The herald., 1898-12-13
MRS. BOTkIN ON TRIAL
CHARGED WITH COMMITTING
MURDER By MAIL
DELAWARE WITNESSES THERE
First Days Testimony Deals Only
With Receipt and Consumption
Of the Poisoned Candy
Associated Press Special Wire

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. l2.-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. Dunning's sister, Mrs. Joshua
ID. Deane, commenced in real earnest today.
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
courtroo of all witnesses. Judge Cook
granted the request, Attorney
White, of Delaware, and Chief OF Police
Lees OF this city being excepted in the
order.
The first witness called was the postmas-
ter of Dover, Del, Thomas NJ. Gooden.
lie testified that on August 9th, a package
was received at the posloifice at Dover, ad-
dressed to Mrs. John p. Dunning. He de-
scribed the package minutely, and when
shown piece of Manila paper with the ad-
dress written upon 1t, identitied 1t as the
paper in which was enclosed the box re-
'celved by Mrs Dunning. Mr.. Gooden was
positive in his identification because he en-
blamed to the attorneys for the defense,
he had handled the package three times,
land that he himself placed it in the post
office box subscribed tor the Pennington
family
Harry C. Pennington, the thirteen-year-
old grandson of the Hon. John c. Penning-
ton, testified to taking the box from the
post office box and identified the wrapper
and the address He told Of the little hand.
kerchiet on the top OF the candy. lie told
of the passing around OF the candy to the
gathered relatives and friends The wit.
ness told how, on biting into piece u
candy, Mrs. Pennington spit 1t out. lie eX-
planned the illness OF himself, Mrs. Dunnlng
and Mrs. Deane, and the death of the ladies'.
Miss Lila Deane, daughter OF Mrs. Deane,
nd niece of Mrs. Dunning, gave practl-
caly the same testimony as the preceding
witness. j.,
Miss Josephene Bateman, one OF the
group who partook of the candy on the 9th
of August, testified that some foreign sub
stance in the candy caused her to remove
the offending particles. A piece OF some
hard white substance lodged in one OF her
gums, and necessitated the use OF her hnger
to remove it. The day following her gums
and lips were liberated. The humps re,
sembled rock salt. Miss Bateman told OF
her ills following the eating OF the candy,
but they were rather insignificant compared
with the sutierings OF the others.
Miss Ethel Milungton testified to eating
some of the candy and to feeling slightly
iii for several days after. She stated that
Mrs. Dunning handed her the wrapper, ask
ing her to decipher the postmark, but she
could not
j. d. Deans, husband of one of the vic
tins, stated that he was awakened in the
middle of the night by the agonizing cries
of his wife He told OF her sutferings, hel
refusal to let him call her physician at
that hour, the arrival Of the doctor in the
morning and his minstrations, and hel
final convulsion and the death which fol-
lowed
John B. Pennington, father of Mrs. Dun
ming and Mrs. Deane, was the last witness
called today, and he had not finished his
testimony when the court adjourned. His
testimony up to the time of adjournment
had little bearing upon the case, referring
merely to family affairs.
Miss Josephine Batcman, a visitor at thS
Pennington residence on the evening the
candy was received, corroborated the tes
timony of the preceding witness. She told
how she had been made ill by eating the
candy Ethel Mlillington testified that she
ate some of the candy, which made her
sick. j. ID. Deane gave evidence regarding
the illness Gf his wife. one OF the victims
similar to that already published. The only
other witness of the day was John G.. Pen
nington, who testified to the receipt oi
anonymous letters by Mrs. Dunning, his
daughter, and to the similarity of the writ
ing in them to that on the box of candy
The letters were admitted in evidence and
an adjournment was taken until tomor
row.