The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-28
GUILT is FIXED.
The COrOner's Jury in the
Adams Poisoning Case
Declares Roland B. MOlineuX
to Be the Criminal.
HIS ARREST FOLLOWS.
He Is Taken to the TOmbs to
Await a Hearing.
Likely to Be Tried on a Double
Charge.

New York, Feb. 2S.-Roland Burnham
Molineux son of General Leslie Molin-
eux, of Brooklyn, was arrested last
night, charged with numbering Mrs.
Katherine J. Adams in this city on De-
cember %, 1898. He was locked up in
the Tombs prison
The arrest followed the verdict of the
cOroner's jury. accusing him of the
crime. While the inquest was into the
death of Mrs. Adams, it also went into
the circumstances of the death of Henry
c. Barnet OF the Knickerbocker Ath-
letic club, who was poisoned by a pow
der received through the mail, as was
Mrs Adams. The cases are so closely
connected that they can scarcely be
considered separately.
The proceedings of the final day of
the inquest were sensational in the
highest degree. The case had dragged
along mOnOtOnOuSly, witnesses being
examined for the sole purpose as it
seemed, of cOntradicting Harry Cor
nish's testimony in minor details or of
eHciting suggestions as to motive that
might have led Cornish to commit the
crime. The newspapers from the be-
ginning had stuck to MoIineux as the
person most to be suspected, but the
prosecuting officials apparently never
harbored such a thought. The examiner
was kind and gentle when dealing with
MolineUx, but gruf and severe with
Cornish on the stand.
The curtain rose on the last act of
the melOdrama yesterday afternoon. A
shOpkeeper, who rented private letter
boxes, swore positively that Molineux
was his patron, using the name of H.
c. Barnet" 1t was proved long before
that the bottles of medicine had been
sent to that letter box. Then the hand
writing experts We're called, and one
after another declared that the hand
that wrote the address on poison pack
age and forged the names of Harry
Cornish and H. C. Barnet to letters
sent to drug firms. ordering powder
medicines, was the hand of Roland B.
MOlneux. The experts were absolutely
certain in their identification of the pen
manship, and would make no qualifica-
lions of their statements District At
tOrney Gardiner then summed up the
case, directly accusing Molineux.
The jury brought in a verdict charg-
ing MoineuX with the murder. The
verdict was as follows:
We find that the said Katherine ].
Adams came to her death on Decem Der
%, 1898, in 81 West Eighty-sixth street
by poison by mercury cyanide admin
istered by Harry s. Cornish, to whom
said poison had been sent in a bottle
of bromo settler by Roland B. Molin-
eux.''
The coroner Immediately issued
warrant for the arrest of AIolineuX. and
the latter was at once arraigned before
him. Through his attorney he demand
ed an immediate hearing, but Assistant
District Attorney Osborne objected.
saying it was impossible to proceed
with the hearing The hearing was
then set down for Wednesday morning
at IL 30
AIolineux was committed to the
Tombs without bail.
Molineux is a member of the New
York Athletic club, and was, until his
quarrel with Harry Cornish, a promin-
ent member of the Knickerbocker Ath-
letic club, from which he resigned be-
cause of that quarrel.
MolineuX's father is a paint manu-
facturer and is reputed to be a million
aire. The prisoner has gone in good
society, being of excellent address and
manners, and prospective heir to
great fortune. His counsel is Barlow S.
Weeks, of the New York Athletic club,
and personal enemy of Harry Cornish.