The herald., 1898-12-29
AN ANONYMOUS GIFT
Causes Death but Not of the Person
Intended

| NEW YORK, Dec. 2S.-Mrs. Kate j. Ad-
ans, wellto-do woman, was poisoned to-
day in the handsomely furnished apart
ments on Eighty-sixth street. Her death is
connected with curious chain Of events.
Mrs. Adams was widow, 80 years old.
She lived with her son-in-aw, Edward Rog-
ers, an insurance agent. Harry Cornish, 4
we'll known athlete and physical director of
the knickerbocker Athletic club, boards
with Rogers. Mrs. Adams awoke this morn
ing with a severe headache. Her daughter,
Mrs. Rogers, advised her to take some
bromo seltzer. She got some from Mr.. Cor
nish's room and gave it to her mother. In
few seconds Mrs. Adams was in great pain
and evidently suffering from the effects OF
strong poison. DR.. Hitchcock was called in
and tried to counteract the effects OF the
poison, which he declared to be cyanide of
potassium. Mr.. Cornish and DR.. Hitchcock
both tasted the poisonous stuff and IN few
minutes both were prostrated by the slight
quantity they had taken. DR.. Potter was
called in. He revived the two men, but
Mrs. Adams died.
Mr.. Cornish states that on Christmas day
he received package addressed to himself,
containing sterling silver medicine bottle
holder in Tiffany box and in the holder
was bottle marked "Bromo seltzer.' The
package was anonymously sent, but Cornish
says he thought nothing of this, as he fire.
ouently gets presents in hits way. 1t was
this bottle that Mrs. Rogers got for her
mother and out of which Mrs. Adams drank
with fatal effect.
Mr.. Cornish says he cannot think who can
have had any designs on his life.
~, L 80 I've 4 Il
and is 40 years old. He has been the phys
ical director of the kniclerbocker Athletic
club for three years. Prior to that time he
was the physical director of the Chicago
Athletic club, and prior to that well-known
figure in football and other sports and a
coach for many college teams. The pack
age containing the poison was sent to MN
at the Knickerbocker club office, and was
wrapped in manila paper and sealed with
wax. The address was written IN temlnlne
hand, disguised to cause the impression that
the writing was done by man.
The package had been mailed at the gen
eral delivery office down town.
After the physicians in attendance had
expressed their belief that Mrs. Adams had
died from cyanide OF potassium poisoning,
Mr.. Cornish went to Assistant District At
torney McIntyre's office and told the Incl
dents connected with the tragedy. AT the
instance of the assistant district attorney,
three detectives were placed in the hallway
of the house. No one was allowed to 60
up to the apartments of Rogers without per
mission from the district attorneys office.
The coroner's physician, DIR. Weston,
called at the house tonight. He took the
vial holder and the bottle of poison. He
also took the wrapper containing the adj
dress. After careful examination of the
contents Of the bottle, he said it was his
opinion that the contents were cyanide of
potassium, although he could not say for
a certainty. He was sure that this was
what caused Mrs. Adams death. and that it
was murder-murder, cold blooded and pre-
meditated. He was of the opinion that the
victim intended was Cornish. He stated that
he would perform the autopsy on the body of
Mrs. Adams tomorrow. He had no talk
with Cornish, but consulted with Assistant
District Attorney Mcintyre.
Cornish disappeared soon after visiting
the assistant district attorneys office and
could not be found anywhere. His divorced
wife lives in Boston.