The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-06

81 identified the writing as thatof Mr.;
Botkin. an reasonably familiar wit
4. and am positive n my identity. Il
my affidavit before Magistrate Cooper
state that this IS unquestionabiy the hes
OF my knowledge ard belief could TEL
Mrs Botkln's hand writing among that 0
a great many Upon this knowledge
| based NY affidavit ana the accusation
| have made.
But what about cie 1ote enclosed &
the box addressed 10 Mrs Dunning ana
saying With love 20 yourself ana baby
Mrs C?'"
| Dunnlng was silent 20: several naoneau
and then hesitat:ngly replied: Il &c no
wish 20 talk about that"
But you saw it and compared Il be
fore the detectives and attorney genera
did you not?"
~ prefer not 70 talk aoou, the note
"Do you mean that you want 20 keeI
| back the evidence fo- TIE crial2''
| ~ will certainly tell all know when thi
! time comes
| Cummings failure to charge Mrs. Bot
kin directly with writing the note n the
! candy box again gives out the impression
which the STATE only tonight denied. that
:he-e was an accomplish in the crime, and
that rnis second party wrote the note.
Detective Witsell spent this afternoon
hard at work on new evidence in the case
Of Mrs, W A Botkin. Of San Francisco,
suspected with the murder Of Mrs. Deane
and Mrs. Dunning, Of Dover. The delec-
tive carried with him a mysterious looking
valise which ne guarded so closely that
he would not trust in q hotel safe nor
out of his sight at meal time.
Witsil first saw Leila Deane, daugh-
ter Of the elder OF the murdered women
who ate the chocolates. but who survived
the violent Illness following. TIE girl was
examined. it is believed talat her memory
might be refreshed as 10 every detail
Of disappearance of the candy. and what
happened on the memorial night
The detective then closed with Captain
Pennington. father of the deceased women
and this conference lasted a half hour.
1t was CHIEFLY upon the subject OF anony-
nous letters which Mrs. Dunnng. ii is
alleged. received for six weeks prior to
the fatal porch party when the poisoned
candy was eaten. Mrs Dunning. 1t will
be remembered, confded in her father
after receiving the second one and he
intercepted the third.
J. Presley Dunnng was also conferred
with by Detective Witsil in the hope that
new facts might be developed concerning
the prisoner and other persons VINO might
have been interested in the crime.
Detective Witsil denied that he was
going to San Francisco, or that his valise
contained lpapers for the apprehension of
Mr.. Seeley, of Chicago. who has been go
often mentioned in the case lately as
a witness with damaging testimony.
Secretary of State Hughes denied to-
night that any action was being taken to-
ward the apprehension of Mrs. Seeley.
and said: My opinion Of that woman is
that she is a person who is anxious for
trip from the west"
Joshua D. Deane, husband Of the elder
sister, is receiving every day hundreds
of highly illustrated papers from San
Francisco One paper which came today
contains a fac-simile of Mrs. Botkin's
handwriting and Of the Mrs. c." note
inclosed in the box of chocolates, the
writing is strikingly similar
J. P. Dunning spends much Of his time
here walking about with his pretty little
girl, to whom he seems greatly attached.
His uncle, John Dunning, of Harbeson,
who has been here almost continually
since Mrs Dunning died. left Dover to-
day. The state authorities say they must
now depend entirely on the assinstant
prosecutor at San Francisco TO finish the
work Of the preliminary hearing.