Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-09-04
TALKED POISON.
Mrs. Botkin Dues ioaed a Doctor
about Arsenle's Daddy Qualt'l9s.
She Wanted to hLow Which Poison
Would Kill Tho Swif'eit ana
Easiest.

Co.. Francisco. September 5.-L''
tb.r civ weeks ago or within week %
two of the sending of the poisoned eau
DIV through the mails to MIS-. ., ~ H.
ING Mrs Cordelia Botkln, So IL
- stated was seeking information DIS "
tho effect of various pCls ms Oh lHo
svstem and in what quantities Ines
sbould be administered TO cause aeatn
Ms A Raouf, nurse and conndahle
of Mrs. Botkin, gave the grand jury
some strong circumstantlaI eVluehIo
against the accused yesterday. I'm July
% she said Mrs. BCtkin visited her d.
her home in Stockton. she was a.
the time" continued the witness, IN
a highly hysterical condition, and asked
me TO call in young physician as one
older in years she said did not possess
the mental sympathy she desired. DIT.
T. w. Stone was summoned.
He prescribed a subduiDg mixture,
after which Mrs. Botkin engaged him
in conversation regarding poison. She
paid particular attention to Srsenic
and obtained information concerning
the amount that would be most certain
to prove fatal
While asking question Mrs .Botkin
laughed and intimated that she in
tended to take the fatal potion herself
DR.. Stone was seen in Stockton last
night and gave a statement for publ
cation which confirms all that Mrs.
Raouf testified to concerning Mrs. Bot
kin's inquiries as to the effect of poi
sons. ION the morning OF July 2S,"
he said, Il called at the house of Mrs.
Raouf to see Mrs. Botkin and | had
been in the room only short time
when she asked me what effect poisons
of various kinds would have upon the
human system. While she did not eX
actly say that she wanted TO use some
of them. she gave out the impression
that she might want to commit suicide
and was asking barely to learn which
poison would kill most swiftly and
easily"
1t has developed that the linen hand
kerch5cf with imitation lace on the
edges which was sent to Mrs. Dunning
with the fatal candy was purchased at
the City of Paris" in this city. Chief
Lees received an exact duplicate of the
handkerchief to-day. Both have trades
marks ''25 cents" stamped on a bit of
pasteboard in one corner. A compar-
ison Of the handkerchiefs proved be-
yond question that the sender of the
candy bought the fabric at the City
OF Paris" Mrs. Botkin frequently pur-
chased articles al the City OF Paris"
Some of the clerks know her quite we'll
and efforts are being made to trace the
sale of the handkerchief 10 Mrs Bot
kin.
AS yet the managers Of the CITY of
Paris are unable to say when the
handkerchief sent to Mrs Dunning was
sC!d. To determine that fact it Will be
necessary to examine the records of
the sales for the past two months. Per-
h2ps week viii be consumed in max
irg this investigation. When the date
Of sale is determined it will be an easy
matter to identify the saleman who
sold the handkerchief Then he will
be called upon TO visit Mrs Botkin to
determine whether or not he sold the
article in question to her.
Chief of Police Lees is very well sat-
isfied with his discovery that the box
of cardy was made by Emma Herbe.
She remembered the incident as the
box was the last of its kind in stock
and it IS thought she will be able to
identify the purchaser. As yet she has
not seen Mrs. Bctkin here She will
be taken before the prisoner tomorrow.
however, and given an opportunity 20
identify here. Miss Herbe has but an
indistinct recollection of the purchaser.
She remembers, though. that she sold
the box Of candy to a woman and that
the woman asked for a candy box. She
was shower the box mentioned and
appeared satisfied with it, She was
charged twenty-five cents extra for the
box
The police last night overloaded Mrs
Botkia's trunk which they caDtured
when she was arrested in Stenton and
took possession OF a mass OF CORE
sDordence which il contained Mrs.
Botkin had all the letters she received
from Dunning The police found
letter from Cunning in which he told
Mrs. Botkin that he must separate from
her and retcin his wife and child in
Dover. This letter was written nv
Dunning when he lett this city for
Porto Rico.