The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-30
McVey Brings the
lGreWsOme Instru=
mentS of the AS
SaSSin'S Work.
.
The Local Police Authori-
ties Begin the Actual
Investigation.
Legal Proceedings Are Sis
pended for a Week-The Ac- =
cused Woman Outlines
Her Plan of Defense
for the First Time.

The tragic story Of murder in which
Mrs. Cordelia Botkin is now the CEN
trail figure of interest reached yesterday
dramatic climax. B. J. McVey of the
State detectives of Delaware reached
:. the city, and brought with him the
deadly evidence that may lead some
one TO the gallows. The local authori-
ties began their investigation and
started on the trail. Mrs. Botkin was
formally charged with murder and
aroused to the terror of her situation
she broke the silence that has sealed
her lips She appealed to The Call as
a medium through which to proclaim
her innocence and to demand an i'm
partial trial from the people of the
State.
In the events of the day Mrs. Botkins
defense of herself was immeasurably
the most important. The woman ex-
plains her motive in maintaining 81
lence under the terrible stress Of accu-
sation. She declared that the humilia-
tion' and terror that she suffered when
charged with an awful crime made her
fear the consequences of speaking. I
.EZaE sassed on all sides she says she did I
not believe it TO be safe to defend her
self before the tribunal Of public
opinion. With her name upon the /
prison register and double charge Of
murder against her she hastens to pro-
claim publicly her innocence and to ask
the consideration of a fair trial.
In her assertion of ionocence Mrs.
Botkin is explicit. While at first shehad
determined to suspend any attempt at
defense until she could be heard in
court. she says she feels now that the
public should know what her friends,
her attorneys and the Chief of Police
already have learned. She declares that
she has made a detailed statement to
the Chief Of Police accounting for every
movement and moment of her life for
months past. Her attorneys know fully
the story of her life and her relations
with the Dunning family
Mrs. Botkin denies emphatically that
she ever knew Mrs. John P. Dunning
or had any reason TO bear the dead
woman nl-wiII. She declares that she
knew Dunning and felt for him
friendship strong enough to aid him In
his. necessity. That she ever wrote any
love letters TO Dunning or entertained
for him feeling stronger than friend |
ship she emphatically denies. Unjustly
accused of a horrifying crime she asks
the right of an impartial trial. The |
woman's statement made shortly after |
she was charged with murder is un-
usually dramatic. When the officers of
the prison asked Mrs. Botktn for her
age and nativity to be entered as items |
in the charge of murder she refused to
give the information. She seemed to !
fear that even the slightest facts in her
career would be twisted to her dfsad- |
vantage, but upon the assurance OF her
attorneys she did as she was asked.
A. few minutes before B. ]. McVey, a
detective from Delaware, had reached
police headquarters. He came clothed
in an atmosphere of mystery and was
armed with the evidence that crime
had been committed. Beyond that he
had nothing except the Information
that the people of Dover and OF Della
ware generally are excited to great
pitch of Indignation over the terrible
crime committed in their midst. De-
tective McVey says the people OF Della
ware will have no peace until the pol
soner is brought to justice. He came
armed with two warrants, each charg-
ing Mrs Botkn with murder. Both
complaints were sworn TO by John II.
Pennington before Peter L. Cooper,
Justice of the County of Kent, Della
ware. THESE warrants vii not De /
served, as copies OF them are included
In the application for extradition which
left Delaware yesterday and will ar
rive in this city before the end of the
week.
Detective McVey brought with him
the box of poisoned candy that carried
death to Mrs. Dunning and Mrs. Deane |
In the shadow of the crime of which |
this box of candy had been the instru-
ment it looked grewsome. Chief Lees
handled it gingerly, lifting the cover
and with cautious touch Of a penknife |
tossing the deadly bonbons. The in |
spection, slowly and deliberately made, |
had the uncanny aspect of post !
nortem examination of the murderers
victim The chief lifted a small hand
kerchief from the table and spread out
the folds of dainty lace. In one corner
was the dealers price mark-a small, |
square, mucilaged bit of paper with the
figures 25 marked upon 1T. There are
countless thousands of such handker-
chiefs In the stores and in the examina-
ton of Mrs Botkin's effects similar
one has not been found.
Then the death package itself was