The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-29
How Cornish Received
Package of Poison.
The Story of the killing of Mrs.
Adams.

forest 10 now lent to the trial OF Roland
ID. Molineux because of the appearance
on the witness stand OF Harry ). Cornish
to whom the poison which killed Mrs.
Adams, WINS sent through the malls.
Cornish was on the stand lats this after
noon and HIS examination, which PROM
ises to develop many things not yet
made public. will probably continue for
several days with Interruptions here and
there for other witnesses.
Cornish told today OF the recsip. by
him Of the famous silver holder and bot
tie OF poison and he reviewed the story
of Mrs. Adams death from the supposed
chrome seltzer" which he had admins
tered to her when she was i'll.
After reviewing briefly his early life
and his connection with various athletic
clubs, Cornish identified several letters
pertaining to athletic matters and then
denied that he wrots the address on the
poison package.
witness said that In December, 1893.
he lived at u West s6th street. Mrs.
Adams, Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Hawords
all related to Cornish By marriage, lived
there also. He had known them In Hart
ford, where he formerly lived. de came
to New York in 1895 and in April, 1896,
went to live with these people at 81 West
s6th street.
On the cath of December, 1898, he re-
ceiyed a package through the mails. He
rot AZ In his mail box at tire knioker-
booker Athletic club and openej 1t In his
office at that club between ten and eleven
o clock. de identified exhibit IA as a
portion OF the outside wrapper. When ne
tore oil the wrapper, his satd he found
small holder, which he took at the time
10 be a silver toothpicK holder. In an
other part Of the box he found what pur-
portsd to bs a hostile If bronio settler. lie
had previously thrown the wrapper into
the waste basket He found an envelope
In the box and supposed 1t TO contain
card, but there was none. He put the
enyeiopo. the bottle holder and the bottle
which had q revenue stamp on IL, in his
desk. He Ind conversation with Mr..
Einneran at the club, about 10, who
SUI gestsd that the address be cut out.
They spec ulatsd as to who seat 1t ami
| wondered why the sender did not enclose
a card. q ornish said he took the bottle.
bottle holder and address hoTue with
him to tbs Adams fiat ut 6l West s6ih
| street. L he next morning, when he
arose, he said, he went to the Kitchen TO
get his morning paper. de saw Ers
Adams With n baudage around her tore'
head. A few minutes later. Mrs. Rogers
went to his room ana told him that her
mother was Ill, that she had headaohs
and wanted him to give her some bromo
seltzsr He said he gave the bottle to
Mrs Rogers VINO took IL out OF the room.
A moment later Mrs. Adams returned
with the bottle and said she could not
open It.
Cornish told Of opening the bottle,
while Mre. Adams brought a glass for
him to pour out q dose Of the bromo salt
zer. He said he turned the bottle up but
| the contants would not run out, and he
had to knock 1t against the palm OF Ms
| b and to loosen the stuff. he poured out
what he termed "A good big Dose, and
Mrs. Adams drank IL, remarking at the
time. Cornish testified. that lit tasted
sour and queer"
al told her." continued Cornish, "that
the stuff was all right Ind took doss
| of 1t myself, though maybe not 80 large n
one as sho did. She then went cut and
/ sat down and commenced reading my
paper. Not more than two nr three min
| utss afterwards she oried out to me to
come and help her. jumped up anu ran
| to where she stood In the dining room
! At that time had felt no effects Of tae
failed ma-tnsy seemed to weaken all OF
once. When get to Mrs. Adams or just
as got to her she fell to the door.
stopped over and tried to hit her bet
could net do 90. / asked what was the
ma tt sr and she said shs did NOS know.
She could hardly talk and her face was
drawn and ashy. lett her lyins ON the
| floor and ran !, the hall and called To
tia hall hoy ), run quickly for doet,r
| as soms one was sick.
s.Mrs. Rogers and then laid Mrs
| Adams on the lounge and went OF tt
hurry the boy but found he had already
had asked DR.. Bit,hcook to come and
that he said he would. "
| Just as Cornish's testimony was begin
ming to be irt,rettlns the Recorder sd-
| journed the cass until tomorrow morn
inf gis ,.nawr,t,,. s,Ds,t, sa,s vay
| to-day to the physicians. DIR. Philips
| who tsnded btt tn Ii. q. Barnet before
| his death and Harry Cornish WAS ono OF
| the witnesses examined and be tttribut sd
| the illness of Cornish to mercurial poison
and the death Of barnet to the same
| agent
The mama "Barnst" Was net permit I'd
| to hs received in the testimony or placed
ON the records bat . mythical "a. b."
was adopt ID intt sad and all t1s symp-
toms exhibited by Barntt during his Ill
ness wore described by Dr. Phillips and
| accept I'D as tMtimony.
DR.. Colin who also . tt snded these men
during their illness corroboratsd tbs tss-
timony of DR.. Phillips SO far as It related
to the az M toms and endorsed tha dag
nosis male by that physician.
Another witnsfs On the stand today was
John ID. Adams once secretary of the
Knickerbocksr A. G. His testi nony dealt
with the relations bswteen Cornish aud
holinsux and with the variou3 quarrels
that had occurred at that club.
Mr.. Weeks win probably take up the
cross examination Of Adams tomorrow
morning before Cornish goes on the
stand.