New-York tribune., 1899-02-09
ADAMS INQUEST TO-DAY.
GARDENERS PLANS FOR A SEARCHING
INQUIRY.
THREATENS TO MAKE WITNESSES TELL ALL
ABOUT THEIR PRIVATE LIVES. UNDER
THREAT OF COMMITMENT
E0R CONTEMPT.
FOR CONTEMPT

The long delayed inquest I'm the Adams poison
ing case begins at 1870 o'clock this morning.
| This promises to be one Of the most sensational
Coroner's Inquiries ever carried on In this city.
| According 10 the announcement Of the District
! Attorney the most searching questions VIII be
! asked of some Of the witnesses subpnnaed as
10 their mast lives The Witnesses to whom
these questions will be put are those whom the
Distrlct-Attorney suspects Of having a knowl-
edge OF the crime. other witnesses who were
present at the time OF Mrs. Adams's death VIII
simply be asked 10 tell what they know OF the
occurrence. and after they have told this story
VIII be dismissed from the stand without close
cross examination. This was the plan finally
outlined at the District-AttOrncy's office last
night and in order to carry it out certain wit
nesses called, says Colonel Gardiner. will be
threatened with arrest for contempt of court II
they fail to answer all questions as to their past
lives The following out Of this policy promises
to make the inquest rather exciting.
While the first hearing will take place in the
Coroncrs Office, I'm the Criminal Court Building,
this morning it is more than probable that the
final verdict Of the jury will not he rendered for
several weeks. One cause for delay will be the
report Of the chemists on the analysis Of parts
OF tie body Of Henry G. Barnet, who died al the
Knickcrbocker Athletic Club on November 10.
Pursuant to an order If the Supreme Court
the body Of Barnet was exhumed at Greenwood
Cemetery yesterday. IN the presence Of repre-
sentatives OF the District-Attorney's and Cor
oncr's Offices and several experts After the
body was identified as that OF Barnet the eX-
perts took several parts Of It away for chemical
analysis, and the remainder was returned to the
grave The parts taken away will be closely eX-
amined to see If the experts can discover cya-
nide Of mercury. 1t is alleged that this poison
was sent to Mr. Barnet as it was to Harry Cor
nish and that he took some Of 1t ten days before
he died. il is also admitted that he had at vari-
Gus times prior to his illness with diphtheria
taken mercury in another form as medicine
and this. with the inability as yet to trace the
delivery to him of package containing cyanide
of mercury. makes a difficult case for the ex-
perts 10 handle, but the District-Attorney has
assumed that there is a close connection between
the poisoning Of Mrs Adams and the Barnet
case and will endeavor to have the inquest con-
tinued from day to day until he can link the two
together by evidence. AS It will take several
weeks to complete the analysis Of the selected
parts Of Barnets body, It is probable that the
final testimony I'm the Adams case will be de-
layed that long.
GARDENERS STATEMENT.
The District t-Attorney, when he took the work
of investigating the Adams case out OF the
hands Of the police and formed detective bu-
reau in his own Office. declared TO a number OF
reporters that he knew who the poisoners were
and that they would he arrested on the evidence
which would be brought out at the Inquest
This statement was most carefully prepared. and
went into the case I'm detail At the time 1t
created somewhat Of a sensation. In another
statement made yesterday he denied the previ-
Gus statement. and said: "I have not at any
time said that l had evidence which at the in
quest would lead TO an arrest
This latter declaration is more I'm harmony
with the facts as they exist now. Colonel Gar
diners plan for the inquest is to summon every
person whose name has in any way been con-
nected with the case and put them all on the
stand Some OF these witnesses thus summoned
who have been mentioned az possible suspects
will be subjected to the most severe cross
examination by the Distrct-Attorney and his
assistants The whole history OF these peoples
lives will be brought out II the District -Attor-
ney has his way. According 10 his view they
will be helpless in his hands, and will either
have TO answer his questions or be threatened
with commitment for contempt OF court. Many
criminal lawyers believe that the District-At-
torney's proposed course will not he upheld by
the courts
That there IS some criticism the handling
OF the case by the District-Attorney's office IS
matter Of public discussion among attorneys
and while they puzzled over certain mat
ters connected with this work, they hope that
the Dstrict-Attorney actually has the whole
matter we'll in hand and has basis for his
statements as 10 clews and IS not using the
Coroners inquest as means TO get that which
he declared he already possesses.
Another criticism on the office is the giving
out OF startling stories about the case which
when investigated reveal nothing. The fret,
which was circulated by an attache OF the
Office. was that one Of the guilty persons was
breaking down in health and would commit
suicide in a few days This failed to be borne
out by the facts. Then came the sensational
confession" Of an accompllce in the crime.
This was worked for several days. and
then. like the suicide story. was thoroughly
exploded Yesterday some OF the papers dis
covered that a man who had died from perforat
ing ulcers and typhoid fever nearly two years
ago had been poisoned by the same person who
poisoned Mrs. Adams and is presumed to have
killed II. c. Barnet. This story went into elabo-
rate details OF yachting trip. where all the
characters in the plot had met.
Unfortunately the friends Of the man who died
in 1897 thoroughly discredited the story and
gave absolute proofs that II was not true. The
attending physician at the time Of his death also
proved that he was not poisoned. The efforts OF
the amateur detectives may result in bringing
out the statements that other people met their
deaths at the hands OF the Adams poisoner. but
when II comes 10 giving actual evidence on the
stand they may turn out to be "Koutniks." who
can identify pictures but not people. Their en-
terprise, however. is not yet squelched and II 10
more than probable that II the same source Of
information keeps up some Of these ANA
teurs Will shatter Biblical traditions and with
a long argument under glaring head lines prove
that Abel was not killed by Cain, but that the
Adams pOisoner was alive at that time and sent
bottle Of medicine through the mail, containing
cyanide Of mercury.
GARDINER TO DEVERY
The fnllnNInr leftor WIS sent 70 Chief nn,.nr,