Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-08-25

Mr.. Dunning said much more than thls 10
a newspaper reporter.
There are three women in San Francisco
with whom Dunning admits mat ne Was m
timateiy ACQUAINTED The CHIEF Oh, o. these Ss is
Dunning's relations were closer than with
either of the others He admits having
pretty condolences and expressions Of love
since he left San Francisco
This was at the very same time that ne
was writing the most affectionate letters 10
his wife here in Dover.
II is necessary for thorough under
standing Of Dunning's methods during tnis
fateful period of separation from his VIE
that ended with her assassination to re-
member that to all outward appearances
there was never a more dutiful and loving
husband.
He wrote daily letters to Mrs. Dunning,
addressing her in the most endearing man:
ner, and expressing the deepest regret ana
her and their child. the little girl whose nIe
the murderess plainly aimed at at the tinae
she sent the arsenic laden choeolates.
In his letters TO his wife Dunning told
all the little details of his daily ooiiisSS;
Nothing seemed too trivial for him 70 tsil
her and his letters to her were compie.e
picture Of his life surroundings and rela-
tionship. but he omitted mention OF the one
great thing that might have proEstu 01 'iie
would have cast doubt into her souI and
wounded her faithful. loving heart
mention of the fact that ne was using ne
same expressions of love and teiilns lhe
same details of his life TO anoiher woman man
"a woman that could not call MN nus
band No matter how close their relation
ship or how intimate their confidence, iIoIs ''is
writing letter TO Mrs Dunning athep ne Wputo ~
Mrs Botkin, whom he addressed as peae az
Ada or My Dear Ada" His tpTa letters bIS 10
closed with words of love.
This revelation of the double existence OF
Dunning comes only at tifne Wheh tiis
man cannot longer compel sience- .c ,,ates ~ sa
bear upon him by his father-in-law. ex-
law Jos,hua ID. Deane. and his uncle, John
b. burning of Hartshorn. Del.
II know Mrs. Botkin very very int intimately; mat no;v
whether she was acquainted with my VIE.
She did know. however. thai J. was mar
ried man, and IL was with this knowledge
on her part that many letters passed be-
tween us from the time | said good-by 70
her in San Francisco and came East TO go
Il do not doubt that she still has many
of those letters in her possession.
The interviewer showed ,u, Dunninig is.ss COPY s
ceived very recently from him by drs.
Botkin:
Port Antonio Jamaica. June 16
Ny Dear Ada:-Piease excuse the type
writer. but / have one handy and vii, use
Il TO let you know that up to date i am
all right. When you receive this. ! wish
you would address line TO me and let me
know II you are all right. can't tell you
just what will be my plans Don't feel any
alarm about me at all. will come out
of this all right. With my love. j.
Dunning examined it carefully and then,
with apparent reluctance said:
Yes. / did write that to Mrs. Botkin.
1T is all right"
Then he was shown this extract from
another letter TO her:
Dear Ada:-T have been too much rushed
in the last few days TO send you even a
line ] am now on my way by train from
~ f.aly
steamer at the latter place for Cuba.
am going TO try with ali my power to live
down the past with all its sorrows. and II
anything arises in Cuba TO give me a
chance to do something. I believe that my
future is assured. God grant that every
thing is well with you / want to hear
from you as soon as possible; J.
Again Dunning admitted that he had
written the letter.
Il suppose" said he. sorrowfully. 'that
IT Will be easy enough TO produce these
letters IL ever they are needed. So ii would
be useless for me TO deny their author
ship
When questioned with reference to the
past that he proposed TO live down. Dun
ming said:
THAT is a matter that rests entirely be-
tween myself and the Associated Press. and
1t cannot possibly have any connection
with the sending of box Of poisoned
candy to my wife. ] must decline to dis
cuss it."
It is not difficult TO learn the significance
OF that remark about his past from other
available sources here It was not long
after Dunning had sent his wife back TO
her parents home in Dover that she was
shocked by receiving a letter from him
saying that he had lost his position as
chief of the Pacific bureau of the Associ-
ated Press on account of shortage that
had been discovered in his accounts. The
only explanation he would give was that
he had been playing the races.
It was the first intimation Mrs. Dunning
ever had that her husband was in any way
a gambler, and this rendered the shock TO
her sensitiveness the greater. for, besides
her abiding faith In her husbands upright
ness, she had been brought up a strict
Presbyterian. and church worker had
an inexpressible horror of gambling. Her
greatest dread was. however. that her hus-
band might go to Jail on account of the
shortage.
The double life in San Francisco had
that the shortage was 5000. When Dun.
ming lost his position he wrote a letter to
Assistant General Manager Diehl. of the
fession. but offering no explanation of the
real reasons for the shortage.
can he oR TEoe int has aDv Sops dope
replace what has gone"
He also said that he had written to
another member of the association: giving
fuller details of the course of his life
that lad brought his bright prospects tc
And that is the explanation of the ref
erence in DUaning's letters to Mrs. Bot.
kin. of the past, that he hoped to live
down. Her intimate relations with hin
had led her to know all about his trouble:
and financial straits: far more, indeed, thar
IL was ever given his wife to know. but his
wife never got from him more than his
original statement that he had been play
ing the races and. like many another man
had lost.
OF the history of his relations with Mrs
Botkin. Dunning said: our first meetint
was entirely the result OF an accident i
was a year and half or two years as'
that / was riding my bicycle in Colder
Gate park. San Francisco. when th'
wheel broke down near bench wher'
two women were sitting. One of then
while was making the necessary re
pairs TO the bicycle. l got into conVer
sation with them. and went so far as Il
wheel had been mended. We simply in
troduced ourselves without the sghtes
thought of formality, and. as there wa
no objection on Mrs. Botkin's part. tn
continued. I next met her. at the rae
track at Ingleside, and thereafter ou
meetings were frequent. Mrs. Botkin in
vited me to a card party in her rooms AM
I went.
Before I left that evening it was sug
Cested that It would be pleasant If l coul
jys in the same house, and 1 was toll
there was an available apartment. ! sc
cured II Immediately and went to live there
After that 1 saw Mrs. Botkin many even
inge. for there were frequent card parties
10 which she invited me at other friends
j cannot say how many evenings spen
with her or how frequently saw her. bu
when / left San Francisco began TO cor
respond with her and have Kept 1t up eve
since.
1t was no easy task for Dunning to max
these revelations, for while he was tallsin
he was standing in the shadow of the honl
l....1 l,,.I