The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-13
TRIAL OF MRS, BOTKIN
WOMAN WHO is CHARGED WITH
MAILING POISONED CANDY
And Causing the Death of Mrs. j. y.
Cunning and Mrs. Deane-Testi-
mOny for Prosecution.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12-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
Deane, began in earnest to-day. The wit
nesses were all on hand and the jury an
nounced itself as being ready to hear testi-
mony. The proceedings were set in motion
by Attorney for the Defense Knight re-
questing the exclusion from the courtroom
request Attorney General White, of Della
ware, and Chief of Police Lees, of this city,
being excepted in the order.
The first witness called was the post
master of Dover, Del, Thomas M Gooden.
He testified that on Aug. a package was
received at the postoftice at Dover addressed
to Mrs. John p Dunning He described the
package minutely, and when shown a piece
of MANILA paper with the address written
upon it, identified it as the paper in which
was inclosed the box received by Mrs. Dun
ming. Mr.. Gooden was positive in his identi-
fcation, because, as he explained to the at
torneys for the defense, he had handled the
package three times and that he himself
placed it in the postoffice box subscribed for
by the Pennington family.
Harry c. Pennington, the thirteen-year-
old grandson of John C. Pennington, testi-
fled to taking the box from the pOstoffice
and identified the wrapper and the address.
He told of the opening of the box by Mrs.
Dunning and the finding of the little hand
kerchief on the top of the candy. He told
of the passing around of the candy to the
gathered relatives and friends. The witness
told how, on biting into a piece of candy,
Don ll.as,1
the illness of himself, Mrs. Cunning and Mrs.
Deane and the death of the ladies.
Miss Lila Deane, daughter of Mrs. Deane
and a niece of Mrs. Dunning, gave prac-
tically 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 SUBJ
stance in the candy caused her to remove
the offending particles. A piece of some hard
white substance lodged ON one of her gums
and necessitated the use of her finger to
remove it. The day following her gums and
lips were liberated. The Jumps resembled
rock salt. Miss Bateman told of her illness
following the eating of the candy, but they
were rather insignificant compared with the
sufferings of others.
Miss Ethel Millington testified to eating
some of the candy and to feeling slightly
ill for several days after. She stated that
Mrs Dunning handed her the wrapper, ask
ing her to try to declpher the poStmark,
but she could not.
J. d. Deane, husband of one of the vic
tins, stated that he was awakened in the
middle of the night by the agOnZng cries
of his wife. He told of her sufferings, her
refusal to let him call her physician at that
hour; the arrival of the doctor in the morn
ing and his miniStratiOnS and her final con-
vulsion and the death which followed.
John B. Pennington, father of Mrs. Dun
ming and Mrs. Deane. was the last witness
to-day, and he had not finished his testi-
mony when the court adjourned. His tesu-
mony up to the time of adjournment had
little bearing upon the case, referring mere
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