New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-06
STATEMENT FROM CORNISH
HE TALKS FREELY OF THE ADAMS
POISONING CASE.
DETECTIVES LIKELY TO MAKE AN ARREST
SOON OR GIVE UP THE MYSTERY
ANOTHER CLEW IN NEWARK.

|
That crisis has been reached in the Adams
poisoning there Is no question: ana tha'
this crisis will result in the police either max
ing an arrest within the next forty -elght hours
or else abandoning the case in disgust is equally
certain This arrest may be OF those made on
circumstantial evidence which. while satisfac-
tory to the police. would not have the weight
necessary to convict the person arrested before
n Judge and jury. yet It Is felt at Police Head
quarters that some move must be made at once.
and II the arrest is not made the detectives reel
that they will have to give up the case ana
admit their inability TO solve the mystery
Captain McClusky is almost inaccessible to the
ordinary newspaper reporter. and the only way
TO get an interview with him is to catch him in
the corridors Of the Police Headquarters Build
ing AS he passes from Office to another. His
invariable answer is. II will make arrests to-
| day There Is nothing in the case for pub
| lication We are satisfied with the progress
made"
Chief Of Police Devery has now taken hand
In the case and Deputy-Chief Mclaughlin has
been detailed to assist Captain McClusky on the
work in hand The Chief the Deputy and
I the Captain had several consultations over the
! case yesterday
1t was practically decided yesterday by both
the Police Department and the District-Attor-
ney's office that there was no necessity to ex-
anime the body Of Henry c. Barnet member
| Of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club who died
last November ten days after taking what is
! supposed to have been poison similar to that
sent to Mr. Cornish. This decision reached
| by the officials after they satisfied that Mr..
Barnet had died from diphtheria, although he
! had taken some Of the contents Of package
~ 6a
before his death
! Harry s Cornish gave out statement last
night at the Knickerbocker Athletic Club. He
announced early in the evening that he would
speak 10 newspaper men at the club at 1890,
/ and about half an hour after the appointed
! time he appeared in the waiting room Of the
/ club and invited the newspaper representatives
up to his private room where he handed to
them the statement. He read the statement in
| the presence Of the reporters, and then said that
he willing to answer any question about
the case up 70 :he point where II did not touch
upon his connection with the police"
At first he said that the questions must be in
writing. and that he would have the answers
typewriter. This plan of Interview was not
carried out. however. score or more ques-
tions were asked Mr.. Cornish. 10 all Of which he
replied in a slow and deliberate manner in order
to avoid being misunderstood.
NO TROUBLE WITH MOLTNEUX.
when did you last Roland b. Molineux?"
About fourteen months ago"
What was the nature Of your trouble with
Molineux?"
There never was any quarrel between me and
NJ. Molineux We were on the most pleasant
terms and our friendship devoid Of any
friction"
DO you suspect any persons Of having de-
| signs your fe?"
NO; don't suspect anybody on earth"
Mr. Cornish was then asked some questions
touching on the circumstances of the death OF
Mrs Adams He was asked if he had drunk
out of the same glass the one in which the
fatal mixture was placed, and replied that only
two glasses were used in preparing the supposed
bromo seltzer for Mrs Adams One of the
glasses contained water. and in the other glass
was put a heaping spoonful Of the contents OF
the bottle He said that he drank from the
glass from which Mrs. Adams took the poison.
The residue Of the contents of the glass is
now in the hands Of the police" he added.
He was closely questioned about the glasses
as It has been alleged that he did not drink
from the glass in which the mixture was made
CORNISITS ACCOUNT OF IT.
Mr.. Cornish's prepared statement follows:
| On either Friday night Saturday morning be
! fore Christmas | found in my mailDoX package
addressed to me. carried IT to my ONCE with me
rest Of my mail. and there opened II. II was COW
erred with what appeared 20 be ordinary mania
! OF this VAS an ordinary Tiffany box and open
! ing the box found In one end thereof silver ar
! tice. In the other end OF the box was a bottle or
| What appeared 10 be Emersons bromo-setzer. In
between the two articles was packed some white
| bottle. and underneath ne bottle found small
Tiffany envelope the kind that is generally used for
! f,tgf,4 ing rdG
| one had sent Christmas present. and that IT
! had been mailed at Tiffanys and they. perhaps.
! afterward thought Of writing To them recalling
took the articles out of the box and threw the
box in the waste basket under my desk. where
! had previously thrown the outside wrapper. re-
member Joking about it with Mr. Finneran who
! suggestion that l resained the outside wrapper
! that way might eventually determine VINO had
sent IL to me ! took the whole affair as Joke on
Ths hs l' bottle s '0s %as co1erd wh
| what I supposed the usual bromo- tzer cover.
! stamp on IT, This | remember very clearly.
tried to put the bottle in the condition in which it
not it, therefore tore of the outside wrapper
and threw that away then % ne bottle would 20 IN
II remained there and was the source Of con-
siderable Joking during the day. I think It
! on Saturday that Mr. KING made some remark
aS9as %as wSg hys at the he Time "9H and PAID no furher
tcntion to it than to shove the silver holder and
bottle toward that side OF my desk; and under
stand that ne took It and put II on Mr.. Finnerans
desk. which is next to mine. and then went to inc
| gymnasium water cooler to get the necessary
| water. Not finding any water there. ne gave up
the idea OF taking H. The articles were then
| placed in my desk on Sunday happened TO re-
mark at the house that ! had received such
| present and both Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Rogers
| ioked me about II. saying that must nave some
| admircr who had sent M present or thai klnd,
| and I'm a Joking way hinted that ! did not dare
brine IL home that the scnders prob
ably marked on Il. and remarks Of that sort
| Thought nothing OF II until TUESDAY night
when / took home with me my dress-suit case,
winch had been at the club and which contained
SOM dirty linen in the clubhouse All that
| evening and remember playing billiards up 70 at
least II 80 o'clock. - -, ,.
On going TO the gymnasium 20 take my dress-sult
case il suddenly occurred TO me that would take
home this present to show them shoud nave
| H. -.In,. ra-Arr