Evening journal., 1898-09-05
MRS. BOTKIN'S POISON
A Drug Store Registers She
Bought Arsenic on June I.
ANOTHER WOMAN IN THE AFFAIR
JOHN p DRUMMING QUITE POPULAR
WITH THE FAIR SEX IN SAN
FlRANCTSCo.-DOUBT OF THE
DELAWARE AUTHORITIES.

AuN Nutlh oA NiANhltcNciii NNlQtutt
seems to be drawing closer around Mrs.
Cordelia Botkin as each day passes
and it now seems almost impossible
that she can escape from its meshes.
The following dispatch from Cslifor-
mia throws more light on the celebrated
poisoning case.
Sam francisco, Sept. A women
who appears ais Mrs. ''BOtkin" on the
poison register, kept by the owl" drug
store, l12O Market street, bought two
ounces OF arsenic from Clerk Frank 5.
Grey, at 2 p. m. ON June /, 1898. She
gave her address as California and
Hyde streets. Taken In connection
with the arrest CT Mrs. Cordelia Botkin
on the change OF sending a box OF pois-
oned bonlbons to Dover, which caused
the dsath OF Mrs. ]. p. Dunning and
her sister, Mrs J. T. Deane, the SINH
larity OF names and the remarkable CO.
r incidence that on june the accused
woman lived at the Victoria Hotel on
the northwest corner OF Hyde and Car
I fornla, leads to the natural deduction
that the woman now In prison Is tins
s one who bought the poison.
: Friday afternoon Detectives Gdbson
and Nicvey visited the l"Owl" drug
store and examined the poison register
y for a period both prior and subsequent
s to Mrs Botkin's visit to Stockton, on
y July 20 to 80. No sale of arsenic was
!. recorded ON amy pf these days, and tIhs
= lofficers continued their search. Yester
a day afternoon William Kearney and G
r 70. Downs. clerks in the drug store
IS were again looking at the record O
sarss cf poison and they found tha
entry: "Sig. 1882 p. M Mrs. Botle.n
Ic California and Hyde-arsenic 2 OF.
Is bleaching; Gray"
y GRlAY'S STATEMENT.
p p In all tho drug stores where the ste.
laws are obeyed a detailed record c
Ne sales OF poison is kept When Kearne
h. and Downs discovered the entry the
x called Frank 5. Gray, by Whom II wa
y written, and hls recalled the circun
I'd stances OF the sale. To Chief Of Poll,
N Lees Clerk Gray made the fol.owin
a statement:
n 1.-The lady came into the store an
!, said she wanted some arsenic 70
n bleaching. She gave her name as MT
Is Botkin. j asked her what articles IN
N wanted to bleach, and she said 'strar
a hats. / told her there were oths
:" chemicals less dangerous for that pui
he pose. Her answer was that she ha
an used 1t before and understood its mr
ed nipulation. with that answer / gay
az her two ounces OF arsenic, Wrapped
lss, up in yellow paper and marked II 'po
sd SON. She left the store. and i hal
is not seen her since"
'ut To reporters Gray said later: "Tl
I'd entry in the book is my handwritln
'ut and I remember the circumstances q
,os tending the sale OF the arsenic on Jui
M /. also remember the appearan'
ge and mannerisms OF the woman WI
ks made the purchase, but do net ca
to say at this time whether think q
.,,, person who bought the poison was Nh
nis Botkin. AT the proper time and und
ck the proper circumstances will sta
IN definitely whelher she was the one. "
ue ANOTHER WOMAN.
,snl Another woman has precipitated he
M self dnto the poisoning case. Mrs.
ler F. O. Edwards declares she has lived
I'd daily dread of the accusation. s,
ile says She knew John P Dunnlng. s.
s1 believed that her association CT h.
~, was more intimate than had been th
/ a OF amy either woman in San Francis,
wn She wrote him many letters OF endea
the ment. She knew his affairs and tho
re. OF his wife and family. She cared
the % him, and tells with expression of fe
ON that she signed her letters OF affecti
en- almost always with the fatal Mrs. {
1ed Farther than this, TO carry the q
iis' marlable story to the very precip.ce
coincidence, the woman hinted a
ary she was professional candy mah
Jar and dangerously corresponds with I
sh- description of the woman whom j.
TN Fennessee saw at the ferry postal s.
az tim On the afternoon os August T. A
that about that time she mailed
package at THAT very station. 4
ak agony OF suspense can no longer.
DOT endured.
INST plead FOR OBLIVION.
on The woman Wrote a pleading let
10 Dunning, begging him not to rev
the story Of their associations or
EA- drag her into unwarranred notorie
Nm Having written this appeal she vi
before the police and confessed eve
I'' thing that might in any way conn
.t.s her with Dunning or with the crime
in the poisoning In this way she SOU
10 silence her fears and tSee suspic
that she feared was dinected agai
J. her. 1t required but brief inquiry
All convince the authorities that she