Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-08-19
JUICE
ENDED
CAREER
Knapp, the Ohio Stranger
ElectrOcuted for His
Many Crimes

Columbus, o., Aug. 1S-Alfred A.
Knapp, the Hamilton stranger, was
put to death in the electric chair in
the Ohio penitentiary annex today. A
short time ago the murderer joined
the Catholic church and his last
hours were spent in company of the
priest VINO has been a constant visi.
tor to his cell for several weeks.
In order to find anything like a
parallel to the case of Knapp it is
necessary to turn back the pages of
criminal history to decade ago when
the entire country was stirred by the
publication of the crimes of II. H.
Holmes. the arch-murderer who was
executed in Philadelphia. The sim
larity in the careers of the two Grim
inals exists, however, only in the
number of victims. According to their
own confessions and sustained by the
evidence dug up by the police both
men were guilty of at least half a
dozen murders and both managed to
escape suspicion for remarkable
length of time. But Holmes at least
had a motive for his crimes, namely,
to get the insurance money of his
victims while Knapp, so far as has
come to light, went about killing wo-
men and girls out of pure fiendisn de.
sire.
The FIVE cases to which Knapp con.
fessed after his arrest are as follows;
Emma IAttleman killed in lumber
yard at Cincinatti, June 21. 1894; May
Bckent, murdered in room on Walnut
street, Cincinatti, August 1, 1894;
Jennie Knapp, thrown into canal at
Liberty street, Cincinatti, August Z.
1894; Ida Gebhard, strangled at In.
dianapolis in July 1895, and Hanna
Knapp, murdered at Hamilton, o.,
December 20, 1902.
The crime for which Knapp was in,
dicted in March, 1903, was the murder
of his wife, Hannah Knapp. Regard
ing this murder Knapp said that
when ne awoke on the morning OF
the crime he was seized with an inn
pulse to strangle his wife. After ac.
complishing her death he got box
and nailed the corpse up. He hauled
the body two miles and threw It in
the Miami river. Some days later
the body was found in the river at
New Albany.
knapp's trial lasted from June 2S
10 July l61903, when a verdict of first |
degree murder was returned A de |
Tense Of insanity or degeneracy had |
been set up without avail A motion |
for a new trial was overruled and |
knapps attorney took the case to the |
circuit court which reversed the com.
mon pleas on the grounds. among
)thers, that the state failed to prove. |
according to law. that the deceased |
came to her death in the manner al.
.eged In the indictment, the only evi.
ie0ce being the confession. and that
i was error to admit this written CON
'ession and permit II to be used in
he argument Later the supreme
court reversed this decision of the cir.
'uit court and affirmed the decision
IF the lower court
Though Knapp confessed to FIVE
murders IL is believed that he was
guilty Of many more Previous to his
inal arrest ne had spent two-thirds
II his life in prison, but for the mur>
lers TO which he confessed he had
zone unsupported until few un.
'uarded words set the law upon him.
'or years he had been strangler
lie admitted pouucng upon innocent
'hildren and choking them to death.
tie was twice in state prison for fend.
Sl assaults upon women. At the
ime OF his arrest for murder he was
living with his fourth Wife In Indian.
.pohs.
Tae eleotrocution occurred at 1909
'clock this morning, and was very !
Uccessful only one charge being nee.
ssary. He was dead in six minutes.
nat refused to make any statement be.
one he died.