Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-09-13
TIGHTENING THE CORDS
Evidence Against Mrs. Botkin
Being Daily Collected.
THE AUTHORITIES VERY ACTIVE
THE SUSPECTED NTURDERESS OF
MRS. DUNNING AND MRS. DEAVE
MAY SOON BE BROUGHT TO DEL
AWARR FOR TRIAL.

As the time passes. piece by piece {
the evidence, which will tend to send
Mrs. Cordelia Bctkin to the scaffo.d for |
the murder of Mrs. Dunning and Mrs.
Deane, is being put together. ,
The following dispatch from Califor-
Mia shows h0w closely the web is being .
woven about the accused woman: {
San Francisco, CAL, Sept. 1s.-An-
other important link has been added to !
the chain Of evidence connecting Mrs.
Cordelia BOtkin with the sending OF the
poisoned box Of candy which caused the ]
deaths at Dover, Del. OF Mrs. Dunning Z
and Mrs. Deane.
This new evidence is seal used by
the firm Of George Haas & Son in put
ting up boxes Of candy similar to that
sent to Dover. 1t was found in Mrs.
Botkins room.
The seal was found by A. B. Barnes,
manager of the Hotel Victoria, where
Mrs. Botkin had apartments at the
time the poisoned candy was sent. Last
Thursday Barnes went to the room oc-
cupied by Mrs. Botkin, which had been
vacant since her departure, and, as
things were somewhat untidy in 1t, he
began picking up things from the floor.
while thus engaged he found a
quatrefoil seal, with strings hanging
from it, just as they had been cut from
the package. The seal bore the adver-
tsement Of George Haas & Son, pno-
prietors of the store where the candy
that was loaded with arsenic
had been purchased. The seal, when
found, was lying on the floor OF the
room, as if the purchaser had cast 1t
aside and then forgotten all about II.
Inquiries were made by the police,
and it was learned that 1t is the custom
at Haas store that when fancy boxes
> of candy are to be wrapped carefully
a seal is used. A peculiar customer OF
Miss Sylvia Heney, one OF the women
clerks, on July 81 selected a box Of
I more than ordinary grade and request
ed that it be not completely filed, as
she wanted to send 1t to a friend and
: wished TO put in another present. "A
: seal was placed on this box, and, taken
In connection with the evidence ac.
s formulated against her, seems practical.
ly certain to the police that Mrs
Botkin was the purchaser that Miss
Heney and Miss Dittmer, her fellow
clerk, have been trying to identify. AS
j. yet Miss Dittmer has had only O
glimpse Of the prisoner, but she is al
u most positive that Mrs. Botkin Is thE
/ woman to whom she saw Miss Heney
le sell the box Of candy on July 81.
H. What makes the discovery Of the sea
u strong evidence to the police of Mrs
"a Botkin's guilt is that it disproves {
L statement made by Mrs. BotlNin 4
le Chief Lees the day after her arrest
=" She declared that she had n
x liking for candy and ha'
IL purchased it only twice IL two years
The exception, she said, was about 81
le months ago, when she purchased IL
'l- cent bag Of lemon drops from trai
+ how for her little nephew. The discoy
IL cry OF the seal strongly indicates tha
as Mrs. Botkin purchased candy shortl
eu before her departure from this cfy. Sh
". left her room in the Hotel Victoria %
'n' August 4-the day the package Of po
VI soned candy was mailed-and no on
Oh has occupied that room since.
To- Chief Lees believes he will oe ab
TO demonstrate beyond doubt that Mr.
,N Botkin wrote the address on the be
and also the note inclosed. Handwri
n ing experts to whom the original az
~ dress and note were submitted for cen
-, parison with acknowledged examples
- Mrs. Botlin's handwriting pronoun
IA the ohirography the same. The e
merits made enlarged photographs or e
~ handwriting that accompanied {
- candy and of the handwriting OF MI
y. Botlin. These enlargements show TN
~ the two we're remarkably similar
md fact, all the characterlsucs cA Oii0
,ds shown on the other.
o,ra The ink used in writing the note b
been analyzed and studied under |
microscope, and Chief Lees believes
SK- will be able to produce an ink 10 viii
Mrs. Botkin had access that will c'
ndi- respond exactly with that used in WI
nm ing the note in the box Of candy.
her The question of the extradition
p TO Mrs. Botlzin for the murder VIII dou
ing. less be brought to a focus to-day. G'
ernor Budd will hear the testimony
the defence against sending her to D
died aware to stand trial for the poisoni
Of a The papers are almost ready, and Oh
this OF Police Lees and Detective Mc\
the expect to be ready with their SIDE
I-in- the case. Mrs. Botkin's attorneys
lin prepared to combat the efforts OF
prosecution on what they call the
herent weakness and deficiency OF
S. prosecutions evidence.
. ofII .t.,11 ,,.Tav. 4ha nrl