The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-09
ADAMS POISONING CASE
Apparent Progress Is Being
Made by the Police.
NOTE SIGNED BY BLANCHE
The officers Are Investigating the Death
Of Henry G. Barnet, Who Is AL
legged to Have Been Poisoned
in Similar Manner

New York, Jan. S.--An apparent pro-
gress was made to-day in the solution
of the mystery attached to the death
from poisoning of Mrs. Kate Adams.
Miss Addie f. Bates, the trained nurse
who attended Henry C. Barnet, the
Knickerbocker club member who is al
legged to have died from poison, called
to see Captain McCluskey to-day. Cap
tain McCluskey gave out the substance
of his talk with her as follows:
According to Miss Bates statement
she was sent for by DR.. Henry 3. Doug
lass on Nov. l last to take care of a
case. She called at DR.. Douglass office
and was directed by him to go to the
Knickerbocker Athletic club to attend
a diptheria patient, man. The patient
had a sore throat and DR.. Douglass
came in the afternoon and gave direc-
tions for giving medicine and spraying
the throat The doctor also told her to
admit no one to the patients room dur
ing his illness. She gave him medicine
at different times and refused to let any
one see him. Many messages came to
him, but they were answered by her
over the telephone.
"At different times" the statement
on the same floor in the club called to
inquire for him and also sent him flow
ers. On Monday afternoon before he
died Che died on Thursday, Nov. 10)
some flowers came to Mr.. Barnet with
a note, He was sleeping at the time.
When he awoke I told him some flowers
were there and also note. He re-
quested me to read the note and L did
so. After reading the note, he just
closed his eyes and said:
:" 1 wonder how she knew I was i'll
After I had been there two or three
days DR.. Douglass asked me if I had
seen box marked Cut now |
answered that [ had, and we found it
on the dresser in the bath room, and
DR.. Douglass took it away with him.
He afterWard said it contained mercury
At the time of his death there were in
the room DR.. Douglass, myself and Miss
Jennie Calender, the other nurse His
brother had been there, too, but at the
particular time he died he was not
there. During Mr.. Barnet's entire ILL
ness he was in such a condition as a
man suffering from! diptheria. At no
time was / suspicious that his illness
was due to any other cause. He was
uncommunicative through all his ILL
ness. l paid no attention to the sores
on his mouth and sprayed his throat"
Miss Bates denied that she had ever
poisoned before the poisoning with
which he was affected just before his
final illness. The most important part
of the interview with the nurse is that
which relates to the sending of the
flowers to Barnet and the note which
accompanied them This is supposed to
be the note signed Blanche" about
which SO much has been written and
about which there has been much spec
ulaton as to the identity of its senders
Captain McCluskey has this note in
his possession. He will not permit it to
be seen and it is now in the hands of
handwriting expert. He would not
admit the note was signed by
'Blanche,' but when in discussing some
point, one of his listeners asked if the
note referred to was the one signed
'Blanche.' Captain McCluskey replied
in the affirmative. He quickly correct
ed himself. however The captain said
that the interview with Miss Bates
threw no new light upon the Adams
case. and said that he had not re-
quested Miss Bates to make a state
ment. He said that Miss Bates could not
recall the name of the man who had
sent flowers to Barnet at the club on
two or three occasions. When asked as
to the time when Mr.. Kinsey, the ex-
pert in handwriting. might make his re-
port upon the specimens in his possess
sion, Captain McCluskey said that it
might be in As hours. With relation to
the possible eXhumation of the body of
Barnet the captain said that that mat
ter was in the hands of the district at
tOrney and the coroner