Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-08-31
SOLVING A MYSTERY.
Mrs. Botkin, Of Stockton, Gal
Under Arrest.
CHARGED WITH A DOUBLE MURDER
She II Suspected of Being the Prinei.
pal In the Celebrated Dover,
Delaware, Poisoning
- Case Mystery.

stockton, CAL, August 24.-Mrs.
Ada Botkin was arrested at 9 o'clock
last night for supposed connection
with the sending of box of poisoned
candy to Mrs. John L. Dunning, at
Dover, Del, from the eating of which
Mrs. Dunning and her sister, Mrs. j.
Polk Deane, died shortly afterward.
NO charge has yet been formally
placed against Mrs. Botkin.
Il have been sufficiently humili-
ated," said Mrs. Botkin to an Asso-
ciated Press correspondent as she
was about to Leave her room in the
Windsor hotel, deprived of her free
dom until she has answered to the
courts of Delaware for the murder of
Mrs. j. P. Dunning and Mrs. ]. p.
Deane. This is the beginning of the
end of this trying situation. / have
said all that have to say of the case.
save that l am confident in the posi-
ton which / stand of my innocence
of the charge against me-"
Chief of Police Lees has made no
arrests as yet in the Dunning poison
ing case, though he is in communica-
ton with the Delaware authorities
and may make some move in the mat
ter at any moment. Chief Lees inti-
mates that he has some very impor-
tant information bearing upon the
case, but will not make public the de-
tails known by his detectives.
Mrs. Botkin claims to have received
several threatening letters in the past
few days from anonymous writer's.
She seems much disturbed over the
attempts made to connect her with
the poisoning of Mrs. Dunning aud
Mrs. Deane, and says these attempts
are unjust and outrageous. It is de-
MED in police circles that a detective
from this city is shadowing Mrs. Bot
kin. That there is activity among the
police detectives is evident, but no in
formation of their movements can be
obtained.
A dispatch from Dover states that
Chief Lees has been advised to arrest
two women on suspicion. No affirma-
tion or denial of this could be OBJ
tanned.
1t is believed that the movement on
the part of the Delaware officials is
taken at the instance of Mr.. Dunning,
who in an interview intima ted that he
der of his wife and sister-in-law. It
Is believed that to the police authori-
ties he communicated the suspicion
which has been vaguely referred to
heretofore and that the order for Mrs.
Botkin's arrest was immedia tely is
sued. If it was done at Dunning's
dictation, the chase for the murderess
may be considered at an end, for he
and the woman were close friends
and only the suspicion that she had
sent poisoned candy which caused his
wife's death would have been likely
to induce him to cause her arrest.
Dunning was familiar with the pen
manship of Mrs. Botkiu, having re-
ceived innumerable letters from her,
and his testimony would have great
weight in establishing the authorship
of the note accompanying the poi
soned candy.
When Mrs. Dunning and Mrs.
Deane received the candy, they found
inside the box short note conveying
the compliments of Mrs. c." Dun
ming was well acquainted with a Mrs.
CORDIALLY and Mrs. Celey in this city.
AT the time the poisoned candy was
mailed, Mrs. CORDIALLY was in the state
of Maine. The note. according to
Dunning, is not in the handwriting of
Mrs. Ieley.
Ihe point of significance then is
that Mrs. Botkin was intima tely ac-
quainted with both woruen and knew
of their intimacy with Dunning. Mrs.
Celey, or Seeley, as she is known here,
Is being watched by the police. This
woman was on terms of intimacy
with Dunning. OF Mrs. Seeley, Mrs
Susan n. Moore, who kept the lodging
house at which Mrs. Botlliu stopped,
said to-day:
''This Mrs. Seeley came very fire.
quently to my house to play cards
was pretty woman and looked quite
young, although Mrs. Botkin after
ward told me she was about "a. ac-
cidentally saw Mrs Seeley one even
ing when going into Mrs. Botkin's
room with pitcher of water. Mrs.
Botkin's son and Dunning were there.
After Mrs. Seeley had been intro
duced to me she talked few minutes
and told me that she came from Chi
cago and was out on the coast to
spend the winter and to have a good
time. She was blonde, with light
brown hair and blue eyes. She was
tastefully dressed and seemed to have
money. / do not know where she
lived, but she came TO visit Mrs. Bot
kin quite often. think she was orig
inally friend of Mrs. Botlin.
Later the two women had a violent
quarrel over something and never
made up. They did not speak.
Then came something queer. Mrs.
Seeley tried to marry Mrs. Botkin's
-na- who was only %. Mrs. Botlin
said to me that it was only for spite.
The son went to Stockton last year
and Mrs. Seeley followed him. 1t was
announced that they were to be mar
ried. Mrs. Botkin hurried after them
and the marriage aid not take place.
The way that I understand it was
that Mrs. Seeley found that young
Botkin had no money.
"But tell you she was altogether
too lively. Why, one night had to
90 up to the door of the room where
they were having a card party and
tell them to be quiet. as other room
ers would be complaining. They
Mrs. Seeley, Dunning and Mrs. Botkiu
were laughing at the top Of their