Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-05
MRS. BOTKlN on WITNESS STAND.
Her Narration OF the story which She Hope,
f.bel yyijI Set Her Free.

. Inc san francisco 1bAtIniuer. luSb /
Friday. in its report of the trial of
Mrs. Botlsin, said:
Mrs Cordelia A. Botlsin yesterday
began the narration of her own story
the story which she hopes will set her
free.
Sho has lisp, drops some of her
"h's'' and has much the dramatic in
donation OF a stage favorite-a Morosco
favorite More than this, she talks so
RAPIDLY that the stenographers have
hard work to keep pace with her.
Evidently her story had been we'll
committed to memory, for some of the
time, when she kept her eyes on her
lap, she seemed reading rather than
testifying. Her words flowed with such
volubility that, gauged by general ex-
perience, she would be dangerous to
herself, but she didn't trip, and what
Prosecuting Attorney Hosmer can make
of her on crosse nation remains 10
be seen. Ordinarily. witnesses who are
SO voluble and prolix are easily tangled
by the cross-examiner. This woman,
however, seems exceptionally intelli-
cent, altogether self-reliant, and en-
tirely at case.
rs all this stupid or shall go onY"
she once asked, as she stopped to take
breath.
II was as il she had asked the ques-
tion over tho tea table Of some careless
woman acquaintance. The entire mar
ration, so far as it went, was more like
chat and tattle than story on which
may hang the life of the narrator. 1t
certainly is an exceptional woman
who can pause in a breathless narration
before breathess court room, in the
presence of discriminating judges, and
ask: Is all this stupid, or shall | go
on?"
AS she went to the stand she took off
her veil for the first time. The jury
| then obtained their initial look at her
face. 1t was pale, but animated. Her
eyes were bright, and she used them
effectively.
| Her general demeanor was that of a
busy, bustling, talkative little body,
/ with strong dramatic instinct-one
who might easily be driven into hys-
| terra. Once or twice there was a touch
of venom and vindictiveness in her
tone. She let fly claw at Dunning
with this:
HE came to ME for assistance, as he
was in great fear of the hand of the
law. =
Again she scratched at Mrs. Seeley,
showing the woman spirit in woman's
Iquarrol. She said she permitted Mrs.
lSeeley's attentions to her stepson
Beverley because the association kept
him from running into other dissipa-
tions which might be worse than a
marriage to her, ''even if she were IA
years older than he" She snapped out
the fling at Mrs. Seeley's age unspar-
ingly, and nodded her head in appre-
citation Of the effectiveness of such a
thing.
But in the main she was easy enough
! and fair enough as she ratified away
over her well-rehearsed lines. She cor
roborated Mrs. Ruoff in small part and
did not denounce that woman by word
or gesture or innuendo.
As for her association with Dunning,
she confessed nothing. She admitted
the mash" meeting in the park and
: his frequent visits to her. But she
intimated that her boy was present
when he came to her apartments.
Whether she intends to deny a criminal
intimacy remains to be seen. Her
tone rather indicated that she would.
II When it came to the purchase of the
box of candy and the handkerchief hei
, denials We're direct and emphatic. She
| declared that the only time she left hel
room on July 3lst, the day the choco
lates were sold, was when she steppet
4 out of it to telephone for DIR. Tyrrel
4 to come and attend her. She not onlN
i denied that she was in the candy stor,
I Of George Haas a. Son that day, blu
4 declared with vigorous emphasis tina
she had never been in the store in al
, her life.
a As for the handkerchief, she not onl,
4 denied purchasing it, but said sh
a never had had a package from the Git,
a of Paris or any other dry goods stor
/ sent to her at the Victoria Hotel
About her talk of poison to the Stock
ton doctor, she admitted discussing tn
effects of morphine and calomel witt
him, but denied mentioning arsenic
i Once she was we'll started, Attorne
Knight had little reason to keep he
9 going with questions. She bubble
o with the effusiveness Of her discourse
o Prosecuting Attorney Hosmer neve
2 once interrupted with an objection
u He liked his dark, serious eyes upo
q her and seemed bordering the ques
y lions which would shiver her, glib stor
and sot her denials at naught. Whe
10 she spoke of the dreadful shock to he
n nerves when Miss Livernash informe
u her that she was strongly suspected c
poisoning Mrs. Dunning, Mr.. Knigh
asked.
"How do you feel now?"
l. II feel most deadly - she declare
dramatically.
!. When she began, Dunning stood b
IF the corner Of the jury box, partitio
t. railing shutting him away from he
:. view. Soon, however, he was given
!. chair near the stove. From this plac
Or he could watch her from the midst {
y o small crowd sitting and standin
N about him. For a time he kept hi
r. eyes and head down, but as the tai
re- went on he became alert, stfetchin
his neck to keep her in view whe
curious men pressed up in front {
him. 6ho seemed unmindful of an
t. unmoved by his presence.
D. On Saturday, the Examiner said:
~ Mrs. Cordelia A. Botkin has passe
O. the ordeal of REORGANIZATION. ST
,p passed it yesterday without a trip or
as stumble. Her tale was letter perfec
M She admitted nothing that would harl
ID her, and save in the matter Of her rel,
es tions With Dunning she was as quic
and free with her answers as the di
trict attorney was with his question
1t was only in her direct examinatic
that she hurt herself. In this 81
ma denied one thing too much. She pos
lively declared that she never had pu
of chased arsenic at the Owl drug stor
by But that Is one of the things that ms
be put down as absolutely prove,
ar Druggist Grey was fair witness. {
st knew Mrs. Botkin. He told of her pu
ill chase of two ounces of powdered ARISEN
with much detail; and behind hi