davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1906-10-21
Poison An Evidence of Affection.

Yet. in spite Of appearances, for
twenty years previous to her detection,
Jane Toppan's Outwardly placid life
was tern with one great and secret
and Unsuitable passion-the slow muir
der by poison OF those whom she
loved test With the exception Of her
foster sister. all Of her victims were
either her patients or the families Of
her patients. In her minisrations
about their sick beds she invariably
grew fond OF all her patients. When
the fondness reached the stage OF a
deeper affection she adopted the very
pare JoXical method of dosing them
with deleterious drugs to impede their
progress toward speedy recovery.
With innumerable of the hundreds
The Washington times., 1906-10-21
Carried Out Plans CoolIy.

In planning and carrying out her
homicidal acts she was, she asserted,
always calm and clear headed. After
administering the poisons she expert
enced great relief and went to bed and
slept soundly. In telling OF her crimes
she exhibited no bravado. but showed
that she iiad no appreciation Of the en-
Ormity OF her acts. Why don't /
The Washington times., 1906-10-21

land stock. Certainly the famous
BertilIcn system OF measurement fail
ed TO detect in her a single evidence
of inherent criminality and. by her
itage, she should have possessed the
traditional Puritan conscience In ap-
pearance she IS a quiet, motheTly per
son. and by profession was a trained
nurse
The Washington times., 1906-10-21
D BY 7 HE
ms OF HER
VIC 7 IMS.I
FACING
DEA TIL.

commit the four crimes OF arson 70
which she also confessed.
All her poisoning was done with
opium. with a fatal dose OF atropina.
and the draught was so given In
Hunyadi water as 10 be unsupported
by the patient and by physician as
The Washington times., 1906-10-21
Knew No RemOrse.

81 feel" she said. after her i'm
prisonment. absolutely the same as
l always have been. ] might say l
feel hilarious, but perhaps that ex-
presses 1t too strongly I do not know
the feeling Of fear and ] do not know
the feeling Of remCrse. although I un-
derstand perfectly what these words
mean. But i cannot sense them at
all. ] do not seem 10 be able TO real
ize the aWfulnesS of the things l have
done. though I realize very well what
those awful things are. ] try 10 pic
ture 1t by saying to myself, + have
poisoned Mary, my dear friend; ] have
poisoned Mrs. Gibbs. ] have poisoned
Mr.. Davis and Mrs. Davis, but 1
seem Incapable 10 realize the awful
ness of IL. Why don't ! feel sorry and
grieve over it7 / don't know. ] seem
TO have a sort of paralysis Of thought
and reason"
Among Jane TopTan's last victims
were Mrs Mary + Davis. Cataumet,
Mass; Mrs. Annie Gordon, Mrs. Davis,
daughter. Chicago: Alden p. Davis,
ths father; May + Gibbs. a daugh-
ter
For nearly two years after she had
been in the asylum. visitors 10 the
hospital were unable TO observe in her
any trace of insanity. The question
The Washington times., 1906-10-21

for the better and quite as suddenly
revertiug 10 former conditions Of coma
and unconsciousuess. II was a long
game which Nurse Toppan playeo
with her brother-in-law, and I'm the
end she megnarinorsIy allowed him
to win, and re is today alive and wei,
a wcll-known and highly respected
resident OF Lowell
No; so fortunate. however. was Miss
Florence Calkins. whom Mr Brigham
employed two wears later as his house
keeper, and who was taken suddenly
IN upon the occasion Of Sister-in-lsw
Toppan's annual visit 10 Lowell. which
she continued regularly even after the
death OF Mrs. Brigham and lonE after
the death Of Miss Calkins. The latter
died after a few days illness. in jan
nary, Of 1900. and It so happened that
upon the occasion Of Sis;er-in-law
Toppan'5 next visit 10 Mr. Brigham's
house. IN 1901, she met as q fellow
visitor the Iattev's sister. Mrs Edna
Bannlster. of Turbridge. VI. Mrs.
Rannister was on her way to the Buff
falo Exposition. and had stopped of
IN Lowell for two days. She vas taken
nl within "a few hours of her arrival
and dled the following day in Jane
Toppan's arms.
1t was not until August. 1901 when
Mrs May r. Gibbs. OF Cataumet-
Mass. one OF Miss Toppan's patients.
died under circumstances which the
authorities regarded as suspicious.
that the nurse was suspected. Detec-
tives were set At work unearthing her
record. Experts watched her quietly
without letting her know that she was
under observation. She was arrested
and convicted in the spring Of 1902.
She was adjudged insane and commit
ted 70 the Taunton Asylum. where
she finally confessed 70 long list
of murders
The Washington times., 1906-10-21
Let One Victim Escape.

For a lorg time he fingered. his con-
dition varying from day 10 day. some
times reaching almost the point OF
death, then taking a sudden change
The Washington times., 1906-10-21

taking in all about $500. W Gould
Brokaw. with Pagan Bey, was also
a large winner, getting about
$500.
Recalls Palmy Days of Sport.
The fad for thoroughbred hunt
ers as opposed 10 the halfbred
jumping horses, has been on the
increase for the past few years.
The stock farmers are giving this
type of horse a great deal of at
tention. and there have been classes
for thoroughbred hunters at nearly
all the horse shows this year. 1t
will be interesting 10 note how
much this fad viii have 10 do with
the entries for the steeplechases at
Benning. and also how the different
types viii finish.
To the oid-time horsemen the
meeting of the United Hunts viii
recall the performances of Jack
Cheeyer, Harry Harwood, Foxhall
Keene, and others in the saddle.
That there are good steeplechasing
horses today and good steepleehase
riders cannot be disputed, and 1t is
probable that the United Hunts
Association will put the sport back
upon the plane it once occupied.
nL o. Tn0E
The Washington times., 1906-10-21
Confessed to Thlrty-One Murders.


Jane Toppan is one of the most re-
markabIe criminals within the mem
ory of the present generation. She is
known 20 have poisoned thirty-one
persons. This she has confessed to.
and her confession is supported by
incontestabIe evidence. They were not
enemies. real or fancied. these vic
Tins Of hers. She had no grudge
against them, For the most part, she
called them friends. They Lad been
kind TO her She had nothing TO gain
by their death
The methods We're practically the
same in each instance. The poison
employed was. according 10 her story,
always morphia. and In those cases
which she chose 10 bring TO a fatal
hnality a staggering dose of atrOpia.
She cannot remember the details in ali
cases. she declares, because poison
ing had become a habit of her life.
II seems 10 have been merely habit"
She killed without malice, without
conceivable motive.
And yet, complete moral degenerate
that she was.a homiCidal maniac of
tce mort pronounced type. Jane Top
IN is said 70 be of sturdy New Eng
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

the vigorous rubbing movement
Another interesting experiment Is
this: Procure a piece Of lead pipe,
about two inches in the bore and
three inches long; the thicker the lead
is the better for your experiment.
The pipe being set up on end. we
a piece Of brass, about eight inches
long, one to One-and-a-haf inches
wide. and a quarter OF an inch thick.
File away the edges of one OF the nat
sides 10 make IL ovai-Shaped. so that
it will rock to and fro IL put in mo-
tion upon table.
Instead of having the brass filed. a
blacksmith can give 1t a slight curve
(observe, IL must be lengthwtSe) by
a few blows with a sledgehammer;
either way answers the purpose, ana
when made, it is called hummer.
The dimensions here given are not
essential to the success OF the expert
ment; they are merely given as a
guide Now. If one end OF the hum
mer be made hot (not quite redhotl
In a clear fire, and then laid across
the stand, oval side down ward. giving
it a slight rock TO commence with, IL
will continue in motion. producing at
the same time a peculiar humming
sound.
Both the motion and sound VIII
continue a surprisingly long ume'
until, in fact. the stand and the num-
mer reach the same temperature.
No one has been able fully to ex-
plain the reason OF th.s phenomenon
1t certainly is very curious Try II
some day, boys and girls
Ny third suggestion is old as the
hills. but may be new to you. 1t Is
always interesting. apparently prov
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23
Tom Tits Experiments

AVE you ever made magic fish
~ of your own? Doubtless you
have seen the fortune telling
fish that the stores give away
and that curl up In your palm. But
these magic fish are not the same
thing.
Take bit Of silk paper and cut out
a couple OF fishes. Arrange them in a
cross shape on the point end of
needle which you have implanted in
cork
Cover the whole thing with drink
ing glass and rub the glass vigorously
with a piece Of wooden cloth. You will
find the fishes Immediately whirling
about on the needle point
You can do the same trick with
butterflies and any other sort OF OBJ
1ect cut out of silk paper, also.
Now, do you understand what causes
the fishes to whirl about as they do?
Yes. II is acknowledgements by
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

as trainers say). They rise straight
up in the air, take a look around,
spy the home loft and make straight
for il. Any bird falling to do this
may be put down at once as hopeless
~ inferior and not worth further
training.
Each successive morning the same
procedure IS followed, but the dis
tance is increased and a different di-
rection is taken in each homer's case.
Before long the distance has become
half mile, then il grows to nile.
finally to FIVE miles. and so II goes
homers finding home from a distance
of twenty miles.
From this point on he will have TO
content himself with the survival OF
the fittest" Only the superior birds
will develop under his training to the
point where even at "a distance Of $50
miles they will unerringly find home
again.
The best OF those superior birds are,
of course, the strongest-winged ones
who will cover the distance in the
quickest time.
The training of homers is for the
most part a private sport in America.
but il is coming to be something Of
an industry.
In one country-Belgium-i is real
~ a great industry. The railways are
constantly transporting thousands Of
the closed baskets containing homers
destined for certain points where they
are to be tossed"
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23
An Outdoor Aquarium

you can make very nice, safe
" and pretty home for number
of water plants and water ami
mails by following the direc-
tions given below, anS at the same
time you can enjoy the great privilege
and pleasure Of watching the daily
growth and development of both the
animals and plants.
Take a water-tight barrel sawed
through the middle. Take one-half
and set IT on the ground where you
wish It to be Cor sink l. a few inches
into the ground, as you please).
Heap earth about this half-barrel
and cover the top and sides with sod,
fitting the sod neatly so as to look
well.
Put sand in the bottom OF the bar
rel, and then from some nearby pool
of water fetch several varieties OF
water plants and bed them by the
roots in this sand. Do this very care
fully, putting some loose stones about
on top to hold the roots in place
Fill the half-barrcl with rainwater
and let the plants stard several days
till the roots become firmly fixed In
their places. Instead of sand. you can
bring the soil that the plants origi-
nally grew in.
After the plants get a good start
then stock the barrel with young
pollywogs, snails and other varieties
of water animals
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

VE THEN the world was quite
W. young, there were giants, in the
w land, and the land L mean
was neither here, there, nor
anywhere else in particular; still 1t did
exist, because 1t was in the days when
the fairies used to dance in the dellS
and dwelt all day in the flowers.
But the giants knew nothing of the
fairies, because they lived In the capital
of Squankland, and the other inhab-
ltants only smiled incredulously when
the beautiful elves, who led such happy
lives. were mentioned.
Now, in small village in Squankland,
called Dellydale. there dwelt a dwarf
whose name was Quantock, and he lived
a life of persecution, because the in
habitants were of a quarrelsome nature
ana could not agree many days together
with any one It was said Of them that
they would quarrel with their own
shadows If there was nothing else TO
find fault with. They were a most dis
contented lot, those jewellers in Dolly
dale, and because they could not be
happy themselves and enjoy the glorious
sunlight, they hated to see any one else
happy.
And yet they were handsome, tall and
prosperous people. in a splendid coun-
try, where the grapes grew in profusion
and where the pureSt OF wine flowed, as
il were, like milk and honey. For they
were makers of a delicious wine that
was specially prepared for all sick and
ailing folk.
This Industry in itself, one would
think. would have had a cheering intiu-
ence on their natures, but the contrary
was the case. They were a grumpy lot,
and Grumbled at everything. just like
that remarkable person who 'nged for
something, she did not know what. and
when she got IT, she did not want it.
Quantock the Dwarf had no human
companion to talk TO, so he used to
tell all his troubles every night 10 the
fairies when the moon rode high in
the heavens; and sometimes be
thought they answered him and told
him not to be cast down.
He lived with his great grand
mother away in the valley beside a
bubbling brook that reflected the sun
light in a thousand different shades.
He was sadly deformed, and had to
hobble about with a stick; and it was
the delight of the village children.
When he visited Dellydale to buy food
for the little house, since his old
at-grandmother could only sit out
side the hut and sun herself through
out the day, it was a delight of the
village children to take away his
staff. so that he had either to wait
until some one more kind than the rest
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

should give him a Hoping hand or
else crawl home as best he could
without assistance.
This pleased these naughty children
more than ever, for, as poor Quantock,
with tears in his eyes, moved SLOWLY
along on his hands and knees they
would dance around him all the way
and jeer at him for being misshapen
and ugly.
This unfair, unjust and cruel treat
ment lasted for many long months,
but, in spite of it all, Quantock's sweet
and generous nature remained I'M
spoiled, and he never wished them any
harm in return.
One day, when they were more than
usually vicious through never being
checked by their misguided parents,
the village children seized Quantock
and threw him into the centre of
small patch that was surrounded by
briars and nettles. and there he lay
for hours, stunned and bleeding.
Now, in the village lived a sweet lit
tie maiden called Elvina, whose
sweetheart was the great Stormont
babe Elvina ever to speak to him. 1t
so happened On the night that Guam
took was lying in the briar patch.
moaning with pain and just waking
from his Inconsistencies, that Stor-
mont and Elvina passed that way.
They heard the cries, and Stormont
was for going to the rescue, but when
he saw it was Quantock he only
'
though she begged of him to assist
the helpless dwarf out Of his diff
Guilty.
Still Stormont laughed, and deep
anguish sank into Elvina's heart and
her sympathieS went out to the dwarf
as she reluctantly went with Stormons
to her home. When she said Good
night" to Stormont she did not go in
doors at once, but said she would rest
by the garden gate and drink in the
evening air.
Then, when Stormont was out OF
sight, she got a hedge knife and ran
as fast as she could to where Guam
took was imprisoned and cut away
enough OF the briars 10 enable the
dwarf to crawl through. Then she cut
him a thick stick from a tree close
by, and was going TO leave, when he
begged she would tell him her name.
At last she whispered, quite bashfully.
"Elvina."
And that night the dwarf blessed
Elvina, and when he was well again
he told the fairies all about her.
QuantOck explained TO his old great
grandmother that he was not strong
enough to go to the village again for
a long time. and so they would have
TO eat and drink sparingly of what
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

ing, as it does. that the laws OF ma
ture can be reversed.
Take a plate, a tumbler and a small
piece of tissue or silver paper. Set
the plate on a table and pour water
in It up to the first rim
Now very slightly crumple up the
paper and place 1t In the glass; then
set IL on fire. When 1t is burnt out
or rather just as the last flame disaP-
pears, turn the glass quickly upside
down into the water.
Astonishing! The water rushes with
great violence into the glass! Now
you have satisfied your friends, that
water can be placed IN a drinking
glass upside down
Hold the glass firm. and the plate
also. You can now reverse the posi-
ton of the plate and glass and thus
convince the most skeptical Of the
truth of your experiment.
better way to do is to burn bran
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23
Counting In" and Count
ing Out"

kG@OUNTING in" and counting
out" rhymes are popular
everywhere throughout the
world Except for changes
20 give them local coloring, many or
the rhymes that are liked the best are
almost identical in all languages.
England and America, of course,
have RHYMES of the greatest similar
ity, because the language IS the same
and many of the points or interest
are the same. England has not Dor
rowed much from America, put AMER lleiI,,
can children use a great many English
rhymes. Some that are used In both
countries equally are:
Overy, livery, ickery Ann.
Fillusy, follusy, Nicholas John,
QueeVy, Quavy, English navy,
Stingalum. Stangalum, buck.
Eeny, meeny. mona, my,
Barcelona, bona, stry,
Kay bell, broken we'll
Wee. WoZ, WacK-
One-i-zoi. two-i-zoi. Fan,
Bobtail, vinegar. tockle and tan,
Harum, Scarum, Cecil Marum,
ST, 10, whack-
One. two, three. four.
Lily at the kitchen door
Eating peaches off a plate,
Five six. seven. eight.
One. two. three.
Out goes he
Into the middle
OF the deep blue sea
If this be so
We all know
AS here we sit,
That you are 1T.
One a penny bun.
Two a penny bun,
One a penny, TWO Jenny
Hot cross bun.
II vour mother don't like EN-
Give 'em to her son.
Out goes one!
Interv. mintery, cut ry. corn.
Ample seed and briar thorn
Wine beer, Timber lock,
Three geese in one flock;
One flew east and one new west
one few over the cuckoos nest.
OUT. Out
Stick. stock, stone dead.
Rick, rock, dead in bed;
Flip. flop, girls and men.
Lip. lop. alive again
There IS a strong likeness between
one of the rhymes USED by German rlI5 3
children and our own Eeny' heehS'
etc. for they chant
Enc, tent. mona. mel,
Parter lone. bone. streL
Enc, fune, herke. berke.
Wer? Vie? Wo? Was?
The children Of ireland have n rhyme
all their own. 1t runs like this;
A lirripeg, a larrapeg,
A bee a nail. a stone, stack.
bonnie Billie Pelpie,
A Belia-bug. warum rack.
Crib-e-stery. Hick
And so, you see, there Is no such
great difference among the children OF
the earth
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

of some good ways OF Willing away
your time.
Here is a delightful way. 1t is called
match building
Take your matches and cut off the
phosphorus ends. Then sit each one
down the end a little way Cut them
the lengths you want for the various
uses to which they are 70 be put.
Get a cork, some cardboard and some
white paper stationery Will DOB.
Follow the designs shown In these Die
lures, and you can make the little Miss
Araminda, with her short frock. eprOn,
cape and sailor hat
Then you can see how very easily you
can make chairs and tables and bed
steads and other pieces OF furniture for
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

''Ay. there is one way-one way only"
Tell IL to mech, please tell It TO
me-" begged Quantock.
What would be the good? You, poor
cripple, are powerless,"
''Ah. but ! could instruct those who
are not powerleSs-those who have
much power, indeed"
The old lady sank back in her chair,
faint and weary, and Quantock groaned
aloud in his despair. For she had eX-
hausted her feeble old body.
Tell me-" he urged, after a patient
pause, what can be done-What is the
secret?"
THE secret" she replied family. "the
secret is-a rock-lt must be-then the
water-will-will-"
But the old lady could say no more.
and. indeed. never spoke again.
part II Next Week.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

bearer in order To- be a good spec
linen Of the carrier" pigeon variety?
Ihe message bearers are now properly
called "homers"; perhaps you can guess
why-because they, more than any other
animal, love home" Take any pigeon
away from the place It has learned to
regard as It's home, and il Will surely
md it's way back. provided IT has
enough intelligence and strength TO do
50.
Intelligence and strength are the chief
REQUISITES, then. I'm a homer" which is
the highest type of message-carrying
pigeon Intelligence really means Won
derful keenness of sight remarkable
memory for land and water marks and
probably certain kind of instinct
which we cannot. OF course under
stand. much less describe.
Homers" are usually bred and kept
in loft either built high or located in
high place, so as to make a good land
mark Sometimes the entrance is gaily
colored so as TO DE conspicuous.
From babyhood the homers are per-
mtted to fly about the near neighbor-
hood, 80 as to practice finding home.
To encourage this habit they are set
loose before breakfast. and hunger is
relied upon to bring them home at the
proper time.
At months age the young birds
have developed both their home
finding instinct to a considerable de-
gree and strength Of, wings. Their
systematic training now begins
Early in the morning they are
placed IN closed baskets and carried
several hundred yards from home.
There they are released Cor tossed"
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

he had got. Then she learned OF the
shameful way he had always been
treated by the village people. and she
was angry.
Listen, Quantock! Doom shall fan
upon Dellydale, and the whole village
shall be swept away by the floods from
hand. The lake in the mountains will
overflow, and the waters will rush down
and desolation will come upon the
land"
Quantock heard her with bated breath.
for, as she spoke, she rose mysteriously,
and her words rang with the voice o. a
prophet.
"0h, is there no way to save the vil-
lager" asked he, for his very first
thought few to sweet Elvina, for whom
he would gladly die to save her from
such a horrible fate.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23
Goats as Guides

In parts of Switzerland the nocks
travel along the side OF a mountain
where the path is verv narrow and
rather dangerous in places.
Sometimes the man-shepherd patches
a difficult place TO make IL easier for
his sheep TO walk over. but The hardy
"gcat-shepherd' quite despises any
help OF this kind and takes flying
leap ove. the opening. Sometimes
they run down the steep SIDE OF a
mouswain AZ IL II we're quite a gentle
slope.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

DD you know that goats arc ever
SO much wiser and more SEN
sible than Sheep
In countries where the sheep nave
20 be taken n long way every DAY 20
their pasfure-ground the shepherd
always keep few goats In the nock
and these act as leaders and guides
Half q dozen goats TO hunorso
south OF France the peasants say that
the sheep will all huCJle together
and refuse TO move or unless they
have q goat to lead them
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23
Couldn't Guess It.

Papa" said little May, with her face
all smiles, II saw something without
legs running across the kitchen .;oor
this morning What do you think 1t
WASP?
Papa puzzled awhile. but could not
guess.
Give 1t up said he. What was it j.. >
Water" laughingly shouted the little
tot