The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-02-28
THIRD DEGREE AMERICAN, UN-CHR|STIAN
Woman Driven to Desperation by Detectives Who Com
Whose Mature She Vas Ignorant
" EsTKER GRIFFIN WHITE.

WHOSE nature Oh
~ EoTkER GRIFFIN WHITE.
Truth II stranger than fiction.
This 10 one Of the old saws that 10
qaotabIe because 1t 10 true and isn't
Irritating.
People take certain pleasure in
believing that their lives possess ro-
auance that cannot be matched by the
widest imagiuings Of q novelist or
Ioet.
And they will, ON occasion. give Gre
Aence to the most preposterous tales,
that could not. periodically. be iE-
vented by IN accomplished Actionist.
THE Third Degree" a play that had
considerable vogue season or two
agC, was thought to be exaggerated
for theatriHal effect, but, according to
the following clipped from paper Of
recent date, the story Of the drama
had nothing on that in real life:"
With both kser confession and an en-
pbatic Reputation of 1t in their hands,
the Brooklyn police held Winfield An
kers In police station tonight. charg-
ell with causing the deaths Of eight ba-
bier by poison at the Brooklyn Nurs-
cry and Infams' Hospital this week.
The admission she made last night Of
having placed oxalic acid in the babies
milk In order to make trouble for the
nurses. who had suubbed her, were
false. she declared. and had been
wrung from her unfairly with threats
10 take her baby from her.
~ didn't poison the babies; l loved
them too much" she snid. II signed
that confeA sion, without reading 1t.
only after the detectives had played
Oh my love for my own child until
was nearly crazed."
Ever since Tuesday. she said, she
had been bounded by detectives. Last
their hands. she said she grew frantic
ard cried out. II did It," then she said
they wrote out confession" and had
her sign 1t.
MY God! ! didn't do it," she ex-
claimed over and over again today.
why did you say SO. them"
II don't know. thought | wonld
save the doctors and the hospital a lot
OF trouble from the police"
II IL very much to be doubted If any
woman would be so inhuman mon
stei as to deliberately poison eight ba-
bies
The very best In any woman is
aroused by children.
II 10 we'll known fact that reforma.
lion has often been effected. to a Ger.
tain degree, in some hardened femi-
Eine sinner through the medium Of a
child.
BY permitting her to retain the guar.
dianship Of her own child. in inst ance,
or to take on that of some child known
to her. It IL VIGOROUSLY true that wom-
on OF uncertain morals will bring up a
, daughter most vigorously.
Cases of women numbering their
children are more or less common, but
tue murder Is invariably found to have
been committed in q moment of des-
pairing insanity because of the hope
lesc prospect before them and of her
inability to see anything for them but
future misery. poverty, privation and
unhappinesa
Many persons doubted the accumu.
lated murders laid at the door of the
famous Mrs. Gunncss,of Indiana fame
"
tUre persons and attributed to we'll es-
tablished and logical reasons their
preparation seems altogether possible
and probable.
With the Brooklyn women. however
this particular crime seems incredi-
bic. and her explanation of being bull
lied and tortured into signing a "con-
fexsion" Of whose nature she was ig-
l!orant, or but vaguely comprehended.
II entirely believable
Although the people OF careful. cal
Culating minds, who cautiously exam
Inc into the minutest details of any
proposition" in which they are asked
to become involved and only sign their
names to papers after fasting and
prayer. to say nothing of legal consul.
tation.. boot at the idea Of people care
lessly affixing their signatures to mo-
neLtous bits Of paper. 1t 10 the truth
that there Is large and constantly
undepleted class Of the latter
The writer remembers to have once
signed some document. OF whose con-
tents she was entirely unacquainted.
to rid herself OF IN importunate book
agent. He stayed on and on and on. 1t
wns at moment when the former was
supposed to be looking after the culin.
arv department Of the household.
Tragedies Of burnt steak and scorch.
ed potatoes floated before her vision.
And the advantages are SO appar.
eEt--" says the devious agent.
"Oh--obvious--most Obvious" you
murmur rising. but really don't want
the book"
IN that case" said the agent. Il am
sure you will not object to recommend.
INK our publicstion-your name was
given to me As one OF the leading"
\ ~~nn->u~