Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-13


TO MRS. DUNNLNIi, AND EATEN BY
HER, HER SISTER, AND OTHER
FRIENDS WHO WE'RE WITH HER
AT HER FATHERS HOME WHEN
THE PACKAGE WAS RECEIVED.
THE WRAPPER AND THE AID
DRESS FULLY IDENTIFIED.
San Francisco, December 12.-The
trial of Mrs. Cordelia Botkin for the
murder of Mrs. John P. Dunning, of
Dover, Del, and who is also accused
of being responsible for the death Of
Mrs. Cummings sister, Mrs. Joshua
Deane, commenced in real earnest to-
day. The witnesses were all on hand
and the jury announced itself as being
ready to hear testimony.
The proceedings were set in motion
by the attorney for the defense, knight,
requesting the exclusion from the court
room of all witnesses. Judge Cook
granted the request, Attorney General
White, of Delaware, and Chief of Po-
lice Lees, of this city, being excepted.
The first witness called was the post
master of Dover. Del. Thomas NJ.
Gooden. He testified that on August 8
a package was received at the post
Office at Dover, addressed to Mrs. John
p. Dunning. He described the package
infinitely, and, when shown a piece OF
Manila paper with the address written
on it, identified it as the paper in which
was inclosed the box received by Mrs.
Dunning.
Harry c. Pennington, the 13-yearold
grandson of John c. Pennington, testi-
cd no tol u inc ha hnx "a :
Office and identified the wrapper and
the address. He told of the opening
of the box by Mrs. Dunning and the
finding of the little handkerchief on
the top of the candy. He told Of the
passing around of the candy to the
gathered relatives and friends. The
witness told how, on biting into a
piece of candy, Mrs. Pennington spat
it out. He explained the illness of
himself, Mrs. Dunning and Mrs. Deane,
and the death of the ladies.
Miss Lila Deane, daughter Of Mrs.
Deane, and a niece of Mrs. Dunning,
gave practically the same testimony as
the preceding witness.
Miss Josephine Bateman, one Of the
group who partook of the candy on
the 9th of August, testified that some
foreign substance in the candy caused
her to remove the offending particles.
A piece Of some hard white substance
lodged in one of her gums and neces-
STATED the use of her fingers to re-
move it. The day following her gums
and lips were liberated. The Jumps
resembled rock salt. Miss Bateman
told of her illness following the eating
of the candy, but they were rather in
significant compared with the suffer-
ings of the others.
Miss Ethel Wilmington testified to
eating some of the candy and to feel
ing slightly in for several days after.
She stated that Mrs. Dunning handed
her the wrapper, asking her to try to
decipher the post-mark, but she could
not.
J. D. Deane, husband Of one of the
victims, stated that he was awakened
in the middle of the night by the agon-
izing cries of his wife. He told of her
sufferings, her refusal to let him call
her physician at that hour, the arrival
Of the doctor in the morning and his
ministrations, and her final commissions
and the death which followed
John B. Pennington, father of Mrs.
Dunning and Mrs. Deane, was the last
witness to-day, and he had not fin
ished his testimony when the court ad-
journed.
His testimony up to the adjournment
had little bearing upon the case, refer
ring merely to family affairs.