The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-31
MRS. soTk N GUILTY.
,rv Finds That She Poisoned Mrs.
John p. Cumming.


San Francisco, December 30. --Ths jury
in the case of Mrs. Cordelia Botkin,
cb arced with the murder OF Mrs John
| p Dunning of Dover, Del, tonight
brought in verdict of guilty of murder
in th. first degree with penalty fixed at
life imprisonment.
Late this afternoon District Attorney
aos,ner completed his argument and
.Jndqe Carroll Cook read his charge to
the Jury, after which it retired for DELHI
grafton.
Tbe argument for the prosecution closed
wi b District A Attorney Hosmer on the
stand. MIR. Hosmer commenced his argu-
ment with the incidents attending the ar
ri val of the package of candy ut the Dover,
Ilei post officer He condemned the de-
Tense for insinuating that the package
might have been placed in the mail bag
nv any one connected with the post
Office He accused the attorneys OF going
behind the facts. He tracked the pack
age to the Pennington home and Its do
livery to the unsuspecting Mrs. Cunning
and the passing OF the bon bons to other
guests. their sickness and the death OF
Mrs. Cunning and her sister.
Mr. Hosmer pictured the grief OF the
nAr4ntS duu lIi0ANo VI tuO ! OiAsAAE 49,
and Dunning families and concluded with
scathing attack upon the prisoner. He
took up the analysis of ths candy by
| Chemist Wolfe of Dover, Del, and Prof.
| Price Of this city. He ridiculed the de-
| Tense for its contention that members oil
the police department. In this city OF
even the chemists themselves might have
| inserted the poison to make out case.
| He pointed out that Chemist Wolfe hao
| found lump arsenic, and that DIR. Price
! had discovered the presence OF powdered
arsenic. 4he defense in argument assert
ed that only lump arsenic had been
found.
he showed that, in spite of Mrs. Bot
kin's statements and the assertions Of
4 the defense to the contrary, the woman
/ had more than passing regard for Dun
ming: that her life with him was Icen-
tious and deprayed. He pointed to Dan
ning's action in coming across the con
,inent to prosecute her and asserted 6ha'
Cunning would not have gone through
| what he had unless he Was certain q
/ the guilt of Mrs Botkin; that he woulC
NOT have disclosed their relations and hat
been exposed to the criticisms OF thu
newspapers and public without JUS
reason.
He took up the letter of June II, 1887
| which the defense claimed had been malice
in this city at the time Mrs. Botkin wa
4 residing IN Eur6Kd Iuo ic@eoI neocI uSt
i that Cunning was financially embar
raised and that the woman with whom
Dunning was infatuated, was divorcet
woman. He proved by Mrs Botkin's OWL
testimony that she and Cumming alon'
knew of his financial condition anf
showed by the testimony Of Mr.. Dunninf
4 that Mrs. Boikip had told him on hi
return from Salt Lake that she had SO
cured divorce from her husband dur
irr nunnipOsa ahaanca
| MIR. Hosmer argued on the authorshil
I of the anonymous letters and the ad
dress of the box of candy. He assertel
that Mrs. Botkin WAS the writer OF tn,
letters and had written the address OF
1.-THE box OF candy.
Mr.. Hosmer concluded his address b!
asking the jury to return just yerdic
i Ia verdict of murder in the first degree
| Judge Cook delivered his charge to thu
jury, the reading of which occupied NOR
than an hour. The jury then retired +
deliberate on the guilt or innocence 0
the accused woman.
Mrs botkin cried bitterly several time
i during the day and during the reading
i of the charge almost lost control OF he
self her sister, who sat beside her tool
Mrs. Botkin in her arms and comforte'
her as lest she conld,