New-York tribune., 1912-02-24
Attendant at Brooklyn Nursery
Confesses She Put 0xaliC Acid
in Milk "to Get Even"
with Nurses.
SOLVE MYSTERIOUS DEATHS
Coroners Physician Thinks She
Is Insane-To Be Arraigned
in the Police Court on
Homicide Charge
This Morning.


has been under surveillance for the last
two days, following the mysterious
deaths Of eight infants in that institu-
ton within the last week, made a con-
fession last night to Lieutenants Nc
Kirby and Thompson, of the Atlantic
avenue station in which she said she had
put oxalic acid in the milk bottles. She
said she had done this. not with the in
tention of killing the infants. but be-
cause she wanted to get even" with the
nurses, whom she regarded as her enc
mics.
After her oral confession Of murder
the Ankers woman made a written
statement in the presence Of As
sistant District Attorney Warbasse. The
woman was not placed under arrest last
night, but was closely watched by the
police. She will be arraigned In the
Gates avenue police court to-day. on a
charge Of homicide. 1t Is the opinion OF
DIR. Charles Wuest, Coroner's Physician.
that the woman is insane.
| Perhaps the strangest feature OF Wini-
fred Ankers's confession lies I'm the fact
| that her admission of guilt was obtained
| through her love for her own baby, which
is in the hospital with her. After every
other method had been exhausted In an
effort to wiring from the woman her con-
nection with the deaths Of the children,
Lieutenant McKirdy decided to appeal
10 the woman's love for her child.
Legitimate though the infant Is, Wini-
fred Ankers has shown her great love
for the child When she was told that
unless she told the truth her child would
be placed in another institution, she
broke down and confessed.
The woman glared at McKirdy and
clnched her hands then she rushed at
him as though TO strike, but when the
detective repeated his warning about
her child, she suddenly relaxed and be-
gan to weep.
VERY we'll. then, will tell you all
about 1t. I did put the poison in the milk
bottles. knew / would have TO tell the
1 truth sooner or later" AS she said this
| the young woman began to sob hysteri-
cally and wiring her hands.
McKirdy Immediately called on the
District Attorneys Office, and Mr.. War
basse jumped into an automobile and
was driven to the hospital. He asked
the woman II she wished TO make writ
ten confession and she said she did.
DO you know that every word YOU
a;,,at
when the case comes to trial?" asked
the official.
Wanted to Tell Truth.
Yes, l know that, and still want tn
tell the truth--it will make me feel
easier" said the woman.
In the presence of Mr.. Warbasse. the
detectives and Coroner Glinnen and his
physician, DR.. wuest. the woman then
made this statement. which was written
down, word by word, as she spoke:
ION Saturday night last, after mid
night. when the milk bottles had been
prepared with the babies milk, / went
down 10 the pantry where the ice chest
is kept, and lifted the lid. / then took
the absorbent shoppers from the neck of
one bottle and put two or three drops
of oxalic acid into the milk. l then re-
placed the stopper and did the same
thing 10 the next. I did the same thing
to more than a dozen bottles-there we're
thirty bottles there in all. but just when
| had poisoned about half Of them 1
thought / heard some one coming down
the hall. and slammed down the lid and
ran to my room.
'I did not put the poison there with
any intention of killing the babies. but
because wanted to get the nurses into
.trouble-they are my enemies. I did not
think there was enough poison there to
kill the children. but I thought they
would be very sick, and the nurses would
have a lot of trouble. That is all / have
to say about it, and that is the whole
truth"
According to a statement made last
night by the police, who have been
watching the woman, they were practi-
calIv sure she was responsible for the
deaths of the infants as early as Tues
6av night on that night one OF the
nurses in the institution overheard her
talking 60 herself, as she rocked her own
child on her knee. According to the In
formation given to the police. the woman
said. speaking as though to her child.
"Now next / will give you dose, then
one for me, and that will be the end
OF it all.
Watched Her Closely.
This speech. coming after the deaths
~ babies in the institution, aroused the
suspicions OF the police. They kept
close watch on the woman, although she
aid not know that anybody was keeping
an eye on her.
An autopsy which DIR. Charles Wuest,
the Coroner's physician. performed yes
terday noon on the body OF Rachel
Idebowitz strengthened the belief that
the deaths were due to poison.
"The same conditions appeared In the
bodv as in the bodies which l examined
before" DIR. wuest explained. Il am
confident that the deaths were due TO
noison. probabl.- oxalic acid"
Roth DIR. Herbert Z. Alien ana LII. II.
Rodney Fiske, chief of staff, were firm
IN their belief that poison was used. Or.
Allen said last night that he had just
heard from the hospital and that two
of the four children who are Ill with tho
same sickness that ended the lives OF
the eight who have already died were in
a serious condition. Two. he thought.