The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-13
DOTKIN TRIAL COMMENCES
DELAWARE WITNESSES TESTIFY
TO RECEIPT OF FATAL CANDY.
took Go Over Details Of Arrival
Of the Mysterious Package-How
Its Contents Were Freely Eaten.

SAN FRANCISCO Dec. 1.-THE trial Of
Mrs. Cordelia Botkin for the murder OF
Mrs. John p. Dunning. Of Dover. Del, and
who is also accused Of being responsible
for the death of Mrs. Cummings sister, Mrs
Joshua d. Deane. commenced n real earn
est today. The witnesses were ali on hand
and the jury announced itself as being
ready 10 hear testimony.
The proceedings were set in motion by
Attorney for the Defense knight. request
ing the exclusion from the court room of
all witnesses. Judge Cook granted the re-
quest, Attorney General White, of Della
ware ard Chief Of Police Lees. OF this city.
being excepted in the order.
The first witness called was the postmas-
ter of Dover Del, Thomas NJ Gooden- He
testified that On August 9 package was
received at the possoffice al Dover, adj
dressed to Mrs. John r. Dunning. He de-
scribed the package uiinu,ely. AID when
shown a piece of Manila paper, with the
address written sipon II, Identified IL as
the paper in which was inelosed the box re-
ceived by Mrs Dunnirg. Mr. Goolen was
positive in his Identification, because, as he
explained to the attorneys for the defense
he had handled the package three times and
that he himself placed 1t in the postoffice
box subscribed for by the Pennington fam
lily.
Harry c, Pennington, the f5-year odd
grandson OF the Hon. John C. Pennington.
testified to taking the box from the post
Office box and identified the wrapper and
the address. He told OF the opening of the
box by Mrs. Dunning and the finding of the
little handkerchief on the top of the candy.
He told of the passing around of the candy
to the father. relatives and friends. The
witness told how. on biting into a piece OF
candy. Mrs. Pennington spat II out. He
explained the illness of himself. Mrs. Dun
ming and Mrs. Deane and the death of the
ladies'
Miss Lila Deane. daughter OF Mrs. Deane
and niece of Mrs. Dunning. gave practic-
ally the same testimony as the preceding
witness
Miss Josephine Bateman, one of the group
who partook OF the candy on the 9th OF
August testified that some foreign sub
stance in the candy caused her 20 remove
the offending particles. A piece of some
hard white substance lodged ON one of her
gums, necessitating the use of her finger
to remove It, The day following her gums
and lips were liberated. The Jumps resem-
bled rock salt. Miss Bateman told of her
Illness following the eating OF the candy.
but IL was rather insignificant compared
with the sufferings of others.
Miss Ethel Wilmington testified TO eating
some OF the candy, and to feeling slightly
II. for several days after. She stated that
buuiilIiG udiucu ueT "TApfcT. dSh-
ing her to try to decipher the postmark,
but she could not.
]. P. Deane stated that he was awakened
in the middle of the night by the agoniZ-
ms cries of his wife. He told of her suffer
ings: her refusal TO let him call her physi-
clan at that hour: the arrival of the doctor
| in the morning. and his ministratiens. and
| her final commissions and the death which
followed.
John Pennington father of Mrs Dun.
| ming and Mrs. Deane, was the last witness
| mony when court adjourned. His testi.
| mony when court adjourned. His testi,
| mony up TO the time Of adjournment mad
| little bearing upon the case. referring mere.
| " to family affairs