The age-herald., 1898-12-31
MRS. DOTRIN
 WAS CONVICTED Found Guilty of Murder in the
 First Degree' WILL BE SPARED IGNOMINY Of Death on Gallows, Sentence Being Life Imprisonment. VERDICT 7 .SiELY UNEXPECTED
 =~
 ~Ss Closing $ cnent Made by District
 $ orneY Hosmer.
 /o.S ROUJ : DENOUNCED R SONER - Ridiculed the Argument of the Attor- neys for the Defense, and Was Es- pecially Severe in References
Closing $ cnent Made by District
 ssss OrneY Hosmer.
aoUJ $ DENOUNCED R soNER
Ridiculed the Argument of the Attor- neys for the Defense, and Was Es- pecially Severe in References
 to Lawyer Knight.

San Francisco, December 30.-Rather to the general surprise of those who have fol- lowed the Botkin trial and to the entire dis may of the defendant and her attorneys, Mrs Cordelia Botkin was tonight found guilty of murder in the first degree for causing the death of Mrs. John P. Dun ming by sending a box of poisoned candy to her temporary home in Dover, Del. The condemned murderess will be spared the ignominy of death on the gallows, however, the jury that found her guilty imposing the penalty of life imprisonment.
 The verdict was unexpected.
 An acquital was confidently awaited by the defense, while the prosecution feared disagreement. Although the jury was only out four hours, it is currently reported that the verdict was the result of a compromise. The sex of the prisoner made such a con- clusion acceptable to the jury. Received With Caimness s,s--- Mrs. Botkin- sse-fved the sverdic. with lex markable calmness, exhibiting trace Of emotion, though she sat close to her sister. Mrs. Roberts, and seemed to look to her for sympathy. After the jury had been boiled in the usual manner, Judge Cook announced that sentence would be pro- nounced on Saturday, January z. He then remanded the prisoner to the custody of the sheriff.
 When the court room was cleared after Mrs. Botkin had announced to the deputy sheriff in a clear voice that she was ready to go with him to prison, occurred the only sensa tional incident of the evening. The condemned woman attempted to rise, when her highly strung nerves seemed to relax and suddenly she fell back into the arms of Mrs. Roberts. It was thought that she had tainted, but in a moment a glass of water revived her and she resumed her usual ap- pearance, though the intense nervous strain was still apaprent in the twitching of her facial muscles and the quick movement of her hands, her fingers drummed on the table. In a few minutes she apparently shook off all signs of excitement and quiet ly accompanied the deputy sheriff out of the court room.
 San Francisco, December 30.-The case of Mrs. Cordelia Botkin, charged with the murder of Mrs. John P. Dunning is now in the hands of the jury. Late this evening District Attorney Hosmer completed his argument and Judge Cook read his charge to the jury, after which 1t retired for de-
  liberation.
 Argument closed with District Attorney Hosmer on the stand. He commenced his argument with the incidents attending the arrival of the package of candy at the Dover postohice. He condemned the de- fense for insinuating that the package might have been placed in the mail bag by any one connected with the postofffce. He accused the attorneys of going behind the facts. He traced the package to the Pen- nington home and it's delivery to unsus- pecting Mrs. Dunnng, and the passing of the bon bons to other guests, their sickness and the death of Mrs. Cunning and her sister. MT. Hosmer pictured the grief of the parents and friends of the Pennington and Cunning families and concluded with a scathing attack upon the poisoner. He took up the anayss of the candy by Chem ist Wolf, of Dover, Del, and Professor Price, of this city.
 Ridicuied the Defense
 He ridicued the defense for its conten- tions that members of the police depart ment of this city, even the chemists themselves, might have inserted the poison to make out a case. He pointed out that Chemist Wolf had found lump arsenic, and that Dr. Price had discovered the presence of powdered arsenic.
 Mir. Hosmer addressed the jury on the rights of witnesses. He contended that all witnesses were entitled to respect and credit until dsproved, and none of the wit nesses for the prosecution, he asserted, had been proved untruthful. The attorneys for the defense attacked all of the witnesses for the prosecution and introduced matters entirely irrelevant to the case in an attempt to besmirch and belittle their testimony. He attacked Attorney Knight particularly and characterized his efforts to free his client as dishonest and despicable He asserted that the attacks of the defense had ended in naught; that no one witness had been contradicted. He then broke up Mrs. Botkin's testimony.
 Mrs. Rotkin Saved Dunning
 He showed that in spite of Mrs. Botkin's statement and the assertions of the defense to the contrary that the woman had mora than a passing regard for Dunning; that =, e,,.c,,d Po se