The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-23
MRS. BOTKIN'S DEFENSE
LITTLE EVIDENCE INTRODUCED
THAT WILL BENEFIT HER CASE.
Doctor Who COntradicted Himself
nesses Denied by the Prisoner.

SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 22-The defense
of Mrs. Cordelia Botkin, for the murder CT
Mrs. John p. Cunning. opened to-day, but
the progress made in the breaking down of
the case of the prosecution was very slight.
DR.. George NJ. Tyrell was the principal wit
ness of the defense to-day. DIR. Tyrell, how
ever, was so uncertain in his testimony and
contradicted himself so often that he did
the defense very little good. He testified
that he visited Mrs. Botkin on Sunday aft
ernoon, July 81 between the hours of 5 and
o'clock and treated her for headache This
is the time and date sworn by the Misses
Heney and Dilmarr, of Haas's candy store,
when they sold Mrs. Botxin a box of choco-
late bon-hons. DR.. Tyrell, for some reason,
made no entry in his visit book and rem
dered no bill fer services to Mrs. Botl1n.
He could not specify the time of his visit
better than between and 5 o'clock in the
afternoon" When questioned regarding ar
senical poisoning, the attorney for the pros
ecution made it very clear that DR.. Tyrell
knew little, if any, of, arsenic.
Thomas j. Ford. of the San Francisco
postoffice, testified that the package of
candy was not packed according to the rules
and that it was remarkable that the box
should have reached Delaware in good or
der. He identified the postmarks on the
anonymous letters as being those of the
San Francisco office and described the meth
DDS employed in the caring for letter mails
John p. Dmning was recalled, by permits
sion, and asked If he had told Mrs. Botkin
that his wife and daughter had taken up
their residence in Dover, Del. He replied
that he had mentioned the fact several
times.
w. L. Roberts, of Humboldt county, a
brother-in-law of the accused. stated that
Mrs. Botkin had been in the vicinity of
Eureka between the I'd of June until the
end of the month. The prosecution admitted
this residence. 1t will be remembered that
one of the anonymous letters was dated
about the middle of June. but the prosecu-
ton will prove that mail bag was placed
on the wharf at Eureka on steamer days
and that letters dropped in it were not post
marked until the steamer reached this city
DIR. w. +. McNutt testified that the only
reliable way to prove arsenical poisoning
was by an autopsy.
John III. Warrington, floor manager of the
City of Paris store, where the handkerchief
sent Mrs. Dunning's little daughter was all
legged to have been bought. testified as to
the methods used in transferring purchases
from one department to another and the de-
livery of goods, but nothing of Importance
was brought out.
Mrs. Botkin was called to the stand at
late hour this afternoon She told of her
acquaintance with Dunning, denying many
of his statements She also denied much of
the testimony of Mrs. Lizzie LiVernash, a
reporter, who testified to the historical con-
dition of Mrs. Bctkin when informed of
Mrs. Cummings death, and of several in
eliminating admissions made by Mrs Bot
kin in interviews with her. She denied ever
having purchased candy of Haas or that
City Of Paris. She will continue her testi-
mony tomorrow.