The record-union., 1899-02-11
POISONING OF
MRS. KATE ADAMS.
The Two Men Most Intimately Con-
nected With Her Death
Put Through a Rigid Cross -EllmInat Ion at
the Coroner's Inquest.

Harry 8. Cornish, Who Gave the
Poison to Deceased, and r. b.
Molineux, Who Had Been
Named by Cornish as the Man
He Believed Sent the Poisoned
Bromo Seltxer Through the
Mail, Placed on the Witness
Stand.
NEW YORK, Feb. 10.-The two men
whose names have been most intimately
connected with the death of Mrs Kate
j. Adams were on the witness stand
to-day before Coroner Hart and jury,
and were put through a rigid cross
examination by Assistant District At
torney Osborne, who is conducting the
case. Harry S. Cornish, who gave the
poison to Mrs. Adams, was the first
witness called this morning, and at the
afternoon. session r. B. Molineux, who
had been named by Cornish on the
stand as the mans he believed to have
sent the poisoned bromo seltzer through
the mails was called.
Cornish was again to-day somewhat
reticent and equivocal in his answers
to questions put to him by the Assist
ant District Attorney. and in one in
stance at least occasioned good deal
of surprise In an interview with
number of newspaper representatives
previous to the mmencement Of the
examination Cornish, when asked if he
knew Mrs. Molineux, and if she could
have any connection with the case, said
that he wished the Assistant District
Attorney would ask him that question
on the stand "a man is supposed to
perjure himself for a woman" said
Cornish, but I am here to tell the
truth if / am asked such question"
This seemed significant statement
at the time and Assistant District At
torney Osborne put those very ques-
tions to him, to which Cornish made
the following answer:
Il never saw Mrs. Molineux to know
her, and never saw her when she was
Blanche Chesebrough."
He made the statement that he had
suspected Molineux of having prepared
the poison, because chemist, a friend
of his, had suggested, on account of
sediment having been left in the glass
from which Mrs. Adams drank, that
the bromo seltzer preparation had been
put up by half-chemist. man who
had some knowledge of chemistry but
not complete knowledge. and that as
Molineux knew something of chemistry,
his name naturally suggested itself
This was the reason. Cornish said. and
the fact that he had had a quarrel with
Molineux was another reason.
Cornish gave way on the stand tenn
porarily to Molineux. Mr. Osborne
asked the witness abruptly if he was
innocent of the poisoning of Mrs.
Adams.
innocent
Molineux told of his connection with
the Knickerbocqxer and New York Ath-
letic Clubs, and said that he had left
the former club largely because Of his
quarrel with Cornish.
He was asked if he had known Henry
c. Barnet, and replied that he was a
warm personal friend of that man, a
friendship that had lasted several years
He could suggest no motive why any
one should send poison to Barnet
Molineux then described the rooms at
the Knickerbocker Athletic Club on the
second floor occupied by himself, Bar
net, Cornish and Adams, after which
the yachting trip on A. J.. Morgan's
yacht Viator, which was recently in
troduced into the case, came up for
consideration. Molineux said that he
had been> on several cruises on this
yacht, but that Barnet had never been
with him. He met Miss Chesebrough
on one of these trips. being introduced
to her by her married sister
The first question that Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Osborne asked Cornish
to-day was somewhat abrupt.
"Will you tell me- he said, "all your
reasons for supposing Molineux COM
mitted this crime?"
Cornish answered as he did yester-
day, that the idea came to him when
he examined the handwriting on the
package containing the bromo-seltzer
bottle and the poison.
''You don't believe now that Molineux
wrote that address?" queried Mr.. Os-
borne.
mo, I DON'T" replied Cornish shortly.
Cornish also denied that he thought
Felix Gallagher wrote the address.
Cornish said that he had learned from
the police that whoever prepared the
bromo-seltzer bottle must have been
chemist Besides Molineux there were
in the Knickerbocker Club two chem
lists, Jokum and Tuttle. "Jokum," said
Cornish, told me that it was evident
that the poison compounder was only
half a chemist.
The question, How did Jokum see
the poison?" brought out the fact that
Jokum was quite intimate with the
Adams family, and had examined the
poison before the police took 1t away.
"Now, look here, Cornish said the
Assistant District Attorney; 'you came
to my office this morning and told me
that was not treating you fairly.
told you then, and tell you now, that
I do not suspect you of the crime, and
1 wish to give you every chance to tell
all you know. Are you perfectly can
did?
.I am telling you all ] know said
Cornish.
Mr.. Osborne asked Cornish If he had
any opinion as to who wrote the ad
dress on the poison package. Cornish
said he did not.
Ibid not you tell Colonel Gardner
that you thought Felix Gallagher wrote
that address," asked Osborne
IT told him the experts said the let
ters were written by the man who ad-
dressed the poison packages, and felt
sure Gallagher had written the letters"
And you think he wrote the address
on the package?'