The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-12-16
THE WEB is
STRONGER.
,WitnessesTell of the Mail
ing OF the Poisoned
Candy.

secution OF Mrs. Cordoba Botkin Is now
passing through the most critical stage.
Vigorous efforts are being made to weld q
chain OF testimony connecting the accused
womad with the purchase nnd mailing or
deadly candy TO Dover, Dct. where u caua'
ed the death OF Mrs. Dunning md Mrs.
Deans. One witness testified positively
that Mrs. Botkin bought arsenic on thehrst
Of juno, Another has declared that tho
dotentlaut bought tho candy that was SUB
seouoDtly poisoned. Tho case for the pros.
ecu ion Is now nearing the close. =
Efforts Will bs made to trace tho hnnd-
kerchief found with tho candy to Mrs.
BUtkin.
Experts on handwriting will swear that
tho accused woman wrote the address Oh
the box Of candy, and then John L. Dun
ming will take the witness stand TO show
that Mrs. Botkin had motive Tor the
murder.
Mrs, Loretta Simpson testified that in
Aprillast she managed the Hotel victoria.
,lu April Mrs. BJtkin toOk rooms IN the
Victoria. Dunning gaccompaniaa her I'M
day she took up her residence 1T tho VIC
,oria, Dunning subsequently moved to
the hotel himself. After residences there
:. Of fivs days lie was called to Cuba US u cor.
respondent OF the Associated Press.
Mrs. Bo,kin accompanied l)nnning to
Oakland" said Mrs Simpson. "Whsn she
rCtu ned she was nervous. Indc,l, sho W:
nllnpsu distracted. Shu talked lor days
thereafter of Dunnine ard tho possible
dangers he might encounter i'll, CUBA
"She was afraid that he would bo killed.
Her anxiety was such that she talked con.
tinuaIly about Cubn and tho war did
whnt IcUult to culm hor, anu not sue
ceeding verY well, introduced her to lodi
ger IN Tho house, who having been in Gu.
ba was in q position to tell her "ll aooot
the island"
Postal Inspector Erwin testified that the
postma'k upon the box OF cnpdy sent
TO Mrs Dunning was that OF San Francis
co. The mark, he said, was that OF station
d. at tho ferry. There was nothing up N
the Wrapper to show that tho package
had been mailol ut any particular portion
OF the city.
Packages are stamped only at Station d
When mailed ut oihar stations they would
not be stamped until received at Station
d. A package mailed lhcro August mt
6P. NJ. would arrive in Dover, according
10 Erwin, on August ., Mt > 80 O'Clock. IL
would be handled but once Oh Its journey
Across tho continent.
John ID. DuDnigaD, mail clerk at Sta
tion y, positively as crtei that package
similar to the one sent to Mrs. DunninI
passed through lis hand early in Aueu,t.
He was positive because the namo on tho
p0CkbHb WAS bU hlllIlluT W llS wv II 'Hhb "
attracted special attention. 1t wa, al
dressed to Dover, Del. but he was not Ger
taIn whether it designated Mr.. or Mrs.
Banning but was certain regarding the
name.
Mrs Birdie Price, who succeeded Mrs
Simpson rs proprietor of tho Victoria HO.
fel, testified that nullbes of people had
been in Mrs. Botkin's room between the
time Mrs Botkin1cft and tho timo the
u~. enal, t1,ara Ii'hn snail hns
been iden fied rs one used on the box of
candy sold to Mrs. Botkin
George Haas, from whose storo Mrs.
Boikin Is alleged to-have bought the cam
dY sent to Mrs. DunIing and two OF his
employees were on tho witness stand to-
day. They were examined regarding tho
manufacture of chocolate creams aid other
candies ami the possibility of poison get
sing into the candy during tho course OF
manufacture Nothing OF very satisfac
tory nat ure for tho defence was adduced.
In his interview Mrs. Bo:kin said: "My
ntiornt Us have dec i'd ii 10 give me q oppUr-
tunity to refute the sfnnders against me,
by placing ne Oh tho witness stand when
thc proper time arrives. This decision is
yury pleasing to int, and shalt seize tho
Ihnnco without fear or hesitation. When
the trial Is owe. the world will know that
am free of guilt.
d am perfectly content with this jury.
would have been satisfied with any /!
honorable cit:z,ns who were not iredju-
diced against mo us D cor sequence of tho
malicious falseho ols which have been pub
lis,,c,l in the daily press sin e my name be.
came connected with thisunhappy tragedy
Ever since tho moment the first mention
Lf suspicion reached mo that know augkt
ofIhe poisoning Of the poor woman, my
consciousness OF innocence has sustained
lie during my Incarceration, and in con-
fronting tic curious crowd Of murbid per.
IONS who aleso persistent in seeking u
Rlant ut me
Il am thankful that my physical
strength has been concomitnnE with my
go,d .pri $. Despite tho lack of fresh air
sna the coarse food Of tho prison my
health Is excellent, and as know this or
drnt would not continue for any length OF
time, have not worried more than ration
III swomrn would worry under similar uli.
pleasant circumstances. Added TO my
knowledge OF my own innocence the as.
snranccs of Mcssrs. Knight McGowan Il
Wheeler that my trial will be quickly ever
NH. shall so fre3. are most gratifying
hnh f'cl an unalterabc conviction that /
will be eXJncra ell OF any blame