The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-01
Mrs. BOtkin of Sending
Anonymous Letters to
His Wife.
WILL NOT TALK OF NOTE.
Admitted, However, to De-
tective That Mrs. Bot
kin Wrote Il. New
Charges Against
Woman.
DETECTIVE McVEY TALKS.

Dover, DEL, August 8l.-"I idcntiht
the handwriting as that of Mrs. Botkin
said John P. Dunning. husband of Il
murdered woman. Tonight. He was tai
ing of the poisoned candy tragedy thu
cost the lives Of Mrs. Dunnlng and Mr.
Denns.
Dunning was seen talking with som
friends in front of the Capitol Hotel t.
night, whom reporter informed him tha
Detective NcVey had made public th
anonymous letters written to Mrs. Dur
ming. and the fact that Dunning declare
they and the Mrs. c." note in the choce
lates were in Mrs Botkin's handwriting
"Does Mr.. McVey say identified all th
handwriting as thnt OF Mrs. BotkinP" h
asked. THAT Is my information" wa
the reply.
'Well, 1t is not all correct. The wrap
per around that box never saw. Mr.. Nc
Vey himself had taken 1t from the box ant
had sent on to Chief of Police Lees, in Sal
Francis,o.
'Imade an affidavit before Magistrat,
Peter l.. Cooper and the Attorney Genera
yesterday, and inasmuch as some of thu
contents have been public I suppose 1t II
all right for mo to tell you. I do not de-
sire to keep thence now at this stage of the
case except in Difference to tho wishes Of
tho Attorney General, in whom have i'm
plict confidence
1.-Two anonymous letters were first
shown me. They had been written to my
] wife nearly one year ago. What their con.
tents were prefer not to state They were
not threatening, nor were they anything
to spread before the public. They were
simple things, considered of no consequence
and only n trifle annoying at the timc.
II identified the writing as tibet of Mrs.
Botkin. am reasonably familiar with ii,
and am positive in my identity. In my
affidavit before Magistrate Cooper state
this as unquestionably the best Of my
knowledge and belief I could tell Mrs.
Botkin's handwriting among that of q
great many. Upon this knowledge based
my affidavit and the accusation l have
made.
but what about the note enclosed in
the box addressed to Mrs. Dunniug and
snying: with love ,oyoursclf and baby.
Mrs CT"
Dunning was silent for several moments
and then hesitatingiy replied: Il do not
wish to talk about that"
But you saw it and compared 1t before
the detectives and Attorney General, did
you not?"
. II prefer not to talk about the note"
"Do you mean that you want to keep
back the evidence for the trial2"
Il will certainly tell all know whsn
tho time comes"
Dunning's failure to charge Mrs. Bot.
kin directly with writing tho rote in the
candy box again gives out the impression.
which the State only tonight denied,
that there was an accomplice in the crime
aud that this second party wrote the note.
Detective Witsil spent this afternoon
hard al work oil new evidences In the case
of Mrs. w. A. Botkin. of San Francisco.
suspected with tho murder of Mrs Dean
and Mrs Dunning, of Dover. Tho detect.
i've carried with him mysterious looking
valise which he would not trust 1t in no.
tel safe nor out Of his sight at moal time
WitsN first saw Leila Deaue, daughter Of
the elder OF the married women who ate
the chocolates, but who survived the vio-
lent illness following. The girl was exam
ined, 1t Is believed that her memory might
be refreshed as to every detail of the ap-
pearance of the candy and what happened
on that memorable night
The detective was then closeted with
Captain Pennington, father of the dcceas-
cd women, and this conference lasted
half hour. 1t was chiefly upon the subject
of anonymous letters which Mrs. Dun.
ming, it is alleged, received for six weeks
prior to the fatal porch party when tho
poisoned candy was eaten. Mrs. Dunning,
it will be remembered, conhded In her
father after receiving the second one and
he intercepted the third.
= j. Presley DuAniug was also conferred
with by Detective Witsl in tho hope that
new facts might be developed concerning
the prisoner and other persons who might
have been interested IN tho crime.
Detective Wiysil denied that lie was
going to San Francisco, or that his valiso
contained papers for the apprehension of
Mrs. Seeley, Of Chicago, who has been SO
Cften mentioned in the case lately as wit
moss with damaging testimony. Secre-
tary OF State Hughes denied tonight that
any action was being taken toward the
of Mrs. Seeley, and said:
"My opinion of that woman Is that she is
person who is anxisus for trip in from
the West"
Joshua ID. Deano husband OF the elder
sister, Is receiving every day hundreds OF
highly illustrated papers from San Fran
cisco. One paper. which came to-day con-
tans ac'simile of Mrs Botkin's hand.
writing and of the Mrs. c." note inclosed !
in tho box Of chocolates. The writing is
striking similar.
j. P. Dunning spends much Of bis time |
hero walking about with his pretty little
girl, to whom he seems greatly attached
His uncle, John Dunning of Harbeson,
who has been here continually sinoe Mrs.
Dunning died, left Dover to-day The
State authorities say they must now de-
pend entirely on the assistant prosecutor
1t San Francisco to finish the work o! tn.
hearing.
DETECTIVE McvEY's STATEMENT