a shoe box and hauled
two miles below Hamilton. where ne
threw IL into the Miami river
Then he went to Cincinnati where ne
told his relatives that he had sent MS
wife down to visit them and seemed
rnvstifed because she had failed to reach
n.- destination. He remained in Gin
cinnati until the day following Christmas
when he returned to Hamilton. sent ms
household goods to Indianapolis ana
went there himself.
There on Jan. 2. 1903. Knapp met Anna
May Gamble and on Feb. 4. ne marrieo
her. Cincinnati relatives OF Knapp
learning OF this marriage started an IN
yestigation on Feb. as to the where,
abo,,ts OF Hannah Goddard Knapp and
nnallv on the night OF Feb. "a. appealed
10 the Hamilton police for assistance.
THE police did quick work. Knapp was
living In Indianapolis with Anna may
Gamble.
Cant. Lenehan hastened TO lndianap-
oils and there arrested Knapp. VINO re-
turned TO Hamilton without requisiton
papers. On the day that Knapp was
brought to Hamilton he cleared up the
mystery of the disappearance of Hannah
Goddard Knapp by confessing 10 her
murder.
Even though Knapp had confessed TO
this murder still there seemed to De
something weighing ON his mind ana on
asked TO see Mayor Charles 8. Bosch as
ne desired TO make another confession
Then IL was that he confessed the foi-
lowing murders;
On July 2i. 1894, the dead body os En-
ma Littieman was found In lumber
yard, In Gest street. cincinnati she
had been strangled TO death. but the
mystery of her death was never solved.
Knapp confessed that he committed uhs
murder.
II was on Aug. q. 1894. that the people
of Cincinnati were startled by the mur-
der of May Eckert. Her dead body was
found in a room in building opposue
the Central Y. NJ. c. A. In Walnut
street She had been strangied TO death.
For DAYS the police Of the Queen city
worked upon this case, but finally IL
was passed up as one or the unsolVed
mysteries Knapp confessed that he
committed this crime.
On Aug O. 1894. the body OF Jennie
Conners Knapp was found floating in the
canal in cincinnati. The coroner said
Il was suicide. Knapp confessed that
on the evening of Aug. Z, 1894. he and
his wife had walked down to Liberty
street bridge over the canal. They sat
under the bridge and talked over some
troubles they had had
Thon Knapp picked up stone, tap
ped her on the head and then threw her
into the canal He reported to the p9hce
tnat his wife was missing. and when her
body was found received the sympathy
OF friends and neighbors.
IL was early in July, 1895. that little
Ida Gebhart was found murdered in an
alley in Indianapolis, Ind. Her head
had been crushed in. The mystery sur
rounding this crime was never solved
until Knapp confessed that he killed the
child with a hatchet.
Knapp's confessions OF hts crimes
seemed TO relieve him and he was taken
back to jail.
The body OF Hannah Goddard Knapp,
thrown into the Miami river on Dec. %.
1902. was found in the Ohio river not far
from Louisville, Ky. The body was
fully identified and brought here for
burial Thus the state forged another
chain OF evidence which will be used In
an effort 10 send Knapp 20 the electric
chair.
The defense OF Knapp WIN no doubt be
insanity. for he now asserts that in 1881
i.e was struck by lighting while living
in Terre Haute. Ind. while his family
declares that he was kicked in the head
by a horse IN 1876.
Knapp was born I'm Greeneburg. Ind,
in 1862 and In 1882 was sent 20 prison
at Joliet, IN. from Chicago I'm 1884 he
married his FIRST wife, Emma Stubbes
at Terre Haute. Ind. but she secured n
divorce from him within year. In
1856. In Lawrenceburg. Ind, he married
Jennie Conners. whom he murdered I'm
Cincinnati. In 1896 he was sent 10 the
Michigan City, Ind. prison from Indian
apolis. Ind, for mistreatlng his cousin,
Alice Hill 1899 he was sent to the Col
umbus. o.. penitentiary from Cincinnati
for attacking woman.