Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-03
TWO IF NOT THREE
Were Concerned in the Adams
Poisoning Case.
District Attorney Gardiner lntImates
that Ne viii Secure Conviction.


soning case. District Attorney Gardi-
ner said, today, he was of the opinion
that the person guilty of sending the
poison to Barnet and to Cornish was q
moral pervert and that he would be
able to produce evidence at the inquest
that would lead to the arrest of two
and perhaps three persons. He said he
had the necessary evidence for this.
The poison was sent to Cornish which
caused the death of Mrs. Kate J..
Adams, on Dec. 2S. last.
For the past three days Col. Gardiner
has been making personal investiga-
ton into the deaths of Mrs. Adams
and H. Barnet, the former member of
the Knickerbocker Athletic Club. who
died in November under suspicious cir
cumstances. He is now convinced that
the two were intimately connected. al
though the motive in the murder of
Mrs. Adams was probably against the
life of Cornish. the physical director of
Knickerbocker Athletic Club. An in
vestigation relative to the handwriting
in the case has convinced Mr. Gardi-
ner of these conclusions.
Col. Gardiner, today, addressed a let
ter to Coroner Hart saying that from
Investigations he thinks the body of
Barnet should be exhumed at once, UNI
less it should be found that the body
was embalmed previous to burial with
fluid containing mercury.
TN spite Of the fact" Col. Gardiner
said, that DIR. Beaman Douglas certi-
fles that Barnet's death was due to an
other cause, my Investigations warrant
me in the belief that the body should
Al -f~~ nj od
In this connection / have written the
coroner and l have told him that my
office would stand the expense OF such
an investigation. The cases Of Barnet
and Mrs. Adams are. in my opinion.
alike. There is an intimate connec-
ton between the two and the motives
for the two are, in my opinion, alike.
The interest of the public demands that
we now go on and investigate the cases.
Six weeks. have now elapsed since it
was placed in the hands of the coroner.
The police department has steadily
been at work and have made no ar
rests.
I was at police headquarters all day.
last Sunday. and there examined wit
nesses. At the close of the day the
matter was fresh in my mind, and
what I had learned made me anxious
to pursue some new lines of inquiry
which occurred to me. l proceeded at
once and had brought before me repu-
table persons who convinced me that
the two cases are closely connected. 1t
is not true that the police department
acquainted me with the work of their
handwriting experts. What l know of
that subject l CLEANED myself. l can
say, however, that l have advised the
police department that no person
should be arrested for the heinous
crime of murder in the first degree. I'M
less by the testimony in their possess
sion there is sufficient probable cause
to induce a belief that the individual
charged had committed the crime.
I have assigned to this case repre-
sentatives of this office, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney James w. Osborne and
Assistant District Attorney Maurice b..
Blumenthal, who are thoroughly COM
pentent to do their work. The minute
the police have anything tangible on
which they can hold man they must
make the arrest, not otherwise. Should
an arrest be made without probable
cause, there, would be setback to the
investigation.
II agree that at the inquest the names
of some prominent people may be men
1tioned and that some scandal may fol-
low. ] cannot say that there would be a
political scandal, for | don't know the
politics of the persons have in mind; |
can say. however, that no politics has
guilty of this crime is a moral pervert
and in my opinion Barnet and Cornish
were the intended victims At this time
would not like TO give my ideas of the
7nntiVp blIf | think the lnQuesSt proof
sufficient to warrant an arrest will be
adduced. am satisfied with what Is the
evidence. 1 think that the evidence IL
the inquest will run into each other T.
the barnet and Mrs. Adams cases.
ut would not take long time til ea TO- ex
Adams inquest is through. In othel
words. ] think they can be made to
gether. i can say that more than on
person was concerned in this murder ant
maybe a third one knows all about IT
The minute l get enough evidence, sha'
cause an arrest. This evidence will come
l am sure, at the inquest.
"This murder was done with deep de
liberation by a person moderateiy RAM
liar with cnem,s S,Hes II; me conne1ton VIII
the pisons used and the methods OF us
ing them. The poison acts dinerently J
different systems. the polsoners eviden =
" did not know that the poison would D
slow in one case and quick in another
that different ingredients would make
change. In all probability the poisone
intended that each victim should di
slowly. This case Is similar 10 that o
the Cleveland street scandal in London
some years ago.. :. =.
Col. Gardiner was very emphatic in nj
abatement that at least two persons an
maybe a third were connected with tn
murders. The police are said to be close
sllspected in the case. Coroner Hart sal
the real reason for the delay OF the in
0uest was his failure to receive Pro
Witthaus' report of the analysis of tn
yiscera Of Mrs. Adams. -.
Chief of Detectives McClusky, whe
asked about Col. Gardeners statemen
said that he knew nothing about 1t. Fl
said he had no warrants to serve an
that he suspected no moral perverts. 4
declared that he had not seen Col. Gard
rier since Saturday.
The undertaken who had charge of til
burial OF H. c. Barnet said. today, ths
the embalming fluid he used containe
no mercury or preparation of mercur.
President Allan d. Brown of Norwc
University at Northfield, VT, has receive
4 cablegram from Admiral George Dewe
approving his plan originated a fe