Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-08-25
PROBING TIE DOVER MYSTERY
Perpatrator of the Crime Be-
lieved to be in the West.
THE OFFICERS MAY HAVE A GLUE
Comment Concerning the Good
Condition of the Box.

Condition of the Box.
Some Believe That the Fatal Package Came
From san Francisco, While Others Incline
to the Opiuion That II 1t Had Travelled So
Far IL Would Have Been in Worse Shape.
Dover, Aug. 90 There are very few
people in Dover who think that the
person who ssnt the box of poisoned
candy whish caused the death Of Mrs.
j. d. Deans aud Mrs. J. +. Dunning
lives anywhere in this vicinity, al
though it has been intimatsd that such
might be the oaae. Hon. John b.
Pennington, father of the unfortunate
women, firmly believes that the whale
schems was worked up and carried uut
somewhere in the West presumably in
San Francisco. In conversation be
said he was perfectly satisfied that he
is right in this belief Hnd that any
amount of investigation which may be
made in this part Of the country will
amount to nothing, for, as he exprassed
it, thera is nothing in the East to in
vestigate. He received letter day
or so ago advising him to begin the
work OF investigation here, but he says
no sees nothing to begin on, and per-
sons who think tho start should be
made here ought 10 give some idea as
to how the work should be commenced.
Mr.. Pennington seems to direct his
thoughts almost entirely toward San
Francisco. and. although he does not
mention any names, 1t Is evident from
his talk that he believes the most eifec-
tive work uan be done there.
Others differ from Mr.. Pennington on
this point, and there are some who be-
Iieve that the fatal box of candy came
from some point not many milea from
Dover. Some people who saw tho post
marks are satisfied that the package
was postmarksd "San Francisco, !"
while one person says that the post
mark looked to him ns il the name OF
the place contained the word City.
There are still others who say that they
could make absolutely nothing out oil
the supposed postmarks Mr.. Pening-
ton. however, is satisfied that the bol
was postmarked in San Franciscu. j.
ID. Deane, his son-in law, husband oi
one of tho women who was go foully
murdered, thinkH ii Htrange thst the
box should have been in such gooo
condition when it reached Dover, II il
had travelled all the. way from Sar
Francisco. Postmaster Gooden stated,
however, that the box might have
travelled that distance and been in goot
shape when it reached Dover. He has
no idea where it came from, excep
what he has heard about the post
marks, not having examined them him
self.
Postmaster .Goodeu remembers whsr
the box arrived in Dover. 1t came by
| the 5.5S train from the north last Tues
day night week and somewhere in thu
neighborhood of o'clock was taker
away by boy who called for the mail
| Thsre was nothing unusual about this
however, and nothing to arouse thu
suspicious Of the postmaster, as Mrs
Cunning had received othsr packages |
short time prior to receiving the candy
So it will be Heen that there is diff
fsrenue of opinion as to how far th'
box travelled, but as the majority o
people who have seen the postmarlSl
agree with Mr.. Pennington, it is alto
gether probable that the authoritiei
| also hold to that belief and have madI
| their plans accordingly
just what form the investigation hal
assumed cannot be ascertained. Al
nothing on this line will be livulget
either by the officers or Mr.. Pennington
| In regard to the Investigation MIR. Pen
ington stated that 1t would not be wiHi
tn announce what clues there are, as
publication Of any suspicious which
might exist just at this timo would, il
all probability, frustrsts the plans o
the people on the work or throw OBJ
Htacles in their way.
Nothing has hesn heard from the wo
maj who was at first supposed 10y Mrs
Dunning to have sent the candy. Sool
alter the receipt of the box Mrs. Dun
ming made the remark that she hat
known only two women in San Frun
cisco whose last Names commenced
with the letter &C." One had diet
six months previous and the other hat
gone to Maine, and as soon as suspicion
pointed toward the candy it was evi
dent that it had not besn sent by an.
friend.
The woman in Maine had been var.
warm friend of Mrs. Dunning's fc
several years. IL is stated that on on,
occasion her son was very badly hur
in an accident at an electric station il
San Francisco. and Mrs. Dunning aa
sisted the mother very materially il
caring for the patient. The gratefu
mother never lost an opportunity I,
show her appreciation of Mrs. Dun
ning's kindness. 1t was thought tina
something might he heard from he
when she read of the terrible. TRACED,
in the newspapers. but Mr.. Pennington
states that no message has yet been re
ceived from her. He does not Knov
her address and has not written to her
Mr.. and Mrs. Dunning we're married
abuut nine or fen years ago. shor
time after MIR. Dunning returned from
his mission to Samoa. He was thel
assistant superintendent of the Sal
Francisco office of The Associated
Press. After the wedding he took hi
brids to San Francisco and for som
4 time they reHidpd at the Berkshir
Hotel. They formed and retained tn,
acquaintance of some of the very bes
people in the city, and Mrs. Dummy
frequently wrote TO her parents ant
other relatives here about her kint
friends and pleasant associations
About two years ago Mrs. Dunnini
came East to visit her parents. Som
time prior to her eastern trip her hus
band had become superintendent @
The San Francisco Office OF the Asso
ciatsd Press, but while Mrs. Dunnini
was at the home of har parents Mr.
Dunning left the employ Of The Asso
ciated Press. This being the case Mrs
Dunning did not return to San Fran
cisco, but remained here with he
parents. subsequently Mr. DunninI
was connected with various newspaper
in the West, and at the breaking ou
of the war with Spain he accepted
flattsrine offer which had been mad