The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-17
MAIN FEATURE
OfIntcrcst in the ADAMS Poison.
ing Case Inquiry
DR., HITCHCOcK,S TESTIMONY.
1t was in Direct Conflict with that Of
Harry Cornish and Another man,
who We're in Mrs. Adams Flat
When She Dicd-tcvclations Made
that Tend to Complicatc the situa-
fion. :a.

NEW YORK. Feb. 16.--'rhe most i'm
portant feature IN the inquest In the
Adams poison case yesterday was that
the testimony OF DR.. +. f. Hitchcock,
who attended Mrs. Adams in her last
moments, was In direct conflict with
the. testimony OF Harry S. Cornish and
Frederick L. H0vey. both Of whom were
In Mrs. Adams Hat when she died. DR..
Hitchcock testified that the boy who
summoned him told him that he was
wanted Immediately as "a party had
been poisoned" ~
The witness also stated that In the
hearing OF Cornish and Mrs. Rogers, the
daughter of the murdered woman" he
said that "a dIabolical crime had beef,
committed" Cornish repeatedly stated
while on the witness stand that no sus-
picion that crime had been committed
had been suggested to him until two or
three days after the death OF Mrs. .Ad-
ans, and Hovey also insisted that no
suggestion that crime had been COM
mltted was made on the day Of Mrs.
Adams death. The doctor also testified
that he asked Cornish repeatedly II he
had any enemies who could have de-
signs on his life and Cornish assured
him that he had no enemies and sus-
pected nobody. Dr. Hitchcock further
said that he had had talk with Dr..
Potter, who was also in attendance on
what the poison bottle contained. While
they we're talking Cornish. Mrs. Rogers
and 1tovey entered the room
One point on which DR.. Hitchcock
contradicted the testimony Of Hovey re-
lated to the condition OF the bottle OF
poison. The doctor stated that he saw
no parafilne about the cork or mouth OF
the bottle. while Hovey, In his testi-
moay. said that the cork was covered
with paratfine. DR.. Hitchcock describ-
ed how Cornish was taken sick With
symptoms similar to those shown by
Mrs. Adams
Cornish asked: Can 1t be anything
else but bromo seltzer?" and the doctor
replied that 1t certainly could ~ y
Mrs. Bertha Hovey. the wife OF the
witness who was examined yesterday,
was first placed on the stand to-day
The questions OF the assistant district
attorney brought out the facts that Cor
nish had separated from his wife and
that Mrs. Rogers was living apart from
her husband. When Mrs. Novey reach
ed the Adams Hat she was admitted by
a policeman. She met Assistant Dis
trlct Attorney Mcintyre there. Mrs.
Rogers seemed heart-uroken. She told
witness that Mrs. Adams had taken
bromo settler, but never mentioned poi
son nor did she say that her mother was
the Victim OF u diabolical plot. The fact
that Cornish had given the bromo self
ger to her mother was not spoken OF by
Mrs. Rogers.
when was the first time you discov-
cred that Mrs. Adams had been poison
ed?" was asked.
II don't know; did not discover It;
read 1t In the newspaper" was the re-
ply.
Mrs. Hovey said she renamed In the
Adams house until Saturday. December
81. the day OF the funeral.when she went
with Mrs. Rogers to Hartford where The
body was buried. Mrs. Adams died on
Wednesday. December 9S)
Witness said she. had talked with
Cornish about Mrs. Adams death. but
she could not remember that Cornish
said to her: What fool AM that +
should have received that bottle and
given some Of the contents to Mrs. Adj
ans" -,.y f.
Coroncr's physician Weston took. the,
stand. DR.. Weston testified that he per-
formed an autopsy upon Mrs. Adams
! body. He ar first formed the impress
ion that Mrs. Adams catne TO her death
through taking cyanide OF potassium
from the odor OF the bottle and from his
diagnosis at the autopsy Subsequently
chemical analysis showed that death
was due to cyanide OF mercury. The
bottle was wrapped ina piece OF brown
!. paper such as lawyers use for their
notes. The bottle was three quarters
full when lie saw It. The policeman
gave it 20 him and said he had got It
from Dr.. Hitchcock.
Witness talked with lIovey on rarriv-
Ing at the f,at and Hovev told him
about the case. He smelled the contents
of the bottle and told Hoveg he thought
1t contained cyanide of potassium. No
one else was present ut the time, but n
little later lie saw Mrs. Rogers and told
her that her mother had died OF poison,
and that he would make an autopsy Oh
the following day.
WitpesS was asked whethc" anybody
could have smelled the substance in the
bottle WITHOUT putting Il TO the nose.
He answered that he thought the Odor
could have been detected. although Il
wouii not have been 50 marked. The
cork in the bottle protruded about
threc-oIghths of an inch. Witness asked
where the box was In which the bottle
A