Evening journal., 1898-08-15
ALL DOVER AROUSED
BY What is Believed to Be
a Terrible Crime.
VICTIMS DOUBLEFUNBRAL TODAY
FATHER OF THE DEAD WOMEN
BELIEVES THE CANDY WAS
SENT TO KILL MRS. DUrNNUNG
AND HER LITTLE GIRL.

ANU HER l4IllNllL Ailll..
Dover, August 15.-This town is thor
oughly alarmed over the sudden and
mysterious death Of Mrs. ]. ID. Deane
and Mrs. j. Presley Dunning, daugn-
ters Of ex-Congressman John p. Pen
ington, as, in the absence of positive
information concerning the mysterious
candy which they ate and which is be-
lieved to have caused the fatal sick
ness in each case, most people here are
Of the opinion that it was poisoned by
somebody who designed to kill Mrs.
Dunning and her little girl. 1t was at
first doubted that the candy produced
the illness, but Or. L. A. II. Bishop,
who attended both Mrs. Dsane and
Mrs. Dunning, can attribute the trouble
to no other cause. Both women were
attacked in the same manner, and both
suffered alike. Death in each case, ac-
eOrding to the physician, resulted from
an affection Of the heart, but he be-
lieves the original cause was the pres
ence OF some poisonous substance in
the stomach.
Or. Bishop stated that if the candy
had been subjected to excessive heat
ptomaines may nave been developed.
In gelatine, he said, free Oxalic acid
had formed under certain conditions,
and cyanide of potassium had bsen
produced from almonds and peach ker-
nels used in flavoring and otherwise.
Both these were deadly poison.
DR.. Bishop could not SAY what par
ticu,ar poison caused the deaths.
DR.. Downs asserted that the poison
that had caused the deaths paralyzed
the nerve centres, and that then the
heart action ceased. He rather inclined
to the belief that the candy had been
intentionally poisoned, though he said
the chances for accidental poisoning
were numerous.
Il believe that candy was sent for
the purpose of taking the lives Of my
daughter and her little girl" is the
emphatic statement made by ex-Con-
gresham John B. Pennington, father
Of the dead women.
There is division among the peo-
pie of Dover as to whether a crime
was committed or the deaths were
caused by poisoning that developed in
the candy on its trip from San Fran
cisco. People who lean toward the
latter theory believe that a friend Of
Mrs. Dunning, thinking Of her, after
her long absence, while out walking OF
shopping, bought the box Of candy and
handkerchief and mailed them East.
Mr.. Pennington and others who believe
otherwise think the Mrs. c" sigma
ture was assumed and that the candy
was prepared with poison and sent
East for the purpose Of causing the
death Of Nlrs. Dunning and her little
girl Mr.. Pennington said the signature
was of the forged order and, further
more, he declared that Mrs. Cummings
friend, whose name commenced with
&C" is now in Maine.
NO P.OST-MORTEM HELD.
There will be no post-mortem exami-
nation on either OF the dead women
as both bodies have been embaimed
preventing such an investigation. Mr.
Pennington stated that he proposed tC
have an analysis Of the candy made by
an expert. He keeps the box Of choco-
lates and the wrapper locked up, and
says he will go to work on the case af-
ter his daughters have been buried.
! DOUBLE FUNERAL THIS AFTER
NOON.
The double funeral will be held this
afternoon at g o'clock, and services viii
be held in the Presbyterian Church
Interment will be in the church buria
ground. Mrs. Deane was a prominen
member Of the church, and was knowr
for her charitable and other good work
Only a few days before her death sh'
sang at the funeral services held owe
an old lady in the Presbyterian
Church. Mrs. Deane was secretary o
the Womans Century Cub. She was e
years cid and leaves a heart-brokei
, husband and daughter.
Mrs. Dunning was 35 years old an'
! also took a prominent part in churcl
D work. A cablegram was sent to he
husband at Porto Rico, informing hir
OF his wife's sudden death, but h
would not be able to get home in les
! than a weeks time. Mr.. Dunning ha
been with the Rough Riders and II
Q the thick Of some battles, gatherinN
e news for the Associated Press, and b
I, sent some very interesting letters to hi
: wife.
f ASSOCIATION HAIL MATTERS.