The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-12
CONES OUT.
In a Public Statement of the
Facts in His Case.
Mr.. OSBORNE'S METHODS
Of Manufacturing a Conviction
He Shows u p.

first statement since his arrest last Febru-
airy on a charge OF homicide. He says he
has refrained from talking up TO the pres
ent time on the advice of his counsel. The
statement is as follows:
Under the advice of my ciuneel have
hitherto refrained from making any state
ment to the public in regard to the charge
against me. feel now. however. that the
time has arrived when 1 should make
some statement in my own sbehalf 1 am
sure that the people of this great city de-
sire only fair play in any matter OF public
or private interest. 1 also feel that l have
been placed in a false position by the pub
lie prosecutor, and l think that the time
has come to call the attention OF my
friends and the public to my situation.
On Jan. 2, 1899. early in the morning, my
attention was called TO an article IN the
New York Journal stating that 1 was
wanted by the police upon a charge aris-
ing out Of the death Of Mrs. Katherine ].
Adams on Dec. Is, 1898, and Immediately
and before consulting any counsel went
to the residence OF Capt. McClusky. the
Chief OF the Detective Bureau, and offered
to surrender myself in case sucn surrender
was desired. Capt. McClusky did not de-
sire to detain me, ana on the contrary,
received my offer without making any
charge whatever against me.
then consulted counsel, and have since
that time acted under their advice Under
their advices and instructions 1 saw Miss
Miller, who is said to have sold the silver
bottle-holder which it is said contained the
alleged poison supposed to have been re-
ceived by Mr.. Cornish. Miss Miller stated
positively that I was not the person who
had purchased the bottle-holder from her.
AS it was reported in the press that the
person who it is alleged purchased the
bottle holder had a beard and was pre-
sumably disguised, I called upon Mr..
Fisher and Mr.. Zimmerman, who were
stated to have sold a false beard about
the time that the alleged crime was COM
mitted, and who were dealers in false
boards in that neighborhood. Both Mr..
Fisher and Mr.. Zimmerman positively
stated that had never bought any beard
or other disguise from them.
During all this time 1 placed myself, at
the advice OF my counsel and pursuant to
my own wishes, under the direction of the
police, allowed myself to be weighed and
measured and permitted my rooms and
labratory to be inspected by the police of
this county. In every way possible 1 as
sisted the police in their investigation OF
the supposed crime.
also presented myself to one Nicholas
A. Hickman at the Sinclair House. in the
City OF New York, in order to give him an
S,a
ed a certain letter-box from him. He re-
fused to identify me, although 1 am in
formed that he subsequently stated that
he would identify me as the person VINO
had rented private letter-box from him.
1 am also informed that he offered to sell
to several different newspapers IN the city
his story identifying me as the person VINO
had rented a letter-box from him. Furth-
er-more, 1 am informed that he Is now
under indictment and that this Indictment
Is still pending against him and has not
yet been disposed of.
ut Is claimed that the letter-box rented
from Nicholas A. Hickman was rented
under the name Of "H. c. Barnet and
that certain letters purporting to be signed
with the name 'tH. c. Burnet" were sent
with request that answers be addressed
to the letter-box Of Mr.. Hickman, on
Forty-second street.
1t is also claimed that certain other let
tiers which were put in evidence before the
grand jury. and which purported to be
signed by the name of al. Cornish" were
mailed with a request that answers should
be sent to the name of "H. Cornish, at a
Ok -fy 81. No. al
Broadway. This Broadway letter-box was
owned by Mr.. Koch, who stated positively
that the person who rented the boxes was
not myself. At the coroner's inquest the
district-attorney did not elicit this fact
from Mr. Koch, although ne well knew
that Mr.. Koch had stated that l was not
the person who had rented the box from
him.
At the time Of the inquest before tine
coroner 1 answered every question that
was asked me by the bistrict-attorney and
wrote a numeber Of specimens OF hand
writing at the request Of the district-a,tor-
nsy. 1 aso wrote specimens Of handwrsting
10 letters and other dOcu-
ments which the dkstrict-attorney claimed
to be relevant to the case under the in
structions of the district-attorney and Mr..
Kinsley, the expert in handwriting en-
ployed by him, making these specimens as
nearly as possible fas-simlles Of the speci- /
mems of handwriting shown to me by the
d:strict-attorney. These rPec!mens were
written in an unnatural and fa-ss, vertical
or back handwriting under the direction
and instruction If Mr.. Osborne. the assist
- II <fy4efa h..
expert employed by the district-sttorney. |
I have never refused TO write any sPsci- !
mems Of handwriting or 10 do anything |
else that eih=r the police. dtstrict-stt0rney |
or the handwriting expert Of the district |
attorney has requested.
The attitude Of the district attorney |
toward the prosecution of the case against /
me was shown by his attack upon the |
character Of my wife IN his address 70 |
the jury before the coroner. This attack /
was woolly unjustiaed and without foun- !
dalton whatsoever. can7oS comment /
upon this action OF the district attorney. |
No words can express M feelings in re- I
gard to st. II VIII be remembered that /
was married on November - lses. and 4
that the alleged crime with which l WIS 4
charged was committed on December Is \
Of that year. The dstrioS attorney has 4
seen at 10 charge me with this eiisged /
crime and 70 make aspefsiOns upon the 4
character % nv wife. Il cannot Be b.
lieved that within = month after n 1
happy marriage such a fsndish design 1
couid have entered ms mind or eorld have
been carried Oat by me
Furthermore. the district attorney in his
address 20 the ooroner's jury and In hIs
= f,Se-aiaeu1 rs1-lfucr Of .ha r,-5xs.-z,-ir-,