Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-12-15
THE BOTKTE TRIAL.
Tho Alleged Poisoner ArTaigned FOL
Murder In San Francisco.
POISONED CANDY SENT BY MAIL
Caused tho Death OF Mrs. Dunnina
ano Mrs. DeAne, Daughters OrEH"
Congressman Pcnnington' la
Dover, Delaware

Dover, Delaware
SAN Francisco December lS.-The
trlal OF Mrs. Cordoba l5olkln for the
murder Of Mrs. John 7. Dunnlng, OF
Dover, Del, and who Is also accused
of being responsible for lvhe death OF
Mrs. DuaniEgs sister, Mrs. Joshua
Dtanp. commenced In earnest Mon,
day. The witnesses were all on haild
and the Jury announced itself as be-
ing ready 10 hear testimony
The proceedings were set ~ mo
tlon by the attorney for bhc defense,
MIR. inight, WAC requested exclusion
from lhe court room OF all witnesses
Judge Cook granted the request NJ
torncy General WhlIe, OF Delaware
and Chief OF Police Lees, Of this city
being excepted In the order
The first wllntss called was the
postmaster OF Dover, Del, Thomas NJ
Goodm. lie Testified that on August
package was received ant the post
Office at Dover addressed to Mrs
John p. Cumming. He described the
package infinitely, and when shown
q piece OF manlla paper With the adj
dress written upon II, identified II al
the paper in which was Enclosed the
boz received by Mrs, Dwnlng, Mr.
Gooden was positive In his Identifies
tion, bcca use, as he explained to tht
ATTORNEYS for the defense, he had
handled the package three times, and
he himself placed 1t In the postoflc'
box subscribed for by the Pennington
family,
Harry c. Pennington, the l3-year
old grandson OF John lI, Pennington
testified to taking The box from the
poStofIice and Identified the wrapper
and the address. Vie told OF the open
ing of the box by Mrs, Cumming on(
the finding of the little bandkerchle:
ON the top of the candy. He told ol
the passing around of the candy t.
the gathered relatives and friends
The witness told how, ON biting .
piece OF candy, Mrs. Pennington spNt
II out lie explained the Illness o,
himself, Mrs. Cumming and Mrs
Deane and the death of the ladies.
Miss Lila Deane, daughter of Mrs
Deane, aud a niece of Mrs. Cumming
gave practically the same testimony
ais the preceding witness.
Miss Josephine Bateman, one OF tht
group who partook OF the candy on
the 9th OF August, testified that som,
foreign substance in the candy caus
I'D her to remove the offending part
Giles. A piece OF some hard, whit
substance lodged on one of her gums
md neccssitated the use OF her finger
DO remove 1T, The day following, hel
gums and lips were liberated. TIL,
Jumps resembled rock salt, Mist
Bateman told of her ills following tht
eating of the candy, but they werC
rather insignificant compared wild
the sufferlngs of others.
Miss Ethel Millington testified L
eating some of 1.-THE candy and to feel
ing slightly dll for several days after
She stated that Mrs. Dunning handed
her the wrapper, asking her TO try L
decipher the pUstmark, but she couli
not.
j. ID, Deane, husband OF one of thu
victims, stated that he was awakened
in the middle OF the night by The
agonlzing cries of his wife, lie tolS
OF her sufferings; her refusal to lei
him call her physiciam ait that hour
the arrival of the d ctor in the morn
ing and his minis ratons and hel
final commissions aud the death which
followed
John i. Pennington, father OF Mrs
Dunnng and Mrs. Deane, was the Las
witness Monday, and he had mott fin
ished his Testimony when the couri
adjourned. Ills Testimony up to tn,
time of adjournment had little bear
ing upon The case, referring merely
to family affairs.
Mr. and Mrs. john p. Dunnina
were, until year ago, residents OF
San Francisco, Mr., Cumming being
agent for the Associated Press. He
lost his place because Of q shortage
in his accounts and went to Porto
Rico as representative of New York
newspaper, leaving his wife at the
home Of her father, ex-Congressmar
Pennington, in Dover, Del. During
his absence in Porto Rico his wife re-
ceived by mail from San Francisco
a box of chocolates. OF those who
ate the chocolates, Mrs. Dunning and
her sister, Mrs. Deane, died, and sew
cral others were made very i'll. Anal
ysis showed thNIt THE chocolates con
tanned poison, 1t is the theory of the
prosecution that the chocolates were
sent by Mrs. Botkin, with whom Mr.
Dunning was very intimate when
here, with the purpose of killing Mrs
Cumming and thus making possible
the marriage of Mr.. Dunning and
Mrs. Botkm. Strong efforts were
made to secure the extradition OF
Mrs Botkin Ito Delaware for trial
There, hut they all failed, and her in
dhctment here was then secured.
Fatal Array Among Soldiers.