Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-09
PROGRESS is SLOW
In UnraveIIing Adams Poison
ing Case at New York.
Nurse Bates Says Harry Barnet Was
Treated for Diphtheria.
Ths Note Signed Blanche Becoming More
Important in the Case.

New York, Jan. S.-No apparent pro.
gress was made. today, in the solution
Of the mystery attached to the Adam;
poisoning case. Miss Addie r. Bates
the trained nurse who attended Hen
~ G. Barnet, the knickerbocker Clul
member, who is alleged to have died
from poison. called to see Capt. Nc
Clusky, today. Capt. McClusky gave
out the substance of her talk with him
as follows:
According to Miss Bates statement
she was sent for by DR.. Henry T.
Douglass, Nov. /. to take care of a
ease. She called at DR.. Douglass Of
flee and was directed by him to go &c
the Knickerbocker Athletic Club to at
tend diphtheria patient, a man. The
patient had a sore throat and DR.
Douglass came in the afternoon, and
gave directions for giving medicine and
spraying the throat. The doctor also
told her 20 admit no one to the pa
tents room, during his Illness. She
gave him medicine at different times
and refused to let any one see him.
Many messages came to him. but they
were answered by her over the tele-
phone.
AL different times" the statement
continued. "a gentleman having room
on the same floor in the club called to
inquire for him and also sent him
flowers. On Monday afternoon. before
he died, Che died Thursday. Nov. 100
some flowers came to Mr.. Barnet with
note. He was sleeping at the time.
When he awoke ] told him some flow
ers were there ana also a note. He re-
quested me to read the note and l did
50. After reading The note he just
closed his eyes and said: I wonder
how she knew l was ILL
After ] had been there two or three
days DR.. Douglass asked me if l had
seen a box marked 'Kutnow.' i an
swered that l had. and we found it on
the dresser in the bath room and DR..
douglass took it away with him. He
afterwards said that it contained mer-
curry. At the time of his death there
We're in the room DR.. Douglass, myself
and Miss Jennie Calender, the other
nurse. His brother had been there.
10. but at the particular time he died
he was not there. During Mr.. Barnet's
entire Illness he was in such a condi-
ton as a man suffering from diph-
iberia. At no time was / suspicious
that his illness was due to any other
cause. He was uncommunicativc
through all this illness. j paid no at
tention TO the sores on his mouth and
sprayed his throat
Miss Bates denied that she had ever
said to any one that Barnet had been
poisoned before the poisoning with which
Oh i,,St hne !, 4
ness. The most important part of the in
terview with the nurse is that which re-
lates TO the sending of the flowers TO
Barnet and the note which accompanied
them. This is supposed to be the note
signed Blanche about which so much
has been written and about which there
has been much speculation as to the
identity of its sender.
Capt. McClusky now has this note in
his possession. He would not permit ii
TO be seen or tell whether it is now in
would not admit that the note was signed
the hands of the handwriting expert He
Blanche but when, in discussing some
point. one of his listeners asked if the
note referred to was the one signed
Blanche" Capt. McClusky replied in the
affirmative. He, however. quickly cor
rected himself
The captain said that he did not think
that the interview with Miss Bates had
any effect in throwing light upon the
Adams case and said that he had not re-
luested Mss Bates to make a statement
He said that Miss Bates could not recall
the name of the man who had sent the |
flowers to Barnet at the club on two or
three occasions.
When asked as to the time when Mr..
<insley. the expert in handwriting, might |
make his report upon the specimens in |
ris possession, Capt. McClusky said that |
I mighk be in As hours. With relation to |
ne possible examination of the body of |
Barnet, the captain said that that mat |
er was in the hands of the district at |
orney and the coroner. |
Cv1Ty MN AYrNVv ~