The sun., 1898-12-26

denly determined to go to the front as
correspondent. This took him farther
from Mrs. Botkin and nearer his wife.
But the close friendship he had formed
in San Francisco was not broken at fret.
He wrote often to Mrs. Botkin, and her
letters to him were most affectionate.
But one day Mrs. Botkin received q
letter from Dunning which must have
begun to stir up the old jealousy an l
make her feel that the advantage she
had gained over Mrs. Dunning was to be
lost. Here it is in part:
march l6-Dear Ada-I have been
too much rushed in the last few days to
send you even line. am now on my
way by train from New York to Key
West and will take steamer at the latter
place for Cuba. am going to try with
all my power to live down the past with
all its sorrows, and if anything arises in
Cuba to give me chance to do some
thing, believe that my future is assused.
God grant that everything is well with
you. ! want to hear from you as soon
as possible. j."
To a woman who loves there are hours
and hours of heartache between the lines
of this brief epistle.
The letters that fallowed excited Mrs.
Botkin's jealousy. Had Dunning's love
grown cold? She could plainly see that
when his services as war correspond
ent came to an end he would return to
the neglected wife at Dover. Mrs. Dun
ming was in the way-she stood between
her and the man she loved
The police point out as significant
fact the highly nervous condition of the
mind of Mrs. Botkin as soon as the news
Of Mrs. Dunnings death reached her.
Before she was suspected OF any direct
communication with the murders she
talked vaguely Of developments and her
own possible arrest. She was like a
hunted criminal.
She then telegraphed an alarm for her
husband. She felt, even before any ac-
cusation was made, the need Of some one
stronger than herself to rely upon.
1t was at this time that Mrs. Botkin
made certain statements that show her
familiarly with candy making and pto-
mains and poisons. She said significantly
in discussing the sending Of the poisoned
candy to Mrs. Dunning:
snow, how do they know the candy
was poisoned with intent? Did you ever
know that when candy is sent n long dis
tance poison is terminated? Suppose a
friend sent that candy to Mrs. Dunning
and such were the case? | wonder why
the doctors have not thought of that
theory"
When John P. Dunning came North at
the news of his wife's death he knew as
he afterward said in statement to the
Journal, the hand that sent the poisoned
chocolates to his wife.
He made nothing public but all that
he knew, everything that could in any
way lead to the Identification of the
murderess, he told to the police authori-
ties, and on his evidence Mrs. Botkn
was arrested.
Letters figuring in the case may have a
telling effect on the jury. Here is one
which may send the woman to the scat
fold:
SAN Francisco, June II, 1897.
Mrs. DUNNING-My Dear Madam: You
will please pardon me the presumption
the following information will disclose.
As am friend of yours and consider
you have been greatly wronged is my
sole object In doing this. Your husbands
financial difficulties this last winter We're
not all due by any means to race-track
speculations.
He has been all winter very closely as
sociated with lady that had a great in
huence over him, in fact thev have been
greatly together for a year and half.
Many persons knowing of his being most
constantly with her at the race track and
the theatres. They have made appoint
ments together, which can be proved to
you | do not know to what extent she
caused his involved financial condition.
They both were glvento drink.
lie has forfeited all right to your conf
dence, and your friends think the same.
suppose you know he has left this city,
and may be with you ere now so far as |
know.
Now, hope you will take this as it is
meant. | consider you TO have been
greatly wronged in every way. This
woman isqute clever and very GOOD to
him, and is divorced from her husband.
With kind consideration and the svm
pathles OF a woman. | am ever your
friend.
Here is another scrawl that may
tighten the moose:
SAN Francisco, July 10, 1897,
Mrs. DUNNING-I sincerely hope YOU
have made all due inquiry concerning
the grave information | sent you out OF
the pure interest | have in you concern
ing the conduct Of your husband, and if
you have not you are not the woman |
always supposed you were. If you would
ever renew your former living with a
man that has SO forgot you as he did and
placed you in the position he so pre-
meditatedly did.
All you require to be convinced is to
ask the many of both yours and my own
friends, that rom the hour you left to
go TO your home after he returned from
trip to Los Angeles, he was constantly
with his interesting and pretty woman.
She is now divorced from her husband,
all owing to the marked intimacy with
Mr. d. Her husband is now free from
her and your husband was the core
spondent in the case. She has something
OF an English income and is interesting
in many ways to degree.
| am now in possession OF the knowl-
edge that Mr.. Dunning is not with you,
and do hope that your womanliness will
prevent your ever being SO again. Now
do not misunderstood me concerning my
saying of this woman, as she is and was