The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-14
HER CONFESSION
ALMOST FORCED
Collins Points to Woman's Story
of lnquisition by the
Detectives.
REAFFIRMS HER INNOCENCE
Farm Folk Appalled, by Crime,
but Very Bitter Against
Frahm.
REAFFIRMS HER INNOCENCE
Especial to The Times-Dlspatch.l


Little Valley. y. Y. December "a
MY defense OF Mrs. Buffum will be an
attack upon the validity OF her alleged
confession" said Patrick Sarsficld Col
Inns. OF Clean. to-day.
''lIear for yourself this womans
story Of her inquisition by the dctec-
lives. and let the public decide whether
she has had justice thus far"
Collins. assigned By the courts OF
Cattaraugus County to defend the
Mansfield woman, accused OF Tnurdc ri s,
her husband by the use Of arsenic, led
the way TO tho Tower cell Of his client.
The accused woman was found with
her face pressed against the bars look
ing down into the house where her
twelvc-ycar daughter. Laura is
struggling against tho death that made
her fatherlcss.
They heclslcd me. they tortured me.
and ! did not know what / was doing"
she cried. Last Monday night in the
Imperial Hotel. in Niagara Falls. they
kept me walking the floor, and OGrady.
the detective. kept firing questions and
demands at mo until was puzzled. L
would have said anything They
wouldn' let mo sit down. They told
mo that | had just ono chance to
escape
II had told them three times before
that I was innocent, that night Be
ginning at o'clock, ] began 70 rcitcr-
ate my dcniala OF guilt. They demanded
that ] confess. and told them that
could ntF. that | Was Innocent.
Then they told me that nobody be-
lieved that was innocent and that
the only way for me TO do was 10 say
that l was guilty. and TO implicatc
Ernest Frahn."
Until o'clock In tho morning they
kept me under IRE oppenheim and
Miss Slater was there. too When
O'Grady tired they relieved him. But
there was no relief for me.
Only Thing TO DO.
Finally, l could stand IL 10 longer.
I asked O'Grady whether a statement
by nc TO tho effect that I WAS guilty
would help me. ] did not see hoS il
could. but the detectives insisted that
II hoped for peace and release Il was
tho only thing to do
"OGrady told mo 20 say TINT my
brother LEFT the horse medicine around.
and that put ~ IN tho food At Frahms
request Therefore. did SO. ! did IL
because thcy said that IL MAS the only
way for me TO clear myself But be-
fore God. am innocent Then they
told mo that should tell the district
attorney tho story. On Tuesday at
Buffalo told my story TO Mr.. Cole. but
row l sec that II was q trap. and that
my confession may send me 10 the
chair
Il turn hot and cold when think OF
FrahIn Now ] love, now l hate him
] am afraid OF him. Had he not come
10 mo when | was happy in the Hills
before I knew the Injuries OF hotels.
% motor cars and OF theatres. which he
introduced mo 10 some way. would
now he a good woman, a commonplace.
unsophisticated woman. but good and
faithful. living 10 make hcr children
and her husband happy
Appalled, as they arc by tho story Of
the crime OF which this woman is &C
cuscd the farmfolk OF this rugged
country arc less bitter against her than
against Frahm THAT tho woman Is
not without friends is shown by the de-
cision OF several lawyers. including
Collins. 10 make an effort 70 have In
troduoed into the Legislature p bill
making methods OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ing such as CGrady ia said to have
adoptcd-illcgal and without standing
in court.