The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-10
STORY OF THE TRAGEDY TOLD
AND II. b. MOLINEAUX'S NAME
BROUGHT. INTO THE CASE.
Cornish Somewhat Ratified Under
ss-ExaminatiOn-Di AttOr-
ney Gardiner Not Satisfied.

physical director of the Knickerbocker Ath-
letic Club, was begun by Coroner Hart to-
day. Crowds of people who gathered early
in the corridors of the Criminal Court build
ing were refused admission to the coroner's
court, where there were present only those
intimately connected with the case or inter
ested in public capacity. Little difficulty
was experienced in securing a jury, and
then Harry Cornish was put on the stand.
The taking of his testimony occupied the
entire day, and he will go on the stand
again tomorrow. According to District At
torney Gardiner, who was himself present
at the inquiry for a brief period, and who
was represented by Assistant District At
torney Osborne, the testimony given by Cor
nish was not entirely satisfactory, nor, the
district attorney asserted was it as COM
plete as had been expected
Roland B. Molineaux's name was brought
into the case at the start, and Cornishs re-
lations with Molineaux were gone through
thoroughly. During the early part of the
examination Cornish was very self-pos-
sessed and gave his answers quickly To-
wards the end of the examination he gave
his answers with much more elaboration.
and sometimes after careful consideration
A large amount of the time of to-day's ses-
sion was taken up in re-teling the story of
| the receipt of the package through the mail
| and the giving of the poison to Mrs. Adams,
but the progress of the case is not likely to
be interefered with tomorrow by details
that have been so frequently published.
The most generally accepted theory has
been that some person or persons with
| secret to hide had attempted to dispose
OF those having knowledge of the secret,
and that Henry c. Barnet former mem
Der of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club who
died Nov. 10. fell victim to poison sent
to him anonymously in the mails
Harry Cornish, on taking the witness
stand, told of receiving the bottle of medi-
cine and silver botteholder at the Knicker-
| booker Club on Dec. "A and of preserving
the wrapper and of subsequently taking the
articles to the fiat where he lived with Mrs
Adams and Mrs. Rogers. He narrated the
circumstances leading TO the preparation of
dose of the drug for Mrs Adams who
after drinking it, remarked that it was
very bitter. Cornish said he drank what was
left in the glass and said: That's all right"
Then he sat down to read, but was startled
by call from Mrs. Rogers to Come and
hold mamma" He found Mrs. Adams APP
parently very i'll in he bathroom. He hur-
ried the hall boy for a doctor and ran to
a drug store for instructions. The druggist
gave him sweet spirits of ammonia for her
No doctor having arrived Cornish ran for
DR.. Hitchcock and later, at DIR. Hitchcock s
request, fetched DR.. Potter Mrs. Adams
died and the doctors told him the case must
be reported to the coroner.
The witness said he went to Assistant At
torney Mcintyre. his personal friend, and
n o. n a in h
the coroner. All this while, the witness said
he was ILL., He went to the club about 4
o'clock in the afternoon (Mrs. Adams
death occurred during the forenoon), and
was taken sick DR.. Phillips gave him treat
ment for over an hour, using the stomach
pump. Witness could suggest no motive for
the poisoning. He had no quarrel with any
one and so far as he knew had no enemies.
Subsequently he modified this statement and
admitted that he had differences" one be-
ing about eighteen months ago.
BARNETS ILLNESS.
Mr. Cornish was questioned about the ILL
ness of II. c. Barnet, the questioning bring
ing the fact that the two men had not been
on the best of terms. Cornishs information
regarding Barnets illness was obtained
through DR. Phillips, who attended him untn
near the end, when DR.. Douglass was
called in.
Your attention was not called to the
Barnet case until after the Adams case?"
No" replied MIR. Cornish.
Did DR.. Phillips say your symptoms were
similar to Barnets?
DR. Phillips told you Barnet was taken
with terrible vomiting"
And you were?"
How long was it after Mrs. Adamss
death before he told you about Barnets
Il don't know
nets? You got your dose in bottle
sent anonymously as also did Barnet. Yet
you say DR.. Phillips did not say to you that
your cases were alike?"
When you learned Barnet had been poi
soned in similar way did you go down
and tell the police?"
No; l think l told the police in my
room"
did you tell Mr.. McIntyre?"
II think not"
on which he made a statement to Captain
McCluskey, of the police bureau. He said
that he never had any personal quarrel with
any member OF the knickerbocker Athletic
Club, but twice charges had been preferred
against him. lie was accused, he said of
saying things about two members OF the
club to a third member. The charges were
made by c. c. Hughes and the names OF
the two members involved in the quarrel
were Roland B, Molineaux and II. c. Bar
net. Ihat was two years ago, and the wit
ness could not remember further details.
DENIES TRUTH OF CHARGES.
Mr.. Cornish said he was employed by j.
Herbert Ballantine, president of the corpo-
ration that conducts the Knickerbocker
Athletic Club. That corporation, said the
witness. is the Pequa Club Association
What did Hughes say to you of Molin-
eaux and Barnett asked Mr. Osborne the
assistant district attorney.
He said that l said that Molineaux had
made his money by the improper use of
house property he owned in Newark. He
sald accused Barnet OF improper practices
with women"
,o Did I'll that mean that Molineaux let his
mouse Tor purposes of prostitution
That and his gambling | should think
is what he meant. The charges were dis
missed"
Mr.. Cornish was asked if he was accused
OF saying that member of the Knicker-
booker Athletic Club was in the habit OF
sending women to a disorderly house kent
by Mrs. Stern. in Forty-seventh street
He said he had heard it said. He knew
there was such place and such a woman
he had visited the house once. He denied
again and again that there was any truth
IN the charges preferred against him. He
said he understood that al a conference held
Mr. Molineaux had declared that he would
leave the Knickerbocker Athletic Club I'M
less he (Cornishl was discharged from its
employ.
Mr.. Osborne's cross-examinatfon was
merciless, and Mr.. Cornish got mixed up in
MS dates. First he said he knew nothing Of
the informal charges against him made by