The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-09
THE BARNET CASE.
Capt. McCIuskey Issues Statement of
Much interest.


New York, Jan. S.-No apparent prog
ress was made today in the solution of
the mystery attached to the Adams
poisoning case. Miss Addie E. Bates,
the trained nurse who attended Henry
C. Barnet, the Knickerbocker Club
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 DIR. Henry b.
Douglass on November 1, last, to take
care of case. She called at DIR. Doug
lass office and was directed by him
to go to the Knickerbocker Athletic
Club to attend a diphtheria patient, a
man. The patient had a sore throat
and Dr. Douglass came in the after
noon and gave directions ICr giving
medicine and spraying the throat.
The doctor also told her to admit
no one to the patients room during his
illness. She gave him medicine at diff
ferent times, and refused to let any one
see him. Many messages came to
him, but they were answered by her
over the telephone.
AT different times" the statement
continued, "a gentleman having a 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 on Thursday Nov 100
solce flowers came to Mr.. Barnet with
note. He was sleeping at the time
When he awoke, told him some flow
ers We're there, and also note. He
requested me to read the note, and l
did so. After reading the note, he
lust closed his eyes and said: L Won
der how she knew was ILL.,. After
had been there two or three days, DIR.
Douglas asked il 1 had seen a box
marked 'Kutnow.'
~ answered that I had, and we
found 1t on the dresser in the bath
room, and DR.. Douglas took it away
with him. He afterwards said that ii
contained mercury. At the time
of his death there We're in
| the room DR.. Douglas, myself
and Miss Jennie Calder, the other
nurse. His brother had been there, too
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 man suffering from diphthe-
ria. At no time was 1 suspicious that
! his illness was due to any other cause
| He was uncommunicative through all
his illness. I paid no attention 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 he was affected just before. his
| final illness. The most important part
of the interview with the nurse is that
which relates to the sending of the
| flowers to Barnet and the note which
accompanied them. This is suppose
to be the note signed Blanche" about
which much has been written and
about which there has been much spec
ulation as to the identity of its sender
| Capt. McClusky now has this note n
| his possession.
| He would not permit it to be seen OF
tell whether it is now in the hands OF
the handwriting experts. We would no
| admit that the note was signed
Blanche" but when, in discussing
some point, one Of his listeners asked
If the note referred to was the one
signed Blanche" Capt. McClusky re.
! piled in the affirmative.
He quickly corrected himself. The
| captain said that he did not think thai
the interview with Miss Bates had any
effect in throwing light upon the
Adams case, and said that he had no.
requested Miss Bates to make q state
ment He said that Miss Bates coult
not recall the name Of the man who
had sent flowers to Barnet at the club
on two or three occasions. When asked
as to the time when Mr.. Kinsley, the
expert in handwriting, might make his
report upon the specimens in his pos
session, Capt. McClusky said that il
might be in as hours. With relatier
to the possible elimination of the body
of Barnet, the captain said that thai
matter was in the hands of the distric
attorney and the coroner.