The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-07
Constituted by the Evidence Appar=
emily Pointing to Mrs. Botkin
AS the Sender
OF THEPOlSONED CANDY
As the Motive There Appears But the l1aster
Motive Jealousy Prosecution Case Fully Stated
in This Latest Great Trial by Newspaper.

sured. God grant that everything is well
/ with you. l want to near from you as
soon as possible. J."
To a woman who loves there are hours
and hours Of heartache between the lines
of this brief epistle.
The letter that followed excited Mrs.
Botkin's jealousy. Had Cummings love
grown cold? She could see plainly that
when his service as a war correspondent
came to an end he would return TO the
neglected wife at Dover. Mrs. Dunning
was in the way-she stood between her
and the man she loved.
LINK UNDERWRITING CONFESS
SION
The police point out as a significant
fact the highly nervous condition of the
mind of Mrs. Botkin as soon as the news
of Mrs. Cummings death reached her. Be
/ fore sh ewas suspected of any direct con-
nection with the murders she talked
vaguely Of developments and her own
/ possible arrest. She was like a hunted
criminal.
She then telegraphed an alarm for her
husband. She felt, even before any accu-
/ sation was made. the need of some one
! stronger than herself to rely upon.
/ 1t was at this time that Mrs. Botkin
made certain statements that show her
! familiarity with candy making and
ptomaines and poisons. She said sig
nificantly in discussing the sending of
the poisoned candy to Mrs. Dunning:
"Now. now do they know the candy was
poisoned with intent? Did you ever know
that when candy is sent a long distance a
poison is terminated? Suppose a friend
sent that candy to Mrs. Dunning and such
were the case? l wonder why the doctors
have not thought of that theory"
When John 2. Dunning came north at
the news of his wife's death he knew, as
ne afterward said in a statement to the
Journal. the hand that sent the poisoned
chocolates to his wife.
He made nothing public, but all that
he knew. everything that could in any
way lead to the Identification of the muir
deress, he told to the police authorities.
and on his evidence Mrs. Botkin was ar
rested.
LINK 3.-CANDY CLERKS STORY.
On the day of her arrest most i'm
portant link in the evidence against Mrs.
Botltin was added. Frank ]. Gattrell, a
clerk, VINO is employed in the Wave candy
store, on Main street. Stockton, called at
the police headquarters Of that town to
say that he had sold a box or candy
some weeks ago to a woman whom de
believed to be the much-talked-of Mrs.
Botkin. Close questioning brought out a
plain. straight story of the incidents of
the sale, as he clearly remembered them.
On some day between Wednesday, the
9th of July, and the Saturday following,
a woman, slightly under medium height.
came into the Wave" and asked for a
box of 50-cent chocolates. She added that
she had some candy in a paper bag she
carried in her hand. which she wished to
mix with the candy she was buying.
Knowing this. Gattrell substituted a plain
box without the firm name. When he
mad the box partially filled the woman
stopped him and taking the box emptied
the candy from her bag into it,
From the pictures Gattrell had subse-
quentN seen in the newspapers he was
quite ready to identify Mrs. Botkin as the
one who had purchased the candy.
To add weight to the story Raymond
Miller. junior clerk in the Wave candy
store relates the same transaction as he
witnessed it while busy in another part
of the store. The two young men have
not been allowed as yet 10 enter the
prison to identify Mrs. Botkin, as the
prosecution is waiting until after the ex-
tradition proceedings are over.
LINK AT POsTOFFICE STATION D.
The Delaware authorities have been
afraid ever since the arrest was made
that Mrs. Botkin would commit suicide
before they can bring the prisoner east.
Special precautions have been taken to
watch her until the requisition proceed
ings are completed.
In the meantime an important identif-
cation comes from J. Tennessee, of Oak
land, Cal
on August 4 az about 5:45. Tennessee
was at the san Francisco branch post
office u While there he noticed a woman
who came into the Office in great agtta-
ton. His curiosity was aroused by her
nervousness and seeming doubt at the
time.
She went several times 70 the package
drop and walked up and down with much
hesitation and anxiety. Finally. with evil
dent determination. she mailed bUx-.--e
package about six inches long and two
and half inches wide.
Mr.. Tennessee stands ready a any time
the authorities call upon him 20 identify
the woman From the pictures published
he recognizes Mrs. Botkin as the strange
woman at the office The day on wA.ch
he saw her-August lis the date OF the
C1ncellinE stamp on the box of poisoned
candy sent % Mrs Cunning The s.a-
ti7u from which me box was mailed has
also been proved by the detectives - be
rais same Station d.
LINK 5THE NOTE N THE BON.
The tender lizzie note OF greeting that
accompanied the box OF candy OF course
forms one Of the most important links in
the chain OF evidence.
The wrapper which bears the handwrit-
ing. the note and a package q poisonous
candy were SEM ~ san Francisco. The
handwriting was there turned over "a ex-
perts for further COMPARISON yrila me W.
Ing % Mrs Botk.n- These .mpo-,aa; oi,s
OF evidence are now being compared vita
the handwri,ias - some q Mrs Boj1!as
letters 10 DunaIns-
In commenting upon the similarity d.
NuNS1S N "-=-i -irI i-A--- "-i-4-iS t--3 '-4Ht
IN the box OF poisoned candy. Ms. 65tNin
said:
Now. might Il not De possible that Z
w5s written by some q Ely enemies and
that my handwriting was forge5e L utGhc
have been written in s. nervous manner.
which wouid make IL hard TO discover me
similarity between forgery and TIE gen
uiae."
Mrs. Botk.n dwelt al length apo1 ;1s
point she expressed the Gear taA; i. y a