The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-29
IS WELL KNOWN IN BUTTE
More Light on the Dunning
Murder Case.
CRIMINAL IS A WOMAN
Dunning, Formerly an Agent for thu
Associated Press. Led a Life of Dis
sipation and Very Few Speak
Well of Him

tfC hSbdA VI OnC "
the women who was killed at Dover,
Del, by eating poisoned candy sent by
mail from San Francisco, is we'll known
to many people in Butte, several local
newspaper men being especially we'll &C.
quainted with him. About two years
Dunning was manager of the West
ern division of the associated press al
San Francisco. but lost his position on
account OF inattention to business. From
San Francisco he went to Salt Lake.
where he was for a time connected with
the Herald. Later he was with the Tri-
bune and then the associated press took
him in again and at the outbreak of the
war he was sent TO Porto Rico. Those
who know him best do not speak very
highly of him.
In all the associated press dispatches
concerning the Dover tragedy. little has
been said about Dunning, and in the ar
rest of Mrs. ID. A. Botkin at Stockton,
the woman who is accused of having
sent the poisoned candy which caused
the death of Mrs. Dunning and her sis
ter, Mrs. j. A. Deane, nothing has been
said of the motive of the alleged MUIR
derers. The following on that subject
from the San Francisco Chronicle will
therefore furnish what has been missing
from the associated press dispatches:
AS to the person who mailed the
poisoned candy, there is no doubt tina
the criminal is a woman. Mrs. Dunning
was quiet. refined and of a lovable dis
position, and her friends are confident
that she had no enemies among the San
Francisco people with whom she became
acquainted. The conclusion, therefore.
is that the crime was the work of some
woman who was infatuated with Dun
ming and who believed he would return
~ han II ~ xETf @N
The candy was received at Dover on
Aug. 9 and must. therefore, have been
mailed here oil Aug. 3 or 4.
"Dunning's life in this city has been
investigated and interviews have been
had with all of his women associates
whom IL has been possible to locate and
identify. When his wife went back to
the home of her parents in Dover. about
two years ago, Dunning was manager
of the Western division of the associated
press. His family gone, he left his
house on California street went to
room at 927 Geary street, in which
lodging house were Mrs. w. A. Botkin
and her son, on whose visiting list was
Mrs. Louise Seeley. While at this house
Dunning became very intimate with the
trio. He drank heavily, played the
races and, according to the landlady
of the house, a noisy time generally
followed the return of Dunning and
his friends from the track. The pace
finally told on Dunning. One of the
consequences was the loss of his position
with the associated press. Dunning
left the house on Geary street, and Mrs.
Botkin soon after sought other quarters.
Mrs. Seeley, who was from the East
and who intended to remain on the
coast for only two months, dropped out
Of Dunning's life. Her present address
is unknown. Mrs. Botkin's present place
of residence in Son Fro pniS.n t. the Vic
toria hotel, corner of California and
Hyde streets, the landlady of which
stated yesterday that she had made a
mistake as to the woman's character
and would order her to move as soon
as she returned to the city.
Mrs. Botkin left can Francisco on
Aug. 4-the date may be significant
vacation and would return in a month.
She went from here to Healdsburg and
then to Stockton.
'Dunning made little effort TO conceal
his relations with Mrs. Botkin. He was
frequently seen on the street with her,
and while they were living at 921 Geary
street he generally took a Geary street
car with her to his home.
Talking with a friend in this city
some months & Dunning was asked
If the woman he was with so often was
his wife. He replied: No, - her. If
it were not for her, my wife and /
would not be apart now. She is the
cause of my wife's absence. l got ac-
quainted with her a year or two ago,
and after 1 got tied up with her it was
impossible to break away. She is jolly
company, but she has raised merry -
several times. She wants me all to her
self and gets jealous if l look at an
other woman
Cummings statement tina the woman
rt-oc yaaponGihIa for the continued cano-.I
ration of himself and his wife is now
believed to have had some connection
with the threatening letters sent to
Mrs. Dunning for the purpose of keep
ing her in the East. so that Dunning
might be left with the woman who was
so jealous of him,
Mrs. Susan NJ. Moore, formerly land
lady at 1927 Geary street. is So years DID.
She has zone out of the lodging house
business and is at present staying with
friends. She has a vivid recollection of
her merry quartette of dodgers, and
says:
Mrs. Botkin and Dunning lodged in
my house. and Mrs. Seeley often Joined
them when Mrs. Botkin held a card
party in her rooms. They went to the
races, and among them they drank a
great deal of liquor. Often they were
very noisy, and / had to ask them to
be more quiet. Dunning did not often
occupy his own apartment Whhe ne was
at my house. Once l was on the point
of telling Mrs. Botkin TO leave, blu Mrs.
FORBADE, who was also one of my room
ers, told me / had better not do so, say
ing that as / was in need of money /
could not afford to lose the SIG a month
which Mrs. Botkin was paying me. Dun
ming finally left the house. and almost
Immediately afterward Mrs. Botkin
went away. That was several months
ago. and / have had no dealings with
her since
Mime. Thompson. whose name Dun
ming uses in an interview published in
New York paper. says she is aggrieved
her name should be mentioned in
the case. She asserts that, although
she became acquainted with Mrs. Bot
and Dunning while she was living