The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-29
RGUMENT N b)1k|A CASE.
ptAnonArE REVIEW or rEsrfMo-
NJ DEF0RE TME COURT.
Attorney Generai white 0Dens for
Prosecstion-Accus Affected by
HIS Wsrds-Lawyer for the De-
Tense APraigns Methods Of Police.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 8.-ThIs was
the most interesting day ia the Botkin case
since the trial commenced The proceed
ings opened this morning with an arga-
ment by Attorney General White. OF Del
aware. for the prosecution Mr.. Waite
addressed the jury qusetiy. and proceeded
10 review the testimony brought out dur
ing the trial He called Alteration 10 the
chain Of circumstanEial ey'asnce against
Mrs Botkin, and said that II the jury be-
neyed the evidence OF the witnesses for
the prosecution Mrs. Botkin must De
convicted of murder Ia the first degree Mr..
White dweit upon the awfuineSs Of the
crime and the ansuspecting. defenseiess
condition OF the victims. His ar
guIueni lasted all the morning. and during
Its progress Mrs. B0tkia listened most at
tentiveiy. As Mr.. White concluded she
leaned her head on her arms ard seemed
10 De greatly affected.
AT the afternoon session Attorney George
a. Knight made the principal argument for
the defense. He talked for nearly three
hours and endeavored TO convince the jury
Of the weakness of the prosecutions case
and the lack of motive for the committing
Of such a crime by Mrs. Botkin. Ar.
knight urged the jury not TO Do influenced
by the cutlery caused by the recent aca'lit-
tal Of Waiter Rosser, the Tennessee so.-
der who murdered an iloffens.ve citizen
Of San Francisco. and referred 10 the MAY
brick ard Dreyfus cases as instances OF the
VI
lie opinion. Mr. Knight denounced DR..
Bishop. the Dover physician, who attend
ed the poisoned woman. aud was most bit
ter in his condemnation Of the methods OF
the San Francisco police. Mr.. Dunning
also came in for liberal share OF the at
torney's vitrioiic sentences. Particular at
tention was called TO the fact that Mrs.
Botkin. alleged author OF the anonymous
letters that were mailed In San Francisco
In June, was In Eureka all OF that month.
and could not possibly have mailed the let
ters here. Mrs. Grace Harris. VINO identi-
fled Mrs. Botkin as the woman who. pur-
chased the handkerchief which was found
In the box OF poisoned candy. was de-
nounced as an untruthful and dsssolute wo-
man. The testimony OF the candy girls
who identified Mrs. Botkin as the woman
who purchased the candy was also vigor-
ously attacked by the lawyer
In speaking about the alleged purchase
Of arsenic by Mrs. Botkin on June |, Mr..
knight sought to show the improbabaiity
Of her keeping the poison until July 81,
when she purchased the candy He did not.
however. directly deny the purchase OF the
arsenic.
Writing Expert Ames. who came here
from New York and testified that Mrs
Botksn was the author of the anonymous
letters. and also addressed the wrapper on
the candy. was denounced as coming here
and testffying for the prosecution because
he was paid 10 testify that way.
Mr.. Knight laid great stress upon the
fact that the arsenic found In the camIy
was in lump form, whereas Druggis,
Gray testified that Mrs Botkin purchased
powdered arsenic He contended also that
there was no legal proof that Mrs. Dun
ming had died OF arsenicai poisoning. An
autopsy, he said. was necessary to prove
the cause OF attn In any poisoning case.
Mr.. knight coutended that the prosecu-
ton had failed TO show a motive on Mrs.
Botkin's part for the commission of the
crime. 1t had been shown during the trial
that Mrs. Botkin had persistentiy refused
10 allow her husband 20 procure divorce
and this showed that she had no -esire to
marry DunnsHg.
Mr. knight closed with brilliant perora-
ton tn which he described Mrs Botkin
as an innocent, persecuted woman, and he
urged the jury to exonegase her from the
horrible suspicion that had rested upon
her through the Vaccinations OF the po-
lice
The case viii go on tomorrow. when At
torney McC;own viii make an argument for
the defense and District Attorney Hosmer
will close for the prosecution. Il Ia ex-
pected that the case VIII he given to the
iiry Friday morning