Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-29
TRIAL OF MRS. BOTKIN.
Interesting DnS-Argument of Lead
ing Counsel.

SAN FRANCISCO, December S-Thls
was the most interesting day in the Bot
kin case since the trial of the woman
for the murder Of Mrs. Dunning com
menced. The proceedings opened this
! morning with an argument by Attorney.
| General White. OF Delaware, for the
prosecution. Mr.. White addressed the
| jury quietly. and proceeded to review the
| testimony brought out during the trial
| He called attention TO the chain of cir
| cumstantial evidence against Mrs Botkin,
and said that If the jury believed the
| evidences Of the witnesses for the prose-
| cution, then Mrs. Botkin must be con-
victed of murder in the first degree. Mr..
| White dwelt upon the awfulness Of the
| crime and the defenceless condition OF
| the victims. His argument lasted all
| through the morning. and throughout the
progress Mrs. Botkin listened attentively.
As Mr.. White concluded she leaned her
head on her arms, and seemed TO be
greatly affected.
At the afternoon session Attorney
George Knight made the argument for
the defence. Mr.. knights reputation as
an orator and ability as a criminal law
yer attracted an enormous crowd TO the
courtroom. Many prominent attorneys
We're I'm attendance in addition to many
well-known citizens. Mr.. Knight talked
for nearly three hours, and endeavOred TO
convince the jury Of the weakness of the
prosecutions case, and the lack of a mo-
tive by Mrs. Botkln for committing such
n crime. Mr.. Knight urged the jury not
to be influenced by the cutlery caused by
the recent acquittal of Walter Rosser,
the Tennessee soldier who murdered an
H. At ..F
referred 10 the Maybrick and Dreyfus
cases as instances Of the suffering OF In
nocent people because of public opinion.
BITTER IDENTIFICATION.
Mr.. knight denounced DR.. Bishop, the
Dover physician who attended the poison
ed woman, and was most bitter In his
condemnation of the methods OF the San
Francisco police. Mr.. Dunning, the hus-
band OF one Of the murdered women, also
came in for a share of the attorneys
vitriolic sentences. Particular attention
was called to the fact that Mrs Botkin.
the alleged author of the anonymous let
ters. THAT were mailed I'm San Francisco
in June. was in Eureka. Cal. all of that
month, and could not have possibly mail
ed the letters here. Mrs. Grace Harris,
who identified Mrs Bo,kn as the woman
who purchased the handkerchief which
was found i'm the box of poisoned candy.
was denounced as an untruthful and dis
solute woman. The testimony of the
candy girls who identified Mrs. Botltin as
the woman who purchased the candy was
also vigorously attacked by the lawyer.
I'm speaking about the alleged purchase
OF arsenic by Mrs. Botkin, on June LIST,
Knight sought TO show the improbability
OF her keeping the poison until July 31st,
when she purchased the candy. He did
lot however, directly deny the purchase
IF arsenic.
Writing Expert Ames, who testified that
Mrs. Botkin was the author Of the anony-
nous letters, was denounced as com
ing here and testfyng for the prosecu-
tioD because he was paid to testify that
way. Mr.. Knight laid great stress upon
the fact that the arsenic found in the
candy was in lump form, whereas, Drug
gist Grey testified that Mrs. Botkin pur-
chased powdered arsenic. He also said
there was no legal proof that Mrs. Dun
ming had died Of arsenic poisoning. An
autopsy, he said. was necessary to prove
the cause Of death i'm any poisoning case.
Mr.. Knight cOntended that the prosecu-
ton had failed to show a motive on Mrs.
Botkin's part for the commission of the
crime.
BRILLIANT PERORATION.
Mr.. knight closed with brilliant pero-
ration, In which he described Mrs. BotIin
as an innocent, prosecuted woman, and
he Urged the jury to acquit her of the
horrible suspicion that had rested upon
her, through the Vaccinations OF the
police.
Tomorrow Attorney MCGOWAN will
make an argument for the defence. and
Hosmer will close for
the prosecution.
1t Is said that the case will be given TO
the jury Friday morning