The Omaha morning bee., 1925-04-13
MotherHeld.
for 5Deaths.
Hangs Self.
Policewoman Save Life. How
eyer-Bodies of Mate and
Four Children Will Be
Exhumed.
Deaths Paid Her $1,000

Chicago. April 12.-Mrs. Anna
Cunningham. held for uestioning in
connection with the mysterious pois-
oning of her husband and four chill.
dren. made an unsuccessful attempt
TO hang herself today.
The woman tied sheet about her
neck and fastened the other end to a
bedpost in her ward at the county
hospital where she was taken Satur.
day night after she collapsed while
being interrogated in the office of
States Attorney Robert r. Grove.
Agnes Nhalen, a policewoman dc.
Failed to guard Mrs. Cunningham
lore the sheet from the woman's neck
and forced her back to bed
II Will DO II Again"
Let me alone, I'm going to kill
myself sometime-I will do it again, "
she protested.
The authorities began to question
Mrs. Cunningham when her son.
David Cunningham. was brought to
Chicago from Gary, Ind. suffering
with arsenic poison. A search Of the
Cunningham home at Gary revealed
a quantity of arsenic
Mrs. Cunningham readily admitted
she bought the poison, but claimed
she used it to poison rats and spray
plants. She denied she had ever pois
oned any member of her family.
Coroner A. G. Dobbins of Gary.
Ind. told the local authorities he
would join them in move to have
the bodies of the victims disinterred
Monday. The vital organs will be
examined by chemists.
Full of Arsenic"
Chemists determined that 1t vas ar
senic that caused the illness of David
Cunningham. jr. The youth is in a
serious condition, but physicians be
lieve he will live.
He is full of arsenic and II his
constitution is strong enough to throw
1t off he will recover the attending
physician said.
IN the meantime the past history
Of the family was being investigated.
The family lived until seven years
ago at Bachley 5 Corners, Ind, on a
little farm of 81 acres. When David
Cunningham, the father, died, they
mcved to Gary
- Mrs. Anna Cunningham, questioned
in connection with the deaths of her
husband and children, attended serv
ices religiously.
Neiehbors respected her, but they
all said she was "a little queer" She
was eccentric and had peculiar ideas
about children and other things.
Neighbor Buys Farm.
All the children We're born in the
drab little village.
In 1919 the father died there. His
death was much the same. in circum.
stance. as those that followed. In
tense stomach pains: a sudden at
tack, few days illness, all Indicating
poison He had been insured foi
3 600
Then Mrs. Cunningham sold the
farm fol 5000 to Mrs. Katherine
Eetts, vino owned an adjoining farm.
Mrs Belts vas enc Of tho neighbors
who commented on the eccentricities
Il the mother and the father.
Harry urged that the family go TO
Gary. 4 year after they left Blach-
leys Corners. Isabelle, 2S. died. She
had been insured for $1,000 just five
weeks before her death and Mrs. Cum
ningham had paid but one premium.
Three More Deaths.
Harry, %, was the next victim OF
the sudden illness. lie died in 1921,
less than a year after he had been
insured for $500.
Charles, the second brother to die,
suffered the same fate year later,
at the age Of Is. He was insured for
only $3.50.
In 1923. the younger brother. Wal
ter. 13. died. insured for only Slso.
- The last to be attacked was David,
jr, who was rushed from Gary hos.
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