New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-29
GALLAGHER FULLY CLEARED
CLOSELY EXAMINED AND EXoNERATED
IN THE ADAMS CASE.

ROCKER ATHLETIC CLUB MAN CLOSE
ry RESEMBLING THAT OF II c.
BARNET AND III. CORNISH"
Con,o,r McCluskv OF the Detective Bureau
devoted Yesterday to clearing up some OF the
suspicious surrounding several men WHOSE
names have been connected with the Adams
poisoning case. and at the same time gathered
some new clews which may materially AID MIN
in arrcstinK the sender Of the poison. He was not
entirely satisfied with the failure OF ideniihca-
ton OF Felix j. Gallagher. the former knicker-
booker Athletic Club employe. by Mr. Heck
man Of the letter-box concern at NO -o' west
Forty second-st.. where box was rented III
the name Of H c. Barnet" Accordingly ne
sent one Of his detectives after Mr. Gallagher
early yesterday morning and had MN Drought
10 Police Headquarters. whore the old tnird
degree" was worked on him In the most positive
way possible
MI Gallagher is now In the employ OF the
New York Athletic Club and the police sus-
nscted him on account OF the fact that his hand
writing was similar to that on the package sent
TO Harry Cornish. and also because he was
friendly 10 another man whose name has been
brought into the case.
As the handwriting on the package containing
The poison which was sent 10 Harry Cornish
bears a striking resemblance 10 that OF the per-
son who used the Broadway letter-box under
! the name OF II. Cornish" as well as that OF the
/ H c. Barnet" who rented the box In west
Forty second-s st. the police decided 10 have the
man suspected identified by the managers OF
| both letter box concerns.
! As told in yesterdays Tribune all arrange
| ments were made to arrest the man II the iden-
/ tifcation had proved correct on Thursday even
ing bu, it fell through. and Captain McClusky
WAS thoroughly disappointed. He decided yes
to-day morning 10 make one more attempt TO
/ connect Mr. Gallagher with the case ana SO
sent one Of his detectives after him ana nad MN
quietly brought TO Police Headquarters. Inc TWO
! handwriting experts had already peeh sum
moned to Headquarters, and were 'here ""e'
/ Mr. Gallagher arrived. For three hours he was
nut through the most searching eXafr''''a'Io"
He was told that the police were connaehI 'i'a'
he had sent the poison to Mr.. Cornish ana 'na'
no night az we'll make clean breast OF the
/ whole story.
oros,,on after question was asked him as
- hts movements both before and since the
no,soning. Then all the circumstantial evidence
! htcb rad been accumulated against him was
nresented 10 him in even stronger light thah
/ q ,.allv existed Finally, after passing through
this ordeal he was tod that he would have 10 40
some writing for the benefit OF the experts AZ
the suggestion Of the experts, MI. uailae"e'
wrote various signatures and other Things a'
dictation. He was compelled 70 write Win MS
pen in various positions.
HANDWRITING COMPARED.
After he had written all the specimens oe
sired the experts conn AIRED them Win 'he ore
nal address on the package sent 70 MT. Coii''sii
and with the orders sent from H l. BARNET
ond "I Cornish" TO drug Arms for samples oil
medicines They decided, finally, that MS manu-
writing did not resemble that on either inc
package containing the poison or on the orue''
| eor ,,adic,nes and as MI Gallagher had an
swered all the questions put to him by captain
| McClusky in a plain Straightforward manner
| he was informed that he was no longer "ah'eu
in connection with the case.
Captain McClusky, when seen by tribune
rAnorter. said: Yes II is true that have ex-
| onerated Felix ]. Gallagher. the former en-
Move ~ the Knickerbocker Athletic Club. from
| all connection with the poisoning case had
him AZ nv office yesterday morning. and he
wrote all sorts Of specimens OF his handwriting
and thoroughly satisfied the experts that ne had
nothing TO do with the case He also answered.
all questions asked him in clear way ana AZ
a result am satisfied that he is not concerned
in the affair"
Having thus eliminated one more OF the sus-
pectcd persons from the case, Captain McCIusKy
,urned his attention toward other matters con-
nected with the case. He is still depending on
the handwriting experts. and is furnishing them
with specimens OF writing 10 compare with the
address on the package sent 10 MT CORNISH
Among these specimens are a large numper OF
,aouests for samples Of various drugs sent out
from the letter boxes rented in broadway ana
IN Forty-second-st The more the experts com
out rom
more they are convinced that the same person
wrote o II OF them.
The latest handwriting given the experts Is
that Of a man still member Of the Knicker-
booker Club and this shows the most startling
resemblance TO that on the package sent 10
Harry Cornish. Two Of the specimens OF the
writing contain the words Knickerbocker Ath-
letic Club" and these words placed over the
same words on the package sent TO Mt cornish
match in every turn and curve. The writings
appear to be identical. and even those not ex-
perts would see the similarity; but what puzzles
| the police in this clew is the lack OF motive
They can as yet md reason why the man
would want to get rid Of Mr.. Cornish or OF Mrs
find out his relations with all parties concerned
in the case they have as yet found out nothing
which they will make public
THE MEDICINE SAMPLES FEATURE.
Applications FOR samples OF patent medicines
seem TO figure largely in the case and letters
sent to firms in this city we'll as all over
the country are coming in to the police as hay
ing been cent either by II. Cornish or III.
, c. Barnet" Just why the person who planned
the poisoning should have started in last May
10 get samples OF drugs which do not figure in
the case as having been used 10 cause either
the death OF Mrs. Adams or Henry c. Barnet
puzzles the police. They are satisfied that there
is some connection between these applications
and the actual poisoning. on account OF the
fact that the handwriting experts are so con
Adent that the same man wrote them. Nearly
all OF these applications were mailed at the
General Postoffice. and were. rule. posted
between and > p m. Not Of the many
envelopes yet received by the police shows that
I any Of the letters were sent from any OF the
branch postOifices.
! This leads them 20 believe that the person