Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-07-18


Jane Toppon was professional
nurse and az extremely skiiful one.
commanding large wages and being
in constant demand by physicians in
Cambridge. Lowell, Someryille and
Boston
In August. 1901. Mrs. Charles Gibbs
died under circumstances that arous.
ed suspicion of poisoning For months
the case was investigated. and finally
suspicion was directed to Jane Top
pan. but that the middle-aged skilled
nurse. whose benevolence was famed
among her acquaintances. could have
Killed her friend, seemed incredible.
hut other deaths were recalled, and
one by one they were brought home
to Miss Toppan, until the list com.
prlsed no less than thirty-one.
Repeated small doses of morphine
usually were the means used in every
case, but as everyone who had died
had been IA sick person and the poison
had been given in Il most siiliul man
ner so suspicious had been aroused
The murder of these thirtyone per
sons extended over period of several
years
When Miss Toppan was arrested
she stouty denied her guilt, but the
evidence in the case of Mrs Gibbs was
conclusive. Then the woman broke
down and confessed all To her law.
yer, Judge Fred NJ Bixby of Lowell,
she recited the appalling details of
her career. She declared she was
moved by an uncomfortable impulse
to kill.
She boasted with obvious gratinca-
tion that in no instance had the at.
tending physicians had any suspicion
that death was not from natural
causes. When she was brought to
trial she said; Il know that | am not
"A safe person to be at liberty" She
had described the paroxysms of her
victims with convincing detail and
with analytical intelligence She knew
and said she could not control her
humicidal impulses. the desire 10 kill
BY the most nrtful means known-the
injection of atroplne and morphine.
She was declared insane and sentenc.
ed to life confinement
Among her victims was Mrs Anna
G. Gordon of Chicago. who was visit.
ing her parents In Cataumet in July.
1901
GENEVA. July loom Paul Kru.
ger former president of the Trans.
yaal republic. died at Clarenz this
morning. Heart failure following
pneumonia is given as the cause of
death. He has been unconscious
since Monday. The body will be sent
10 the Transvaal as soon as perms.
sion can be obtained from Great
Britain
PARIS. July 1.-THE death of for.
mer President Kruger of the Trans
vaal causes widespread regret here
owing TO French sympathy for the
Boer cause and personal sympathy for
The ex-president. 1t has been known
for some time that Krugers health
was going to pieces. Visitors describ-
ed him AS being a pathetic figure of
calm endurance His eyesight had
been dimmed but he sat much at
times with his Bible before him, NUT
tering wcll-known passages. He al
ways avoided reference to the Boer
war, but when II was occasionally
mentioned lie showed no resentment
and expressed the belief that Droyi-
dence would eventually render justice
TO the Boer cause.
ST. LOUIS. July 1.-THE nomina,
tlon of Henry G. Davis for vice pres.
ident by the Democrats, II the ex.
pressions from some Of the leaders of
his party are to be believed, is not one
that will appeal to the masses. It
would be difficult to find anyone to
deny that Mr.. Davis was selected for
second place for three important rea.
sons. The first of these Is that he is
millionaire; a coal baron, stands in
with the moneyed people OF the coun-
try, and. cooperating with August Bel
mont, could raise big campaign fund.
In the second place, MIR. Davis II said
to be opposed to a tariff revision that
amounts to anything He was one OF
those who backed German when the
Maryland senator used his blue pencil
on the Wilson bill to such an extent
as to call forth from President Cleye
land expressions that are part of
the history of tariff Legislation; or
rather. the history of the failure OF
such proposed tariff Legislation as Mr.
Cleveland and his followers wished ac-
complished
DENVER. July IA horse and
dairy wagon belonging to Joseph Munt-
weller was lost in the quicksand at
the Union Pacific crossing over Sand
creek at O'Clock this morning. Munt-
weller was coming to Denver with a
dairy wagon load Of milk.
The crossing has always been con.
sldcrcd dangerous. and this morning.
owing TO the condition of the stream
he decided to cross about thirty yards
above the usual crossing place. No
sooner had he driven into the stream
than he noticed that his horse and
wagon We're sinking. He attempted to
unhitch the horse. but was unable to
do so. and in fact had great difficulty
in saving him8elf.
When the horse began To sink he
jumped into the stream aud began to
unhitch the animal from the wagon.
but It's struggles were so great that
IA. tnaI. un hauIUav al all and sud.