Margaret Daig is Glad She Attacked Man with Acid “For Talking About Her” - 1916

FULL TEXT: Arraigned in Washington Heights Court [New York City] to-day on the charge of throwing carbolic acid into the face of William Knudsen, superintendent of the Markenfield apartments, No. 605 West One Hundred and Eleventh Street, Mrs. Margaret Daig, twenty-five years old, of  No. 101 West Ninety-seventh Street, not only said she did it, but said she was glad she did it.

Until a few months ago, when she gave up her position to get married, Mrs. Daig was a telephone operator at the Markenfield. She says she learned late yesterday that Knudsen had been talking about her.

“I became furious,” she said. “I remember buying carbolic acid in a drug store and then I hurried around to the Markenfield and  asked for Knudsen. When he came up the hall to see me I dashed the acid in his face.”

Knudsen yelled with pain. Tenants ran to the hall and found him screaming, while Mrs. Daig stood calmly by with the empty bottle. She was arrested by Policeman Naubreh and taken to the West One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street Station, where a charge of felonious assault was entered against her.

Dr. Edwin C. Fassett of No. 210 West One Hundredth and Tenth street attended Knudsen, whose burns are said not to be serious. Mrs. Daig told the police she had not informed her husband of Knudsen’s alleged remarks.

[“Is Glad She Hurled Acid Into Man’s Face, Bride Tells Court – Mrs. Daig Admits Attack on Superintendent She Says Talked About Her.” The Evening World (N.Y.), May 2, 1916, p. 11]

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SEE: “Acid Queens: Women Who Throw Acid” for a collection of synopses of similar cases.

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[391-3/24/21]

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