Woman Charged With Poisoning Two

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 282, 27 November 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

Woman Charged With Poisoning Two

rE stage is finally set at Cincinnati for what may well turn out to be the most sensational trial in the history of A. icrican courts. The issue at stake is whether a comely, blue-eyed blonde schoolmistress —a 31-year-old German immigrant—is the "angel of mercy" she styles herself or, to _ . *. Public f'rosecutor Outcault, "just another muss murderer." The woman, Anna Marie Hahn, who is married and the mother of two children, has been indicted by a grand jury on two charges of murder by poisoning. Police now declare her trial will solve the mystery of the deaths of 12 other people, mostly elderly Germans. Mrs. Hahn, they say, admits having purchased a purgative oil which i* fatal in doses of more than six drops. She does not dispute the several deaths of elderly but amorous Teuton gentlemen soon after certain beer parties she conducted for them. The names of six of Mrs. Hahn's alleged victims have so far been published, !)ii t the police state they are withholding the names of half a dozen more to facilitate inquiries. In nn efTort to unravel what they term the "far-spreading and tangled weh of death," the police appealed to ■Washington for help. They received the promise from Edgar Hoover, head of the Federal Police —the famous "G-men" —that a detachment of his force* would aid thpm.

Mrs, TTiihn declares that she is innocent find complains of persecution. "I don't want to appeal to flcrmany to assist, nip," she say*, "but they are makiiisr nic desperate." Philip Hahn, a young telegraphist, husband of the "angel of mercy," was en important witness before the grand jury.

Hp swore his wife tried twice, without siipcpph, to insure liis life for £5000. He hml noticed, he said, symptoms in himself similar to those to be exnected after taking violent purgative oil, but 'lid not pny much heed to them until hi" attention was directed to the fact thnt several of hi* German acquaintances showed the same symptom*. Captain FTnyes told the Cotirt he dia•"ovprcrl siiffiVipnt poison in Mrs. Hahns house to "kill half Cincinnati." He offered evidence respecting tne deaths of George Oesellman, 67, and Jacob Wagner. (18. both of whom died mysteriously after a beer feast.

Bills indicting Mrs. Hahn of the deaths of both these men were returned by the grand jury after a few minutes'deliberation.' "We are trying to unravel one of the biggest mass-murders in the history of the United States," declared the Public Prosecutor. "We don't call Mrs. Hahn 'Madame Bluebeard'—but time will show." While the grand jury was deliberating, Mrs. Hahn, red-eyed and sullen, paced her cell. She was completely nonchalant when charged, and ridiculed the suggestion of poison. She confided to the prison matron that her hobby was to "nurse elderly Teutons whenever she found them." "I love to make old people comfy," she explained. Wagner died on June 3, And Geaellman on July 0--a few days after Mrs. Hahn came into their lives to "make them comfy." Both, it has been established, gave the "angel of mercy" substantial sums before they died. She also assisted them to make their wills, the contents of which have not been disclosed. Legacies have, however, been left to her in other wills.

In the stomachs of both men traces of poisoning were discovered. It has been established also that two elderly German women became ill through oilpoisoning very «oon after Mrs. Hahn borrowed £100 from each.

Thirteen prescriptions for pousons and narcotics, the police declare, have been traced to her. They allege they were obtained by the forging of a doctor's name on prescription blanks.

These, they «ay, were stolen from Dr. Arthur Vos. who'has offices in an expensive house Mrs. Hahn inherited from an Ernest Kohler. who died three years ago. It was Mr*. Hahn's habit, Captain Hayes alleged, to send her 12-year-old son Oscar to buy the pokion. The druggist finally refused to supply him because of his age.

All the death* now being investigated by the Cincinnati police and the Federal "G-men" took place in the last eijrht years.

During that time, police allege, Mrs. Hahn haa received between £10,000 and £15,000 in legacies from elderly German acquaintances. -»