The herald., 1898-08-16
DEATH OF The Cummings
THE RESULT OF EATING CANDY
SENT By MAIL
No Clew Discovered a. to the Identity
Of the Sender Of the Deadly
STUFF

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15-None Of the
many friends and acquaintance In this
city Of Mr.. and Mrs. John Preston Dunning
can offer any plausible information why
anyone in San Francisco should send poi
soned chocolates to Dover, Del, from the
eating of which candies Mrs. Dunning and
her sister died.
Arguing upon the theory that the tragedy
was the result Of carefully planned act on
the part of some one who desired to take
Mrs. Cummings life, deceaseds friends
here are unable to suggest any reasonable
motive. Nor can anyone offer any ciew to
the mysterious poisoning. On the contrary,
the suggestion that the poisoning was in
territorial is secuted by those who knew
Mrs. Dunning, all Of whom say she was
never known even to arouse antagonism,
much less to create an enmity Nor, so
far as can be learned, had Mr.. Dunning
any personal or business foes who could
have attempted such a dastardly revenge
upon a member Of his family.
The more the case Is considered. the more
general Is the conclusion that the poison
ing must have been accidental. The fact
that a handkerchief was sent as gift to
Mrs. Cummings daughter simultaneously
with tho present OF chocolates to the
mother, Is cited as an indication that the
candies came from friend. If the latter
superstition Is correct. the donor appalled,
by. the unexpected and dreadful conse-
quences Of the gift, is carefully concealing
his or her identity. The MRS. c." stamped
upon the wrapper Of the box of candy has
not materialixed In this city, although the
police hope that II there h such a person
she will come forward and solve the mys-
terry.
The statement that the wrapper Of the
candy box was postmarked San Francisco
puzzles the mail authorities here. 1t is not
the custom to postmark third-class mall,
stamps simply being cancelled.
The possibility that the candies could
have been accidentally poisoned at the
time Of its manufacture is denied by local
confectioners, who say that even II the
usual practice of using coloring matter in
the making Of chocolates had been followed
In this case, the swallowing of the entire
amount Of a coloring or die for Nifty
pound batch of painted candy would have no
more serious results than days Illness
No corroding utensils are used in the prep
of the analysis OF the uneaten candies In
the box is anxiously awaited in the hope
that the character Of the poison may throw
some possible light upon the mystery which
continues to remain apparently inexplica-
BILE.
An Inquest Held
| DOVER, Del, Aug. 1C-Coroner Wills
today held an inquest over the bodies of
Mrs. j. D. Deane and Mrs. ]. P. Dunning,
who died after eating candy from a box
| that had been sent to Mrs. Dunning by
mall from San Francisco. DR.. Bishop, the
attending physician. made verbal state
ment as to his opinion of the deaths. He
said the candy eaten by the women was
poisonous. No postmortem was held the
physician saying that on account Of the
| frequent vomiting there was nothing in
| the stomachs to analyze. After viewing
the bodies. the jury adjourned to meet
subject to the call Of the coroner.
Arsenic Was Used
I, DOVER, DEL, Aug. 15.-Whatever may
be the results of the final investigation
into the causes of the deaths of Mrs. J. p.
Dunnlng and her sister, Mrs. j. D. Deane.
all the indications at present are that both
women lost their lives by arsenical poison
taken In the candy sent from San Fran
cisco by a person at present unknown.
The funeral of both the victims took place
| today from the home of their father, ex-
Congressman John B. Pennington. Prior
to the service Coroner Walls began an In
vestigation. DR.. Bishop. who attended the
women after they had been taken i'll, gave
It as his opinion that the deaths were due
to poisoned candy. No analysis Of the
candy has yet been made. but Mr.. Penning-
ton win place samples Of it in the hands OF
several expert chemists. On the result
of these tests he proposes to have further
action. Minute examination Of the box.
wrapper and contents has only served to
deepen the mystery as to the identity Of the
sender.
The box is Of the white glazed variety.
is oblong in shape and is made to hold one
pound of candy. Around the ends are mar
row pink satin ribbons tied in bow knot.
and on the top in gold letters is the word
"Bonbons." The wrapper is Of the COM
mon light brown kind and Is IN, n away
like the variety usually In use by confec-
TONERS. There are four 6-cent stamps and
one 2-cent stamp on the wrapper, on but
one Of which Is the cancellation mark leg
ible. The address is evidently written in =
cramped hand or with an effort at disguise
Within the box was common plain hand
kerchief with the price mark. q cents, still
in one corner. The note signed sMrs. CT
y written on ruled white paper In lead