The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-17
A BLOW TO THE DEFENSE
Damaging Testimony in the Bot
kin Case.
SHE WROTE THE LETTERS
Mrs. Grace Harris Positively Identifies
Mrs. Boikin as the Purchaser OF
the aandk srchie.s at tbs
City OF Paris.

San Francisco, Dec. 16.-The defense
in the Botkin murder trial to-day re-
ceived the worst setback IT has expe-
rienced since the case opened. The evil
dence of two of the witnesses examined
to-day was OF such a convincing nature
that the chagrin raised by its introduc-
tion was plainly written upon the faces
of the accused woman and her counsel.
The evidence clearly showed that Mrs.
Botkin wrote the anonymous letters
sent to Mrs. Dunning from this city.
apprising Mrs. Dunning of the alleged
misconduct of her husband and inform
ing the dead woman that she had
grounds for commencing a suit for
divorce: the handkerchief which was
inclosed i'm the box of poisoned candy
was proven to have been purchased i'm
this city by Mrs. Botkin, another link
in the chain of the prosecution.
The first important witness was Mrs.
Grace Harris. who was employed in the
City of Paris dry goods store during
May and June of this year. Mrs. Har-
ris told OF the purchase OF the handker-
chief and Identified the article which
she sold and stated positively that Mrs.
Botkin was the purchaser. She was
certain Of the identity of the woman,
for the reason that Mrs. Botkin so re-
sembled Mrs. Harris own mother that
the similarity caused her to wonder.
She was certain of the handkerchief.
because IL bore a price mark which
she herself had stamped upon the arti-
Gle.
. Cross-examination rather strength
ened her evidence than otherwise, as it
lan flasar Al a.sNstr
took Mrs. Botkin's address, which the
purchaser gave as the Victoria hotel.
where she resided up to the time of her
arrest.
Mrs. Rouff. an aged woman and a
resident of Stockton. Cal, told of her
acquaintance with the defendant.
which was that of an intimate. She
also knew Dunning very well. Mrs.
Roun said that on one occasion when
she called on Mrs. Botkin at her rooms.
the defendant showed her a handker-
chief. asking her II 1t was not beau
tiful one for the price. Mrs. Rouff rec
ognized the handkerchief sent to Mrs.
Dunning's daughter as being exactly
like the one Mrs. Botkin showed her.
The witness then identified Mrs. Bot
kin's handwriting i'm the anonymous
letter sent to Mrs. Dunning. Mrs.
Rouff was familiar with Mrs. Botkin's
writing and pointed out its peculiarit-
les. w nttl SnONn lnt nolt tltitStu III
the box Of candy. Mrs Rouff stated
that she believed tito have been writ
ten by Mrs. Botkin.
She discussed the samples Of writ
in shown her with the ability of an
expert. She recognized the language of
the letters as being that of Mrs. Bot
kin also. Witness then told Of a con-
versation she had with the defendant
on the different "oisons and their
qualifications for killing mice. Later
Mrs. Botkin was taken sick. and while
under treatment discussed poisons
with her physicians. She thought the
action OF strychnine was too harsh and
spoke of arsenic as being mild I'm its
action. and seemed we'll informed upon
it's other symptoms. She told of an
other visit to her Stockton home. 1t
was made shortly after the perpetra-
ticn Of the crime. Mrs. Botkin was
greatly excited and talked about poi
other remarks that puzzled Mrs. Rouff.
on one occasion Mrs. Botkin talked to
the witness about bleaching hats and
remarked that she had heard that ar
senic was used for that purpose. De-
fendant was aeitated when informed
by Mrs. Rouff that she would have to
give her name when she purchased the
poison.
Cpon "ross-eXa mination. Mrs Rouff
intimated that she thought Mrs. Bot
kins illness at the time she asked So
many questions of the doctors about
pcisons was a sham.
Several other witnesses were called
hut rCthing cf great inportance was
brought out. The court then adjourned
until Monday.