Evening journal., 1898-12-31
MRS. BOTKIN GUILTY.
Convicted Yesterday of Murder
in the First Degree.
MEANS IMPRISONMENT FOR LIFE

HOURS OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
TRHCT ATTORNEY HOSNlER'S
ELOQUENT ADDRESS.
San FranclEco, Dec. 31.-"Guilty ot
murder in the first degree" was the
verdict rendered last night by the jury
in the trial Of Mrs. Cordelia BOtkin for
the murder OF Mrs. John p. Dunnine,
of Dover, Del.
The Jury was out but five hours be-
fore its reached a verdict and fixed
the punishment OF Mrs Botkin's crime
at Imprisonment for life.
AT 800 o'clock the jury sent wora
it was ready to report.
When the jury filed in Mrs. Botkin
became very calm.
When the verdict wits pronounced
she did not move a muscle.
1t is understood that the jury stood
nine for hanging and three for life im-
lprisOnment.
AS the minority refused to give way
the majority agreed TO a life term to
prevent disagreement.
Mrs Botkin was almost overcome at
the verdict and w1s on the verge OF
collapse, but was sustained by her sis
! ter.
The case was given to the jury yes
terday afternoon at about o'clock.
The day was taken up by Assistant
District Attorney HOsmeT's closing ar
glment. The court room WAS Jam-
med, as il has been throughout the
trial. A large proportion of listening
spectators were women Of all ages.
Delaware's witnesses were out in
force. There was no spell binding
about Hosmer's oratory. His nasal
tone phraeed only words that meant
something. He reviewed testimony IN
a manner cold. impaseive and analyti-
cal, calling black black, and a spade q
spade, with cheerful disregard OF
those beauties Of metaphor affected by
lawyers for the defense.
Judge Cooks charge to the jury was
the usual formal statutory affair, quot
ing from the codes and giving no IN
struci6ons beyond these usually given
In murder cases.
i ATTOR4SEY HOSMERS ADDRESS.
In the course OF his address Hosmer
lsaid:
In starting on a review Of this case
the counsel for the defense have in
!,
: here without fees. Why they made
. such a statement 1 do not know" said
) the speaker. when attorneys represent
chents in this court they are not sup
posed to appeal to the Jury bv an1
p such remarks. The crime which yoy
p are called upon TO pass is one Of tn,
] most heinous ever committed. Two
women have been called upon to gc
/ to their Maker. and a third is on tria,
g for causing their deaths This case
] repeat, is a noted one. On one side
= II the country we stand trying the
defendant. while on the other rest ths
y remains of her victims.
3 what do we find to be the charac
ter OF this case? On the night of An.
p gust 9 the mail which arrived at the
town OF Dover brought a package ad,
I dressed to Mrs. John p. Dunning say
a the counsel for the defense, the pack
age did not go through the mail, be
cause the woman who handled it wa.
not brought here to testify.
1.-THE other counsel for the defendant
tells a different tale. He says SOM
!, enemy OF Mr.. Pennington, in order q
: avenge some wrong, attempted to mur
;. der his daughter and his grandchild
(. lGentlemen. / would ask IL you hav
/. any doubts that that package was re
: ceived at Dover on the night OF Au
1, lgllEt 9? Mr.. GoOden has testified tha
s it came from this city. and 20 sub
!. srhntiate. he points 10 the San Fran
J. cisco postmark.'
D: In the transcript Of testimony Hos
a mer found evidenge given by GOodei
!. and read il for the enlightenment {
the jury. He spoke of the box {
candy alter it had been placed in Nj
, Penington's box in the general post oi
fee Then the arrival oR Harry Per
u ington Was described. He opened tn
y box, took out the candy and carried
9 to his aunt, Mrs. Dunning. He foun
ID her sitting on her fathers verand.
n aud he handed her the package. Mr.
l. Dunning looked at it and remarke
-d that, according to the pOstmark
N must have come from San Francisc
)I She opened the box, found within
20 present Of a handkerchief and an e
feCtionate note.
"The people gathered about and b.
gan to discuss the gift, and the cand
n. is passed around. The little girl, Mr.
"a Dunnings daughter. takes a carame
n. Mrs. Pennington also partOOk, but b.
- fore swaslOwing the deadly morsel 81
I discovers something repulsive in q
! taste and splits it out, thereby pro-
= ably saving her life"
~ The conduct OF the other members
~ the group in partaking OF the cane
.Ss S was graphicasy described, and He
~ mer then followed MTs. Dunning in
the house.
POISON WITH WORDS OFF LOW
Before che went there, he sal
sc ''the deadly work of the crime hi
ey been done. The deadly poison had e
ap tered the vitais of everyone who VI
"a to die or be sick from partaking
on it,"
as Continuing, the attorney said: "Ge
ed tlemen. remember that this p0isi
'ps came with words Of love. 1t stole {
ne Mvery OF heaven TO serve the dev
What was in il? Was it love. was
affection? Was it the endearing qlIi
ity that the note would Indicate? We
there. gentlemen. half a dozen piec
he in that box that were not charg
.av with poison that Would take
es- mother Of the babe out of this wol
for to satisfy the lust Of a woman
California? When it was sent