The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-07


and,
Jealousy Of his wife. to whom he was
about to return.
3-Confessed familiarity with ptomanies,
poisons and candy making.
Identification by Gattrel, the man
VINO sold her a box Of chocolates in
Stockton, California.
Identification by Tennessee as the
woman who mailed box at station D,
San Francisco.
G-Similarity between handwriting in
Mrs. Botkin's letters to Denning and
note found in box of poisoned candy.
Mrs. Botkin's admission that she was
in Stockton, Cal, on date when Gattrell
sold the candy.
S-AIrs. Botkin's statement that she was
IN San Francisco on August 4, the date
Of the postmark on box.
9-Dunning's Identification OF the writ
ing in the box Of candy, his statement
70 the Delaware officers that ne knew the
person who poisoned his wife, and Mrs
Botkin's immediate arrest.
A STUDY OF MRS. BOTKIN.
Continuing the Journal says.
Iilt StdlC Oii4tld4S VI lJClc1 " elC anu tllC
local police Of San Francisco believe they
have found the hand which reached out
across the country and poisoned two I'M
auspecting women in Dover Del. on Aug
ust J.. Mrs. Cordelia c. Botkin, of Cali
fornia. is held in San Francisco, charged
with having sent through the mails the
box OF poisoned chocolates which kelled
Mrs. John 7. Dunning and Mrs. J. D.
Deane, the two young married daughters
OF ex-Congressman Pennington, of Della
ware
Now, Mrs. Botkin is either the unhappy
victim of a curious chain Of very limo
cent circumstantial evidence, or Mrs. Bot
hin is very unusual criminal. If Mrs.
Botkn conceived and executed the plan
TO destroy the life Of Mrs Dunning and
her little child Cfor there is no doubt that
the poisoned candies were meant for
remove from her path the only two
human beings who stood between her
and her love for Mr.. Dunning. The pois-
oner succeeded in reaching Mrs. Dunnins
but the child escaped. and an unintended
victm-AIrs. Cummings sister, Mrs. Deane.
was brought down.
1t was not until Mr.. Dunning. a war
A 'll - iyo4l4rlAL 0A the -A>SOtldlth I ttoS.
reached home from Porto Rico that the
identity of the mysterious assassin was
suspected. Upon his confession of his
relations with Mrs. Botkin. the police at
once began work. Whether Mrs. Botkin
is the innocent victim of circumstance,
or whether she is. indeed the cruel de-
stroyer of these poor women, it Is inter
esting to study the bits of evidence as
the police have fitted them together.
LINK Jealousy.
The facts which developed upon inves-
tigation into the relations between Dun
ming and Mrs. BotEin pointed to her as
the one woman who could have any rea-
son for wishing to take Mrs Cummings
life
These facts showed that Mrs. Botkin
was in love with Dunning and despairing-
~ jealous Of his wife.
She had met Dunning by chance while
ne was at the head of the Associated
Press Bureau in San Francisco. At the
time they became acquainted Mrs. Dun
ming was living with her husband. A
Htue later she left her husband and went
20 live with her father at Dover. Del.
From that time on the intimacy between
Sirs. Boykin and Dunnng began to grow
very rapidly Dunning called frequently.
accompanied Mrs. Botkin to the races.
spent many socmial evenings at cards
and wine with her. and finally moved into
me same house
Mrs. Botkn had been separated from
her husband for years. and being heart
free she fell In love with Dunning. Dun
ming on the other hand. never ceased
20 profess his love for the wife and
child in the east. 1t is easy to understand
the jealousy that grew within Mrs. Bot
kin
But she concealed it well. She seemed
70 be the best friend that Jack" Dunn
ing had on earth. When he became
tangled in financial affairs She was there
to comfort aim. When he drank heavily
to drown his worry and troubles. she
was ready and willing to do all she could
for him. When he feared mis- financial
misfortune would involve his family in
scandal. he would weep by the hour. and
it was Mrs. Botkin who brought him back
II forgetfulness and happiness.
When Cummings financial clouds cleared
away and he had regained his peace Of
mind his friendship for Mrs. Botkin
was firmly established. All his wife's
correspondence was shown to her She
called him Jack" He called her Ada"
because she reminded him 81 much ok an
old sweetheart. They could not nave been
more intimate or attentive TO each other
had they been young lovers.
At least so il must have seemed to Mrs.
Bo,kn. Her jealousy. perhaps. subs.ded
a htle. for she seemed 70 be gaining
every advantage over the wife in the east.
But this was delusion. as VII soon ap-
pear
When the war broke out Dunning sud
denly determined TO so 70 the front as a
correspondent. This took him farther
from Mrs. Botkin and nearer to ais VIE.
But the close friendship he had formed
IN San Francisco was not broken At first.
He wrote often 70 Mrs. Botkin. and her
letters to him were most aTectionate
But one day Mrs Botkin received a le.-
ter from Dunning which must tave be-
gun Re SUR up the old jealousy and make
her feel that the advantage she mad
gained over Mrs. Dunning was 10 be lost.
Here It IS in part:
March l6.-Dear Ada: have been TOO
much rushed in the last few DAYS 10 send
You even a line 7 am now on nv wav
by train from New York 10 Key West
and viii take q steamer az the latter place
for Cuba 1 am going 10 try with All
my power 70 live down the pas, with al
lis SORROWS. and Il anything arises in
Cuba 10 give me a chance 20 do some
s124nz. ! believe that my future IS as