Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-02-25
STATE sTRIKEsALEAD AT LAST
HAS YET TO PROVE THE GUILT OF
KUNKEL, HOWEVER.
Defense Confident of Acquittal, and
Both Sides Hint at Coming Sem
sations-Ada Kunkel to Tes-
tify-CrOwds Attending
the Trial.

Kunkel. on account of the murder Of his
second wife. Lydia. early this morning
struck a poison lead which resulted in
a mass Of circumstantial evidence being
introduced. which indicated that arsenic
had been freely used In the Kunkel house.
hold during the last illness of its mistress.
and that in all probability her death had
been FASTENED by arsenical poisoning. If 1t
was not entirely due to 1t.
Neighbors. servants and officials were re-
sponsible for the building up of the case
to-day on circumstantial lines. for the ex-
istence of poison in the Kunkel home during
Mrs. kunkel's last Illness was traced, step
by step. from the deathbed to the labor
atory of Professor Bailow. in the Kansas
university.
Arsenic Was Everywhere.
Much ingenuity had to be exercised by
the prosecution to lay the foundation for
the poison theory In order to get around
the ruling Of the court. but with the OPEN
Ing once made In the legal hedge the evi-
dence was piled up higher and higher until
it appeared that the very caves of the
kunkel house dripped poison. and that with
at least one member Of the household II
was steady diet.
Professor Barlow did not get down to
business to-day. as his testimony was
mainly devoted to building foundation
for his conclusive convictions. II is be-
lieved that he will testify that in every
article given him for an analytical test
he found arsenic-in the soiled clothing,
IN the matted milk. in the pieces of mat
ting taken from the floor of the death
chamber and in the whisky given to Mrs.
kunkel and which the nurse. Susan Hawk
ms. pronounced to be very bad" He
will also. it is understood. testify that in
the contents of Mrs. Kunkels stomach
and in the organs Of her body removed at
the past omrtem and in the piece of her
arm taken from her body after it had been
consigned to the grave. he found evidences
Of the deadly drug.
Defense IL Resourceful.
This done, it will be the duty Of the pros
ecution to connect Kunkel fifth the admin
istering Of the poison. The defense Is re-
sourceful and still confident, II actions
count for anything. that Kunkel will be
acquitted. 1t is not a new story that
Mrs. kunkel was addicted to the use Of
arsenic and that she was a monomaniac
on the subject of maternity, and the de-
fense may, in order to save the living,
have to strip the character of the dead
mains.
Both sides hint at sensational develop
ments and number Of interesting wit
nesses will be called upon to testify.
Kunkel Will Testify.
Among them will be Ada Kunkel the
defendants daughter by his first wife. Ell
len, the daughter Of the old pioneer, Eb-
enezer Root. Ada, it Is said, was very
much vexed when her father brought his
second bride to the home and installed her
as its mistress, and affairs did not run
smoothly. Ada believed that she was not
the proper woman to care for the Kunkel
children; she had heard the rmors con-
cerning her stepmother that were on the
end every gossip's tongue and she knew
that her marital experiences untitled her
for the position Of queen Of the heretofore
quiet home.
Kunkel. it appears, was infatuated with
his new wife. and humored her in every
reasonable request and in many that were
unreasonable. 1t is said that but one seri-
Gus disagreement marred their married life
but that it lasted until death removed the
unhappy woman.
Reason Ada Left Home.
She asked for money with which to have
an operation performed which would make
1t impossible for her to become a mother.
Kunkel, it Is said, refused and told her
that3t was an unnatural proposition which
he could not and would not countenance.
Mrs. Kunkel at once began to show an
aversion for him and at stated periods,
when i'll, her vagaries and pettishness
were the cause Of many unhappy hours.
Ada could not stand the strain and left
her home. She sought and obtained a 20.
sition as nurse in the Bethany hospital
in Kansas City. Kas., and rarely paid her
people a visit. When her father was 'ac-
80 80 1,s-
signed her position and ever since has
reigned over her disgraced home as the
mistress. When she testifies she will, It
is understood, explain many things not
now understood, and in other ways will
be valuable factor in making out a de-
fense for her father.
Mrs. King. formerly Of the Bethany hos
pitaf who has been subpoenaed as a witt
ness for the prosecution. and Miss Gwynn,
a nurse at the hospital. have been her
guests for some time. and recently another
nurse. a Miss Horton. arrived. and is also
a guest The latter will be a witness for
the defense.
Courtroom In Crowded.
The trial is attracting a great deal of
interest. The courtroom Is crowded daily,
standing rom being always at a premium.
Many women were in attendance to-day
and all keenly eyed hunkel Wnen teStt.
mony damaging to his case was given
He appears to be suffering mentally and
at times can hardly retain his seat be-
cause Of his intense nervousness. He lis
tens attentively to the recitals Of the wit
nesses and appeared to be greatly relieved
when Judge Riggs ruled that testimony
bearing on the death Of Birdit Comingore
and to matters which originated prior to
the beginning of his wife's last illness
would not be admitted. At times he
coached his counsel and appeared ami
mated. At other times detection seemed to
possess him. and then he would bow his
head on his hands and nervously twist the
ends of his mustache.
This was noticeably SO when Alex Mitch.
ell testified that he (KunkeD had given him
the bottles partially filed with whisky.
That whisky may prove his undoing. If it
contains poison the first link in the chain
of direct evidence the prosecution is en-
deavoring to forge in order to connect Kun
kel with the administering Of the poison
will have bee nmade. Professor Barlow. II
is expected, will testify that the whisky
does contain arsenic.
Importing Miners From Alabama,
SOUTH MALESTER, I. T., Feb. "a
Especially The strike in the Choctaw mines
at Hartshorne has abated somewhat, a
carload of new miners having been re-
ceived from Alabama to-day to take the
places Of the strikers. Should the strike
continue, the company will continue to