The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-12-06
MRS. BOTKlN
ON TRIAL.
California Court Takes Up
the Charge Against
Her. j..

| san Francisco, Cal Dec. The tlia
| OF Mrs. CurInia Rulkin, chai,rn! with III,
| mrtr itr OF Mrs John = nunntns by srnG
| ini h'ra bax Of poisoned candy th.uu q
| The mails, was cummrrc'd this mTninI
| in Judge Carroll Cooks department o.
! tho sura"O" tnuri
Mrs. BntI in i, al,n charged with th,
mi rdsr Of Mis DsHne, sister ot Mrs. Pun
nin4, W.!Uate .n,,o OF tlis POISONOUS can
dy. shn is being tried On the first charge
and should she bo acquitted it Is probabls
that trnl will follow on tho charge ui
tlir othor murder.
se .cs"I,vd Was brought from til,
branch county Jail in carriage early this
morning and was met In II shortt'S office
by ber sister, Mrs. Dora Eruwn. who ac-
companiad her to the courtroom. MIS-.
Botkin was aitired in black broalcl0th
and woro black volvct Int, with black
trimmings Her features were half con-
ccalod behind II heavy black veil.
She appeared ptr.ectly sl!-rosseSSah and
took deep interest in all that occurred in
tho courtroom. but spoke only when ud-
dressed by her sister or her attorneys,
who occupied seats beside her.
After q list of special jurymcn had been
called witnassos were instructed to bo pre-.
sent In court Wednesday morning. A
party Of Delaware witnesses including eS
SoHbfessiHun io1niDStoIi, JuIit. L. buh'
ming and other relatives of tho murdered
women, arrived this morning.
Judge Cook stated that ho believed tho
trial would not laat more than week or
ten days.
STORY OF 4 REMARKABLE C.rME.
Mrs. Dunning who was poisoned was a
daughter OF x-Congrosslnan j. Is zen.
ningtcn of Dover. She was mar 10 10
j. Z. Dunning and for several years lived
in San Francisco with her husbard, but
when he lost his place sho returned with
nHr Children to her fathers home, while
her hustand remained in thoWest. After
Mrss lDlnning's departure the husband
Ter anne intimate with Mrs. Cordeia Bot
kin. and livstl in the same house with her,
but l,st sprng went 10 Porto Rico as u
correspondent.
On Augu,t0 9 Mrs. Dunning received tho
box of chocolates at her fathers home and
they were eaten by the family and by sew
eral visitors. Mrs. Dunning and her sis
tor Mrs. Deane, ate moro Than tho others,
and they died nUxt day, Arsenic was
found in their stomaohs and in tho candy
remaining in the box.
The box was indistinctly pcstmarked
"Sun Francisco" and inside was hand
kerchicf with apeouliar pr.c, mark on it
and note consisting OF these words:
WIN lUVe W yOuTsetl anu pauys MiS.
&C" With these clues and with tho rs.
sistance Of Mr.. Dunning on his return
from the West Indies Mrs Botkin was ar.
rested in this citys AIS. Dunning told of
his relations with:her and positively idsn-
titled the handwriting'of tho address and
note as hers.
Governor Budd, OF California, first re-
fused to extrudito Mrs. Botkin to Della.
ware on theground that the requisitlon
papers wore defeetiyo. Then when now
ones were made out he granted the Dola-
ware request in order to throw tho cnso
into the courts anu have 1t legally doter-
mined.
Tho Superior Court OF California de-
cided that Mrs. Botkin could not easily be
exi iradited to Delaware.
Five judges participated in the hearing
and they upheld tho contention OF Mrs.
Bo kin's lawyers, who maintained that
Mrs. Botkin could not bo ex.raditcd be-
cause she was not fugitive from Della
waro justice, as she had novor been 10 Del.
aware. Thu court held that tho flight from
justice must bo actual and not construc-
tive,