The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-01

The mystery that surrounds the muir
der of Mrs. .Dunning and Mrs. Deane has
not vet been solved, although the police
authorities of this city and OF Dover nave
been at work upon the tragedy for weeks.
After a thorough and very exhaustive in
vestigation in San Francisco and In DIR
ferent parts OF the State Chief of Police
Lees can say no more than that Mrs. Cor
della Rotkin must explain certain ap-
parently significant facts before she Will
be allowed to go at liberty. There Is at
present nothing TO show the guilt OF the
accused woman. That she was intimate
with Dunning no one denies. mat the
anonymous letters written TO Mrs. Dun
ming before her death place Mrs. Botktn
in a peculiar position every one admits.
Beyond this the police have nothing ex-
cept the belief of Dunning that the
ANONYMOUS letters were written by Mrs.
BotkIn and formed part of the dreadful
conspiracy that ended in the death OF the
two women.
This extraordinary condition of affairs
became apparent yesterday when the au-
thorities made public one of the anony-
nous letters received by Mrs. Dunning,
and Detective McVey declared. that the
husband of the woman had unhesitatingly
declared that the anonymous letters had
been written by Mrs. Botkin. These adj
missions revealed the startling fact that
the police authorities OF this city and Of
Dover have been acting at cross purposes.
When Detective McNey started from
Delaware the only practical information
he possessed was DunningS expressed
belief that Mrs. Botkin had written the
anonymous letters TO his wife and had
penned the address on the death-laden
package that had crossed the continent
through the mails.
The authorities of Delaware believed
that the police of this city had traced the
box Of poisoned candy to its purchaser. 1t
was represented to them that the clerk OF
the candy store had positively identified
Mrs Botlxin as the woman who bought
the candy. II was said that the postal
clerk who sold the stamps could remem-
Der the woman and establish her identity
as that OF Mrs. Botkin.. The Eastern
authorities Were confident that the muir
deress had been found, but they did not
know that the police OF this city had
found nothing with which to connect Mrs.
Botkin with the crime. The purchase Of
the box of candy had not been traced.
The local police do not know who sold it
or who bought IL. They 90: not know
whether it was bought in this city or in
Stockton. and they can not tell at which
postal station it was mailed.
This fact was demonstrated yesterday
by two incidents. A local detective. was
sent from candy store to candy" store
seeking to discover where the box of
sweetmeats had been sold. He had with
nlm the box of poisoned candy and pho
tographs of the box and its wrapper. The
quest was unsuccessful. No one could tell
where the box had been sold. Later in the
day the Chief of Police, several detectives
and Postal Inspector Irwin visited the
ferry postal station in an effort to fix the
time when the box had been mailed. This
journey was also without purpose. The
police are utterly at q loss TO trace the
box or 70 discover its purchaser. They
were dismayed yesterday by the assertion
of Frank Gattrell that the box he sold to
the mysterious woman had no silk ribbon
bows upon 1t. The box that carried death
10 Mrs. Dunning and Mrs. Deane was
marked by two dainty silken bows. This
discrepancy has added a new lelment OF
doubt that investigation has been unable
to silence.
1t is in this condition that the authori-
ties are resting until the application for
extradtion arrives from Delaware. Chief
Lees has telegraphed to the Eastern au-
thorities TO present the strongest posi-
ole case against Mrs. Botkin. This in
struction, elaborated with a series OF ex-
plantations and cautions, has been carried
put to the letter, and a necessary delay
has been the result. Chief of Police Lees
1oes not wish to try the woman in this
which 10 go TO trial, and he seems I'M
able to obtain it. He is now moved by a
new idea. When he discovered that an
Indictment of murder by the local Grand
Jury would be fatal mistake he decided
to use the official machinery of inQuisi-
lion to force unwilling witnesses to talk.
Several people, men and women have
been before the Chief and reiterated
their assurance that they knew nothing
hat might shed light upon the murder.
rhe Chief of Police does not believe them
and he will ask the Grand Jury TO assist
him where he has failed. He does not
wish an Indictment for murder, but he
will set on foot a judicial inquiry simply
% learn what summoned witnesses have
% tell. The Grand Jury investigation has
been set for to-day, and if an Indictment
must be found the ponce will ask that
Mrs Botkin be charged simply with a
nisdemeanor for having sent poisoned
sandy through the mails. If such an in