Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-22
MRS. CORDDLIA DOTKlN I'LL

MhS. UURDELlA sBUlklN I'LL
Nearly Collapsed Under Mem
tai Strain and Distress.
UNABLE TO HIDE HER FEELINGS
Had to be Attended on Satur-
day by Physician.
Tho State Has Been steaaiiy Weaving tile
Web OF Evidence a against the Accused wo-
man-Her strong Love for Dunning,
San Francisco, CAL, Doc. 14.-Thcre
was sensational testimony given today
against Mrs. Cordelia 3otlsin, who is
accused Of killing Mrs. Deane aud Mrs
Dunning at Dover, Del, by sendinp,
them poisoned candy through the mails.
Frank Gray, the drug clerk. declared
that Mrs. Botkin purchased arsenic pit
his store last June, that she gave her
name, and that he entered il on the
poison register. He had known Mrs.
Botkin since August, 1897, and de-
clared that he could NOT have been mis-
taken as TO heridentity.
1t has been alleged fthat Mrs, Botkin
purchased lump arsenic at the Star
Drug Store, 1923 Market street, and
\ David Green, one of the clerks, was
| called to tell what lie knew about it.
IIe said that in tho latter part Of May,
or early in June, ia shcrt, stoclsy
woman bought twoi ounces of that
variety of poison from him. Mrs,
Botkin was pointed out, and the wit
ness declared his belief that she was
the woman. When cross examined,
hSwever, he hesitated to express cer-
tainty that be couldbnot be mistaken.
Miss Sylvia Henri,if saleswoman for
George Haas e. Sons, s,scandy rnanufae-
turers and rctailers, Was the most i'm
portant witness thisk afternoon. She
identified some of the candy sent 10
Mrs. Dunning as being from the stock
of her employers. She identified the
box and explained that she did not
quite fill it at the request of the pur-
chaser, who said sh9 wished to put
something else in the box. Miss Henri
identified seal used by the firm and
said that the purchaser appeared ex-
tremely nervous during the whole trans.
action.
Miss Henri's identification was moi
positive, hut she qualified bysayina
that she believed thatsMrs. BotSiniwas
the person TO whom she sold thecandy.
DIR. Wolf, the chemist from Dover,
Del, was recalled and asked IL he had
ever heard Of arsenic being used fol
bleaching straw hats He replied in
the negative.
San Francisco, Cal, Dec. 16. The
prosecution OF Mrs. .Cordelia Botkin is
now passing throughsthe most critical
stage. Vigorous efforts are being made
to weld chain of testimony connect
ing the accused wonap with the pun.
chase and mailing OF deadly eanay tt
Dover, Del, where it cansed the
death Of Mrs. John P. Dunnings and
Mrs. Joshua ID. Deane. newitness
has testified positively that Mrs! Bot
kin bought arsenic in this city on June
1st. Another has declared that the de
fendant bought the box of candy thai
was subsequently poisoned. The cast
for the prosecution is now nearing the
close.
Mrs. Loretta Simpson testified yes
terday that in April last she managed
the Hotel Victoria. In April Mrs.
Botkin took rooms at the Victoria.
Dunning accompanied her the day she
took up her residence at the Victoria.
Dunning subsequently moved Ito the
hotel himself. After q residence there
of five days he was called to Cuba as d
correspondent of the Associated
Press. MRS Botkin accompanied
Dunning to Oakland,'' said Mrs, Simp
son. "Whon she returned sho wal
nervous. Indeed, she was almost dis
tracted. She talked for days thereafter
of Dunning and tho possible. dangers
he might encounter in Cuba. She was
afraid that he would be killed. Hei
anxiety was such that she talked con
| tinually about Cuba and the wai.
did what [ could to calm her, and no,
succeeding very well, introduced her tt
n lodger in the house, who, having
been in Cuba, was in a position to tel
her all about that island. l."
1 Postal Inspector Erwin testified thai
tho postniark upon the candy box sem
to Mrs. Dunning was that of Sar
Francisco. Tho mark, he said. wa;
that of Station D, at tho ferry There
was nothing upon the wrapper to show
the package had been mailed at any
particular portion of the city, Pack
| ages are stamped only atNStatioh d:
When mailed at other stations they
would rot be stamped until received al
| Station d. A package mailed there
August 4th at p IN. would arrive il
Dover, according to Erwin, on Augue
9th, at $50 o'clock. Ii would III
handled but once on its journey acros:
the continent.
Tal,,, n ,,,,il 5salarlrl =,
Station d, positively asserted that 9
package similar TO the one sent to Mrs.
Dunning passed through his hands
early in August. He was positive be.
cause the name on the package was Sc
similar to his own that it attracted
special attention. 1t was addressed tc
Dover, Dol, but he was not certain
whether it was designated for Mr.. 81
Mrs. Dunning, but was certain regard
ing the name. \
Mrs. Birdie Price, who succeeded
Mrs. Simpson as proprietor of the Vic
toria Hotel, testified that n number d
people had been in Mrs. Botkin's room
between the time Mrs. Botkin left ant
the time the Haas seal was founl
there. The seal has boen identified d
i one used on the box Of candy sold tt
Mrs. Botkin. h
George Haas, from whose store Mrs
Botkin is alleged to have bought the
candy sent to Mrs. Dunning, and two
of his employees we're on the witnes:
stand yesterday. They were examined
regarding the manufacture of chocolate
creams and other candies, and the pos
sibility OF poison getting into the
candy during the course of manufac
ture. Nothing Of very satisfactory
nature for the defence was adduced.