New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-29
WOMAN'S DEATH A MYSTERY
POLICE THINK SHE TOOK POISON IN.
TENDED FOR ANOTHER
MRS. ADAMS DRINKS WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS
MEDICINE AND DIES IMMEDIArELy-BorrLE
SENT TO HARRY" CORNISH AS

| MEDICINE AND DIES Observation-Disclosures
SENT TO HARRY CORNISH AS
PRESENT
| Mrs. Kate j. Adams, a widow. ffty-two years
old, died suddenly yesterday morning at her
home No. 81 West Eighty-sixth-st. after taking
what she thought to be dose Of one OF the
effervescing salts used to relieve headache. The
physicians who attended her and the Coroner's
office are equally certain that she took one OF
the deadest poisons known-cyanide Of potas-
sium-and that the investigation Of the case VIII
result in disclosing one of the most daring poi
soning cases ever attempted in this city. The
case in many ways is similar to one now on trial
in San Francisco. that Of Mrs. Botkin, who is
accused of sending candy filled with arsenic to
Mrs. Dunning in Delaware.
The present case has added interest in the
fact that II the police theory is correct the poi
son was intended for Harry Cornish, the physi-
cal director and manager of the Knickerbocker
Athletic Club, who received the package contain
Ing the poison as Christmas gift
Mr. Cornish and the first physician called in
after Mrs. Adams was taken Ill both tasted the
contents OF the bottle and were seized with,
symptoms OF cyanide poisoning
Mr. Cornish boards with Mrs. Adams and her
daughter. Mrs. Rogers. the wife OF a life insur-
ance agent Of this city. On Tuesday evening
Mr.. Cornish and the two women went to the
theatre, after which they had supper. Yester-
day morning Mrs. Adams complained to her
daughter of headache. and the two hunted
about the house for some bromo-seltzer. Final
ly they recalled the fact that Mr.. Cornish had
received a bottle for a gift. and had it in his
room. The bottle was opened, and Mrs. Adams
took heaping teaspoonful Of the contents In
a glass Of water. Almost instantly she was
taken Ill. and within few moments after a
physician arrived she died Mr.. Cornish took a
small dose from the bottle. and he also showed
all the signs of poisoning, and had to be treated
by the physician.
THE BOTTLE A CHRISTMAS GIFT
The bottle which contained the poison came
to Mr.. Cornish in peculiar way on Christmas
Eve. At that time he received at the Kncker-
booker Athletic Club a package addressed
through the mails "Mr. Harry Cornish, Knick-
erbocker Club. Madson-ave and Forty-ffth-
st.. New-York." This package was opened and
found to contain what was thought to be a sill
yer medicine holder, in which was smal-szed
bottle Of bromo- -seltzer. This he took home and
showed to those in the house.
When the arrival Of the package was more
thoroughly investigated yesterday it was found
that the silver was a match-holder, just
large enough to hold the bottle Of bromo-seltzer
and that 1t had been mailed in a box with the
Tiffany imprint The handwriting on the pack
age evidently disguised.
The bottle containing the poison the silver
matchsafe and the wrapping-paper and box
have been turned over to the police and Coroner
The story Of the illness Of Mrs. Adams and her
sudden death is. as told by DR.. Hitchcock, Of No.
W. nj -t>k ~ fo11
'The beilboy Of the house at No. 61 West
Eighty -sIxth-st. came to my Office little after
0:3O o'clock this morning and told me that
woman was dying there, and 1t was thought she
had been poisoned. / went Immediately to the
house, and found Mrs. Adams lying on the sofa
Her hands were cold and when applied
restorative by hypodermic injection she did not
seem to feel the needle. l made up my mind
that she had been poisoned by some powerful
agent asked what she had been taking, and
her daughter showed me the incidence case. l
took a taste Of little OF the contents Of the
bottle less than eighth OF a grain, and began
to feel Ill myself sent for DR.. e. Styles Pot
ter. OF No. ia West Eighty tyseventh-st., who
came quickly man in the house who de-
scrbed himself to me as Mr.. Cornish showed me
a piece Of yellow paper on which was written
Mr. Harry Cornish. Knickerbocker Athletic
York City The forty in Forty-ffth-st. had
been spelled with u as have given 1t to you.
Mr. Cornish said he had received a medicine
case of silver containing the bottle Christ
mas gift at the club through the mail, and this
piece Of yellow paper was wrapped about a
.pasteboard box which contained the case
Mr. CORNISH WAS ALSO ILL.
when I arrived at the house Mr.. Cornish was
vomiting severely. He had taken a little Of
the contents Of the bottle after Mrs. Adams
became III to find out, If he could. what 1t was.
In spite Of all that DR.. Potter and myself could
do the woman died. She morbund when
I was first called. The violent action Of the
poison led me to believe that 1t was cyanide Of
potassium
THE box in which the case had been sent was
an ordinary pasteboard jewel case and bore the
name of Tiffany & Co. The silver case was
marked Sterling, S14.' The bottle was like the
ordinary bottle in which bromo seltZer Is put
up and bore the name Of Philadelphia drug
gEt.
Mr. Cornish told me that he had no idea who
sent the case to him, but said he intended to go
through his correspondence to see II any one
who wrote to him spelled forty with u
He thought that might furnish clew."
CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM USED.
In addition to the above statement DR.. Hitch
cock said last evening that he was certain the
bottle contained cyanide Of potassium. He con-
sidered 1t one Of the most powerful poisOns
known, Of which one grain is fatal dose. Ac-
cording to the doctor the stuff In the bottle was
in the form OF powder while bromo seltzer is
granular. What used out OF the bottle did
not effervesce, as is usual with bromo-setzer.
and as result. 1t is thought. should have
caused some suspicion that 1t was at least not
fresh.
DR.. Potter, who attended both DR.. Hitchcock
and Mr. Cornish. said: II consider this most
peculiar case. and 1t is surely similar to the
Botkin affair I have frequently noticed that