The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-05
SCATHING WORDS.
Attorney Osborne De.
nounces Roland B.
Molineux.
WEEKS ANGRY WORDS.
Chain Of Circumstantial Evil
dence Outlined In
Speeches.
WEEKS ANGRY WORDS.

DpGcCIlGS.
New York, Dec. 4.-The actual trial
of Roland Burnham MolineuX, charged
with causing the death of Mrs Kate j.
Adams, was begun today. Twelve days
were consumed in selecting a jury. Be
fore the proceedings had started, Dr.
Alexander McLane Hamilton entered
the count room. He said he was present
as the medical adviser of the defense.
The indictment was read, Molineux
standing. He was unmoved, but his ia
theirs eyes filled with tears.
Barlow S. Weeks, senior counsel for
the defense, moved for dismissal of
the indictment on the ground that the
proof was not sufficient. The court
overruled the motion, and Assistant
District Attorney Osborne began his
opening speech He recited in detail the
manner in which Mrs. Adams came to
her death
Mr.. Osborne in his address mentioned
the name of Henry c. Barnet who he
said had been poisoned in nearly the
same way that Mrs. Adams had Mr..
Weeks protested against the name of
Barnet figuring in the trial He said
that Justice Williams in the supreme
court had ruled that all evidence rela-
tive to Barnet was not admissible Re
cordeT Golf OVerruled the objection,
saying Justice Williams had ruled on
the evidence itself and not on the name
of Barnet.
DEATH OF BARNET.
Mr.. Osborne continued describing the
illness and death of Barnet. Mr.. Os-
borne went at great length into the
sending of . the poison which Mrs.
Adams tooksto Harry S. Cornish and
pictured to the jury the inner workings
of the sender's mind at the time The
sender, he said, had worked it all out
so that he was satisfied no human be-
ing could trace it back, and he cared
not who took it, said the counsel. How
the poison cyanide of mercury was
discovered by the sender was next talk
en-. Mr. Osborne went into the details
and SAID: you must look for a chem
list to find the sender of cyanide of
mercury, and further you must look for
a chemist engaged in dry colors, the
business of the defendant
Following this, counsel presented a
summary of the things to be proven by
the state He then said: 1.-THE prisoner
has dropped more than one stitch in
the proceedings; he has dropped a
whole spool of thread and the case,
which seemed at the outset to be most
complicated is at the present time the
simplest case l ever participated in as
counsel
SAME POISON IN TWO CASES.
Mr.. Osborne said the things the pros
ecution would attempt to prove were
that Mrs. Kate j. Adams and Henry C.
Barnet both died from the effects of
the same poison sent through the mails.
He said he would first establish, beyond
any reasonable doubt, a motive on the
part of the person who sent the poison.
and that the motive was desire to rid
himself of an adversary against whom
the sender had a deep and lasting ha-
tired. These facts, Mr., Osborne said, he
would establish by evidence.
The first conflict of words between
Recorder Golf and Mr.. Weeks of coun-
sci for Molineux, occurred While Mr.
Osborne was picturing how he claimed
Molineux was writing for samples of
medicine under the name of Barnet.
Mr.. Weeks strenuously objected. Re
corder Golf ruled with Osborne, and
Mr.. Weeks you must stop this talk
ing. I have already ruled in favor of
Mr.. Osborne" said the recorder.
Mr.. Weeks, however, continued to OBJ
ject, and this irritated Recorder Golf,
who said: Mr.. Weeks. unless you cease
talking and interrupting, shall be
compelled to make yoL take your
seat"
Mr. Weeks sat down, but not before
bn ha6 oil 70
Colts remarks, and objected to all that
had passed.
HANDWRITING IRREGULARITIES.
Mr.. Osborne attempted to show the
peculiarities Of the handwriting on the
envelopes and Of the letters. He had
small blackboard, which he meant to
use, ana Mr.. Weeks objected. The
court sustained the objection, but said
the district attorney would be allowed
to give any verbal description of the
handwriting he chose. There then en-
sued a long and technical discussion be-
tween counsel for both sides and Re-
corder Goff.
Referring to one of the letters to a
medical concern, Mr. Osborne said the
writer had given his age as q. his chest
measure as 81 inches, his occupation as
clerk. and had stated that he was con-
to tell Of the phraseology of the letters
written and signed by H. c. Barnet.
WHO ANSWERED DESCRIPTION?
Barnet" he said. does not fit the
case. Besides, Barnet is dead-died
before Cornish received the poison
package.
Harpster is too big and fat and
good-natured to have any of the char
acteristics that are so plainly shown
throughout all these letters.
,'It was not Cornish, because Cornish
is more than 81 years old. He is too
big about the chest; he measured more
than 81 inches
'Who is it, then, that answers all
these descriptions? Who is it that had
a clerical occupation? Roland B. Mo-
lineux."
who was 81 years old in June, 1898?
Who measures 81 inches about the
chest? Who was contemplating mat
rimony at that time? Who, in his an
plication for insurance, gave his occu-
patton as clerical?"
Question after question Mr.. Osborne
asked the jury, answering each one
himself with the ominous words, "Ro-
land 3. Molineux."
CUMULATIVE EVIDENCE.
Everything tends to show" he CON
tinued. that Roland B. Molineux loved
a woman Here was man, apparent