Evening star., 1925-04-16
MOTHER CONFESSES
SHE KILLED THREE
TO REUN|TE FAMILY
Desired to Join Dead Mate
Sin Heaven" Mrs. Cunning
ham Declares.
DENIES HUSBAND DIED
FROM DRUG SHE GAVE HIM
Woman Is Found in Cataleptic
Condition in Cell-Hearing
Is Postponed.
By the Associated Press.


CROWN POINT, Ind, April 16.-
Calm and unmoved, Mrs. Anna Gun
ningham, 40, confessed last night that
she gave poison to three of the five
members of her family, whose myte-
rious deaths within six years led to
an investigation, resulting in MUIR
der charge against her.
Mrs. Cunningham was found appar-
emily in a cataleptic condition in her
cell here today.
Frank Gavit, Gary, Ind, attorney,
who had been retained by the wom-
ans daughter, Mae. had talked with
Mrs. Cunningham in her cell. After
ward he returned and found Mrs.
Cunningham apparently asleep.
But upon examination, Attorney
Gavit said, he found her body rigid. a
physician was hastily summoned and
that Mrs. Cunningham murdered her
son, Walter, 13, was continued indefi-
nitely.
Her desire to Join her husband in
heaven" prompted Mrs. Cunningham
to take poison herself and administer
1t to Isabelle, IS: Charles. 10, and
Walter, 13. she said. These three she
killed because she loved them best,
the mother told authorities. She
spared Mae, 10, surviving daughter,
because she disliked her she said
Mrs. Cunningham denied that she
had poisoned her husband. who died
first, or Harry, another son, in whose
eXhumed body coroner's chemists
found arsenic. She admitted giving
poison to David, the last son. now in
a critical condition in a Chicago hos
pital.
Took Poison Herself.
Each time she administered the
arsenic in bread and butter she took
a similar dose herself, and after the
death of Walter she added a tea
spoonful of iodine, but always recov-
cred.
The confession of the woman, who
had remained unshaken under the
questioning in Chicago of Prosecutors
Robert L. Grove and John S. Sar-
baro, who had obtained the admis-
sions of guilt from Nathan Leopold
and Richard Loeb, kidnapers- slayers
of Robert Franks, was obtained by
Sheriff Benjamin II. Strong and Miss
Maureen McKernan, Chicago. news
paper reporter.
After she had recovered from a
state of coma yesterday, into which
she lapsed early Tuesday, Mrs. Gun
ningham admitted to Miss McKerna n
that she might have placed some
arsenic in the food of David by mis-
take, but was mistaken in her denial
that she had poisoned any members
of her family.
Little Interested i'm Crime.
She permitted the reporter to apply
cold congresses TO her head and
loosen her clothing, appearing more
interested in changing her best black
silk dress for an apron than in her
subsequent cold-blooded recital of the
deaths.
Suddenly she asked that her daugh-
ter Mae be sent for and that she
be removed from her cell because
of the presence there of several
woman prisoners.
Disregardins the daughters frantic
plea for her to remain silent, Mrs.
Cunningham detailed her story first
to Sheriff Strong and later to an
official court reporter.
The girl refused to remain and
listen to her mothers confession
She also declined an offer to remain
in the Jail near her mother during
the night.
Only when she was asked to sign
the Transcribed confession at PAS
am. today did Mrs. Cunningham be-
tray any emotion. Then she broke
down and sobbed.
Brooding over the death of her
husband, David, sr., while the family
lived on a farm near Valparaiso, Ind.
Mrs. Cunningham signed confession
said, she determined Ito join him in
Heaven and take with her their best
loved child, Isabella" AS much poi
son as lay on the end of a table
Continued on Page 2, Column 81