Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-29
DRAWING TO A CLOSE
Argument in the Botkin Case
Begun.
INNING FOR BOTH SIDES
Dir. knight, for the Defense, Attacks Every
Point Made by the Prosecutions.
Will Probably Go to jury
Friday Morning.
{By Telegranh.l

{By Telegraph.>
SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 2s.-This was
the most interesting day in the Bot
Kin case since the trial of the woman
for the murder. of Mrs Dunning com
menced.
The proceedings opened this morning
with an argument by Attorney Gen
sral White. of Delaware, for the pros
ecution. Mr.. White addressed the Jury
quietly and proceeded to review the
tesemony brought out during the trial
he cailed attention to the chain of cir
cuHlstantial evidence against Mrs Bot
KIN and said that If the jury believed
the evidence of the witnesses for the
prosecution, then Mrs Botkin must be
convicted of murder in the first de-
gree.
Mr.. White. dwelt upon the awfulness
or the crime and the unsuspectlng, de-
1enceiesS condition Of the victims His
argument lasted all through the morn
ing, and during its progress Mrs. Bot
Kin listened attentively. AS Mr.. White
concluded she leaned her head on her
arms and seemed to be greatly affected.
AT the afternoon session Attorney
George Knight made the argument for
the defense. Mr.. knights reputation as
an orator and ability as criminal law
yer attracted an enormous crowd 70 the
court room
Many prominet attorneys were in at
tendance in addition to many we'll
known citizens. Mr.. Knight talked for
nearly three hours and endeavored to
convince the jury of the weakness Of
the prosecutions case and the lack Of
a motive by Mrs. .Botkln for commit
ting such a crime. Mr. Knight urged
the jury not to be influenced by the
cutlery caused by the recent acauittal
7 Cf5ssvN ALTER Rosser, the Tennessee soldier,
Who murdered anginoffensive citizen of
San Francisco, and referred to the
Naybrick and Dreyfus cases as in
stances of suffering of innocent peo-
PIE because of the public opinion.
DENOUNCED THE DOCTOR.
Mr.. knight denounced Doctor Bishop,
the Dover physician who attended the
poisoned woman, and was most bitter
IN his condemnation of the methods of
the San Francisco police. Mr. Dun
ming, the husband of one of the MUIR
Gered women, also came. in for a share
of the attorneys vitriolic sentences
Attention was called to the fact that
Mrs. Botkin, the alleged author of the
anonymous letters that We're mailed in
San Francisco, was away and could
not have possibly have mailed the let
tiers here.
n Miss Grace Harrison who identified
the woman as the one who purchased
the handkerchief which was found in
box of candy, was denounced as an un-
truthful and dissolute woman The
testimony of the candy girls, who iden-
titled Mrs. Botkin as the woman who
purchased the candy, was also vigorous
ly attacked by the lawyer
In speaking of the alleged purchase of
arsenic by Mrs. Botkin on June LIST,
Mr.. knight sought to show the i'm
probability of her keeping the poison
until july 31st when She purchased the
candy. He did not, however, directly
deny the purchase of the arsenic
AFTER THE EXPERT.
Writing Expert Ames, who came here
from New York and testified that Mrs.
Botkin was the author of the anony-
nous letteds, and also addressed the
wrapper on the candy, was denounced
as coming here and testifying for the
III ooCSuSltll BECAUSE ne WAS PAID TO CeS-
tify that way. Mr.. Knight laid great
stress upon the fact that the arsenic
found in the candy was in lump form,
and Druggist Grey testified that Mrs.
Botkin purchased powdered arsenic. He
also said that there was no legal proof
that Mrs. Dunning died from arsenic
poisoning. An autopsy, he said, was
necessary to pfeve the cause CT death
in any poisoning case Mr knight con-
tended that the prosecution had failed
to show motive on Mrs. Botkin's part
: for the commission of the crime
MI. Knight closed with brilliant
peroration in which he described Mrs.
Botkin as an innocent. prosecuted wo-
man, and he urged the jury to acquit
her Of the horrible suspicion that had
rested upon her through the machina-
tons 81 the police.
Tomorrow Attorney MCGOWAN will
make an argument for the defense and
District Attorney Hosmer will close for
the prosecution. 1t is expected that
the case will be given to the jury Fri
day morning.
Gen. Greene to I:esign.
{Rv TeIeerra nh