The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-04-10
A Chain of Evidence
1t Convicted a Man Of a Crime He
Had Not Committed.
By MARGARET BARR
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

Jinsinger, rented q house at l45 Croker
street, in the city Of London. They
lived apparently happily together till
the husband took In Ruth Kirkwood. a
typist and stenographer. From that time
the author and the typist were sec" 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 lain diseases was
seen to make visits TO the house.
On the 10th Of March, 1908. Mrs.
Jinsinger was seer for the last time ut
her home. Miss Martha Ellison. living
opposite, saw her enter her house Il
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 60 away, both
separately and together. On the Both
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 IN
rent. The agent for the house report
ed that be went to it and found 1t de-
serted. No one saw them move out,
and 1t was, supposed that they had
done so at night when no n was
about.
During the autumn Of 1910 No. 145
Croker street was RACED to make room
for a business block. The cellar was
widened and deepened to fit the new
structure. Several feet under the old
cellar floor the eycavators came upon
q 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. Jlnsin-
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 Jinslnger 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 1t 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 was convicted principally
on the evidence that has been stated
here. Miss. Kirkwood was acquitted
Of being an accessory to the murder
after the fact. Jlnsinger was SEN
fenced to be hanged, according to the
English law. about three weeks after
hfs=conyiction.
One morning In the spring Of 1908
Edward Burnes, a timer living on the
outskirts of London, on going out to
work found a woman lying uncon-
scious before his door. He carried her
Into the house and put her under the
care of his wife. She OOH regained
consciousness, but could give no &C
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 in1u.
ence the woman was removed to a
hospital. where she was entered as a
permanent patient. Two years after
her going there NJ morning on taking
up a newspaper she gave a shrek. She
had seen q 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 vas to be ex-
ecuted.
A reprieve was granted to Jinslnger.
who, on proof Of the identity Of his
wife, was released. Subsequently the
detectives made a hunt for Peter Har-
tgan and John Flynn. After q 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. finally told
that while the tw, lived together at
l45 Croker street the house had been
infested with rats. Hartigan had
bought arsenic with which to poison
them. One night Flynn. being III, arose
In the dark for some medicine he had
been taking. got hold Of the arsenic
by mistake and died from taking a
large dose. Fearing that he would be
accused Of having poisoned Flynn.
Hartigan had endeavored to destroy
the body with quicklime; but, failing
to do so entirely, he had buried what
was left Of 1t In the cellar.
H~artigan. being asked why he had