Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-01-05
A Chain Of Evidence
1t Convicted a Man Of a Crime He
Had Not Committed.
By MARGARET BARR
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

In January, 1908, Gustav Jinsinger,
a literary man, and his wife. Mary
Jinsinger. rented Il house at 145 Croker
street. in the city Of London. They
lived apparently happily together till
the husband took in Ruth Kirkwood, a
typist and stenographer. Fromthat time
the author and the typist were seen by
the neighbors to be frequently togeth-
er, and Mrs. Jinsinger was observed
often in tears. She was in poor health,
and a specialist in brain diseases was
seer to make visits to the house.
On the 10th of March, 1908. Mrs.
Jinsinger vas seen for the last time at
her home. Miss Martha Ellison. living
opposite. saw her enter her house and
close the front door behind her. No
one after this date saw her come out.
Her husband and Ruth Kirkwood were
seen to come out and go away, both
separately and together. On the 3Oth
Of April vans appeared before their
door and removed the furniture. Miss
Ellison saw Mr.. Jinsinger and the
typist leave the house together.
The next occupants of the house
were Peter Hartigan and John Flynn.
They were old men,, living exclusive
lives, wearing the meanest clothing
and evidently very poor. They left
the premises after occupying them
three months, never having paid any
rent. The agent for the house report
ed that he went to it and found it de-
serted. No one saw them move out,
and it was supposed that they had
done so at night when no one was
about.
During the autumn of 1910 No. 145
Croker street was RACED to make room
for q business. block. The cellar was
widened and deepened to fit the new
structure. Several feet under the old
cellar floor the e%Xcavators came upon
a human body, or, rather. the remains
of a body, that had been considerably
eaten away by quicklime or some de-
structive agent. The place Of burial
and the attempted destruction Of the
body excited suspicion. The case was
reported to the police. who made in
quiries as to the past occupants of the
premises. and the doings Of the jim
singers came to light. On chemical
analysis the body was found to con
tain traces of arsenic.
The case at once arrested the at
tention Of detectives. The appearance
Of the typist. the facts of Mrs. Jinsin-
gers depression and that she had not
been seen to leave the house seemed
to indicate that Jinsinger and Miss
Kirkwood had been lovers and that
they had removed Mrs. Jinsinger that
they might marry. If Jinsinger could
be found living with the typist there
would be sufficient evidence against
him to convict him before any jury.
A hunt was made for the author, but
for a long while nothing was heard Of
him. At last it was learned that he.
accompanied by a girl, had sailed for
America. A detective crossed in a
faster steamer, arrested him and the
girl, who proved to be Miss Kirkwood.
and took both to London for trial.
Jinsinger vas convicted principally
on the evidence that has been stated
here. Miss Kirkwood was acquitted
of being an accessory to the murder
after the fact. Jinsinger was SEN
fenced to be hanged. according to the
English law. about three weeks after
his conviction.
One morning in the spring of 1908
Edward Burnes. Il timer living on the
outskirts of London. on going out to
work found d woman lying uncon-
scious before his door. He carried her
into the house and put her under the
care of his wife. She soon regained
consciousness. but could give no ac-
count Of herself. She could not ever
remember her name. She was per-
mitted to spend the day in the timers
house. and when he returned in the
evening he reported the case to a
physician. Through the doctors infu-
ence the was removed to a
hospital. where she was entered as a
permanent patient. Two years after
her going there II morning on taking
up a newspaper she gave a shrek. She
had seen a notice Of the coming exc.
cution Of Gustav Jinsinger. A number
of persons collected about her and
learned from her that the name jim.
singer had brought back her memory.
She said she was the woman for
whose murder .Jinsinger was to be ex.
ecuted.
A reprieve was granted to .Jinsinger.
who, on proof of the identity of his
wife, was released. Subsequently the
detectives made a hunt for Peter Har.
tigan and John Flynn. After a long
search they found Hartigan and de.
manded to know what had become OF
Flynn. He ~contradicted himself in his
replies and, being further questioned
by experts in such cases. fnahy told
that while the two lived together al
145 Croker street the house had beer
infested with rats. Hartigan liaC
bought arsenic with which to poison
them. One night Flynn, being ill, arose
in the dark for some medicine he had
been taking, got hold Of the arsenic
1 ~ sE.-.A