The times., 1899-01-05
POISON SENDER At BAY
Police Think the Adams MUIR
der Mystery Is Solved.
POSTPONING THE ARREST
The Suspects Name Already Men
tioued in Connection With thc
Cnse-strong chain of Circumstnn-
tiaI Evidence Woven Around Him
-Hnndwritinr Experts at Work.

New York. Jan. 4.-The police now be-
lieve that they have solved the mystery
of the attempt on the live of Harry Cor
nish, the-athletic instructor of the Knick-
erbocker Athletic Club. an attempt which
resulted in the death of Mrs. Kate j.
Adams, in whose apartments Cornish
lived.
Since the day after the death of Mrs
Adams, the police have devoted their en-
ergies to working up a case against
young man who was formerly a member
of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club and
who is said TO be a bitter enemy of the
clubs instructor a coil of circum-
stantial evidence has been woven around
the man and the police seriously consid-
cred placing him under arrest several
days ago on charge Of numbering Mrs.
Adams. There arose circumstance
which made 1t inadvisable TO proceed
against him at once. The chain of evi-
dence was broken by Emma Miller, the
clerk in Hardegan G. Co.'S jewelry store,
in Newark, who described the purchaser
of the silver toothpick holder, which she
sold late in the afternoon of December 81,
to a man with red beard.
The man the police had marked never
had beard in his life. Phe interruption
to the course decided upon by the police
will not delay matters long. 1t was said
by a person high in authority last night
that the arrest might be made at any mo-
ment. Everything will depend on the
movements OF the man under suspicion.
II he makes any attempt to get away
he will be intercepted. If he remains in
town he may be allowed to proceed about
his business until the obstacle raised by
Miss Miller is swept aside.
The discovery in Newark of a woman
who deals in wigs and false boards, and
who says that man answering the de-
scription of the suspect tried to purchase
red beard and wig from her about ten
days ago, may clear up the case and result
in the arrest being made at once.
The name of the suspect is known by
number OF persons, but is withheld for
obvious reasons. 1t has already been men
! toned in the case. Whether or not the
man under suspicion can be connected with
the poisoning Of Henry Crossman Bar
net, by powder sent to him at the Kniek-
erbocker Athletic Club late in October is
not known. The similarity between the
two cases has led Captain McClusky to de-
clare that the same mind conceived both
crimes, although he will not commit him
self to the opinion that the same hand
committed both
So far as could be learned today the sus-
pect in the Adams case was at one time
a friend OF Barnet. There are rumors of
trouble about woman, and ii is said that
between Cornish and the suspect there
was feeling about this same woman in ad-
dition to trouble over club matters, but
the story of the woman lacks confirmation.
Harry Cornish, the intended victim of
the poisoner, has been the key to the sit
| uation from the first. In his first inter
view with Captain McCIusky he ran over
the names of all those who might desire
| to injure him. Cornish has enemies.
! There was just one man. though, who
| Cornish thought was capable of trying
that man to Captain McCiusky and his rea
sons for believing that he would attempt
| such crime All of these reasons are not
| known outside of the detective bureau.
Cornish has given the police four letters
written to him by this man about year
and half ago. They were written under
the following circumstances: When the
reorganized Manhattan Athletic Club went
| TO pieces the property was taken over by
the Ballantines, brewers, of Newark. J.
Herbert Ballepune wanted to make the or
ganization a proprietary club, and it is
| said that he employed Harry Cornish to
| build it up and put it on a paying basis.
/ Cornish had a wide experience in athletics
and was chosen because the Ballentines be-
| lieved that boom in athletics was what
was needed.
! Cornish demanded full sway and it was
| given TO him. He met with determined
! opposition to his methods from several
members Of the club, who thought he wes
| too autocratic for mere emplOye. These
men found out in short order that Cornish
was more than an employe. Mr.. Ballan-
tine upheld him in everything that he did
and his opponents had their choice of two
courses. either TO resign or take back
seats. Some did one thing. and some did
the other, but there were bitter quarrels
and hard things said.
The man under suspicion was one of
/ these who came into conflict with Cornish,
| who routed him and later received four let
| ters from him. These letters were very
violent, it is said and In one there is an
implied threat against Cornish's life The
| letters are signed it is said, with the
writer's full name.
Captain McClusky, when he came into
! possession Of these letters. thought ne
/ detected similarity with the writing on
! the box which was sent TO Cornish and
which contained the toothpick holder ami
the bottle of poison. The written addr IS
on the box was evidently disguised. but
many of the smaller characters, paIticu-
| larly the vowels, were like those in the
letters The letters have been submitted
to handwriting expert, who has report
| ed, il is said that there is marked
| similarity between the writing in the let
ters and that on the package s=nt to
Cornish. He has not finished his study
of the letters yet.
|