Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1901 — ALLEGED POISONING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ALLEGED POISONING.

The Cases of Mary Belle Witwer and Jane Toppan. A few weeks ago Mary Belle Witwer of Dayton, Ohio, was arrested upon suspicion of poisoning her sister, and is now

held for trial. Since her arrest neighbors and acquaintances or the woman have reported the Sudden death of twelve persons who have been associated with her, including three husbands, five persons

In whose families she had served as housekeeper, and four children. It is due to Mrs. Witwer, however, to say that she stoutly protests her innocence. Close upon the heels of the Witwer case follows the arraignment of Jane Toppan at Barnstable, Mass., a professional nurse, upon the charge of murdering Mary D. Gibbs, suspicions also resting upon her of murdering Mrs. Gordon, sister of Mrs.. Gibbs, and Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Davis, their father and mother, all of whom had been attended by Jane Toppan in the capacity of nurse. She is also suspected of the murder of three other persons. The evidence in this cast; seems stronger than that against Mrs, Witwer. The accused woman shortly after their decease attempted to commit suicide. There is an apparent lack of motive in the first case. Mrs. Witwer does not seem to have profited in any way by the numerous deaths of which some think she may have been the cause, nor does there appear to be any special reason why she should have removed people in such a wholesale manner. Miss Toppan had been employed as nurse in the Davis family for years, and in the Brigham family, three members of which died suddenly, she was regarded almost as a daughter. It is said that she owed Mr. Davis money ami that some money which was on the person of one of the women she nursed could not be found after her death. If money was her motive her crimes got for her only about $1,200. It is not safe yet to assume that either woman is guilty. If their guilt shall be established, and if it shnll appear also that Miss Toppan did not benefit in a pecuniary way by the deaths laid at her door, it will have to be assumed that both these women had an abnormal love of killing, induced by that same species of insanity which inspired Nero and Lucrezia Borgia in their alleged butcheries.

MRS. WITWER.