The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-30
POLICE MYSTIFIED
By the Circumstances of the
New York Poisoning Case.

New York, Dec. 3O.-The Adams-Cor-
nish poisoning case remains as great
mystery as ever. When the detective
bureau, the district attorneys office, the
corOner's office and others seeking to
find a solution of the strange case end
ed their work last night, all said nothing
had been learned that might assist in
bringing the guilty persons to justice.
The police are inclined to believe that
the person who sent the poison to Cor
nish is a woman, although the evidence
is. of the most f1iInsy character and is
largely based on opinions of more OF
less responsible parties. Mr.. Cornish
who was also poisoned at the time of
MRS Adams death is now completely
out OF danger, though confined to his
bed at the Knickerbocker Athletic club
Detective Captain McCluslxy, Assist
ant District Attorney Mcintyre, Chief
OF Police Devery and Coroner Physi-
clan weston were at police headquart-
ers in the afternoon in consuIta ton on
the case. Acting under their instruc-
tlonS, detectives went to the Adams
nat on West k1ghtV-Sixth street and
requested Mrs. Florence Rogers Mrs
Adams daughter and her friend, Mrs
HOVey, to accompany them to head
quarters to give their versions of the
case. Arrived there, they remained in
consultation with the authorities for
about an hour. Capt. McClusky said
after the women had been taken home
He said he deemed it best to get the
version of the poisoning directly from
Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. HoVey. But
they told us nothing that we did not
a mystery as ever. Nothing has devel-
oped. have no theory; have no per-
son under suspicion"
Capt. McCIusky denied that he had
placed or contemplated placing Mr..
Cornish under surveillance He sent
word to the Knickerbocker Athletic
club, however, asking if Cornish was
able to come to headquarters. DR.. Cof-
fin, who is attending Mr.. Cornish, re-
piled that his patient would not be able
to leave his bed for two days. He said
he did not want him to take any chan
ces. Mr.. Coffin gave an interesting
statement of how Cornish escaped
death while Mrs. Adams, drinking from
the same glass was killed by the dead
ly poison
Cornish mixed the poison" said Dr.
Coffin, and gave it to Mrs. Adams. She
drank but little, complaining that it
was bitter. Cornish then took the re-
mainder and drained the glass to the
dregs. I think that the reason that
Cornish was not killed is that he drank
the dregs and Mrs. Adams took the
powdered matter acted as an emetic
and cleared his stomach
When they found he was unable to
come to them, Captain McCIusky and
Mr.. Mcintyre, accompanied by a stem
ographer, went to the Knickerbocker
Athletic club and were in conference
with Cornish for more than an hour.
Captain McClusky said little had been
learned that had not already been pub
Iished. Cornish told him that the silver
holder had evidently been used, and
while it was marked Sterling" it was
plated. It was not a Tiffany article
but came in a Tiffany box and had a
Tiffany label in the package.
Late in the afternoon an autopsy was
held. When the analoymatic process
was completed and the parts of the
body desired for analysis were sealed
in jars, COroner's Physician Weston is
sued a report in which he reiterated his
opinion that death was due to the use
of cyanide of potassium.
No date has as yet been fixed for the
holding of the inquest in the case by
the coroner
Cornish, the divorced wife of Harry
Cornish, the Knickerbocker Athletic
club manager, by whom a bottle of
poison was received as a Christmas
present, the contents of which caused
the death of Mrs. Kate J. Adams last
night, stated today that her only knowl-
edge of Mr.. Cornish of late has come to
her through the newspapers or letters
written to her by her daughter, Edith.
Mrs. Cornish declares that she is not
acquainted with Mrs. Adams, described
as the aunt of Mr.. Cornish and the VIC
tim of the Christmas package poison.
She says she never met Mrs. Rogers,
described as the daughter of Mrs Ad-
ans and separated from her husband.
Mrs. Cornish added that little Edith
went to New York some time ago and
on her return told of having been to the
house of Mrs. Adams, but beyond this
Mrs. Cornish has no knowledge of the
woman Edith is now in Hartford
spending the holidays with her grand
mother
John J. Ingalls, I'LL