The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-24
He Says r.. ID. MOlineux sent Him the
POisoned BrOmO-SeItzer That
Killed Mrs. Adams.
ALSO SUSPECTS SAME PERSON
OF SENDING POISONED POWDERS TO
THE LATE Mr.. BARNET
Latter Was Once Seen Alone in a Room
with Miss Chesebrough, Who Later
Married MOlineux.

NEW YORK, Feb. 23.-Harry Cornish, on
the witness stand, at the Adams inquest to-
day, accused Roland B. Molineux Of having
sent him the poisoned bromo-seltZer. His
story was that he thought Molineux had
sent him the poison because he was the
only man who had shown great enmity to-
ward him; that he had lied about him and
prosecuted him; that he had lied about 9TH
ers in the club; that there was enmity be-
tween Barnet and Molineux, and that Mol
ineux had started stories about members of
the Knickerbocker Athletic Club. Witness
stated that Molineux, being in a rival club,
was jealous of him. He declared that the
coroner must search the athletic clubs Of
New York city for the murderer of Mrs.
Adams. He suspected Molineux Of having
sent Kutnow powders to Barnet. He testi-
fed that Mrs. Molineux's statement that she
had never been in Barnet's room alone was
false. He knew of a person who had seen
Mrs. MOlineux and Barnet drinking wine in
the latter's room when no other person was
present. Witness stated that Molineux was
his bitter enemy and the only man he knew
Of who could have q motive for wishing to
take his life. Cornish was very earnest in
testifying, and contradicted much that he
had said when he was first examined by the
coroner. Cornish was asked several times to
give the names of men who had told the
stories that he repeated about Molineux.
He said that he could not remember them
all, but he had no doubt these men would
come forward and substantiate his story as
soon as they heard he had told it.
The first question Mr.. Osborne asked Cor
nish to-day was: DO you think you can
show any motive for the killing of Mrs.
Adams?"
Yes" replied Cornish, and he then went
on to tell the story of the events which led
up to the quarrel with Molineux. The state
ment was interspersed with derogatory re-
marks regarding Molineux. Much was based
on things Cornish had heard other people
say
QUARREL WITH WEEKS.
Cornish denied that the statement pro-
duced as his by the police was correct. ut
sounded" said Cornish. like Captain Nc
Cluskey's recollection of my conversation. I
was and am most anxious to find out who
sent the poison. 1 believe it was intended
to kill me-. 1 believe the police will admit
that / helped them considerably. At first"
continued Cornish, II could not think that I
had any enemies who had it in for me
enough to want to kill me 1 ave had
squabbles with every man in the business.
The quarrel with Mr.. Weeks was such a
s~quabble and the statement and letter show
ing that L would get even with Weeks meant
with athletic ways. There was an athletic
rivalry between the Knickerbocker and New
York Athletic Clubs. The handwriting was
shown to me, but not the signatures, but
if we could have had before us a letter
from Molineux to me, and addressed
Friend Cornish and ompared 1t with the
clipping from a newspaper any one would
have sworn thai the same man wrote both.
After that 1t came over me like a flood. or
by intuition, and l said that's the man who
sent the stuff to Barnet
About Jan. / fifty men In the club were
saying the same thing. His name was con-
nected with the case on all sides. 1 could
not think of any one on earth who had
shown the same animosity to me. He had
lied about me and got Mr.. Hughes to make
charges against me. Mr.. Hughes has since
told me he was sorry and could not under
stand how it is he had been led into the
matter. 1 have since heard hat the reason
MolineuX left the board meeting was be-
cause he learned that he had been nominated
for governor of the New York Athletic
STRANGE STORIES TOLD.
He has carried his enmity right along.
When L began to make inquiries about him
1 heard many statements. Strange stories
were told of his library works on great
crimes, a book on sexual progression and
other works that no layman should read.
Then there was talk of his collections of
pictures. These things were only hearsay,
but they influenced my mind. Then from his
own course of procedure. when he was first
talked about, he hired a lawyer and a hand
writing expert. He has a bad mind"
Cornish said Molineux had made an uE-
punishable and false accusation against
two prominent members of the Knicker-
booker Athletic Club. Continuing, Cornish
said: Then Molineux marrying SO sudden
ly created some suspicion IN my mind, espe-
cially when / heard that he was married
to Miss Chesebrough, who, members or the
club told me, was very intimate with
Barnet
aforementioned amateur circus at the
Knickerbocker Athletic Club he was invited
into Barnet's room as he was passing. No
poom with Barnet besides Miss Cheese
brough. There was a partly-dled bottle of
wine on the table and glasses were. there
also, which showed that the two had been
drinking. Cornish asserted that Barnet had
left the clubhouse to go on a yachting trip,
but had changed his plan because as ne
that Molineux was to be one of the party"
Cornish denied Molineux's statement that
his death. "Molineux could have entered
at any time he might have seen nit, SAID
Cornish, and he would have done so if he
had been the intimate friend or Barnet, as
Cornish asserted that of all those who
were called to Captain McCluskey's office
and there asked to write their names the
only one who refused was Molineux.
Mr.. Osborne said Cornish, addressing
the assistant district attorney, there is no
doubt that YOU have got to look in the
Knickerbocker Athletic Club for the poi
soner. That person must have known that
Harpster worked for F. K. ,Stearns d Co,
of Detroit, and he must have known that
I knew it also. Now, there are, as / said
before. but one or two persons who knew
this. One was myself and the other Moli-
neux. Harpster, If I am properly informed,
never told anybody else about 1t, and 1t was
not known until this case came up"
Cornish denied that two books he is cred
tied with having written showed any evil
dence that he knew something about chem
man in Chicago added Cornish.
CORNISH RATIFIED.
Mr.. Osborne then began a cross-examina-
ton. He wanted to know why Cornish had
Immediately concluded, on Mrs. Adams's
death, that this was similar to Barnet's,
when he did not even suspect that poison
had been sent to Barnet. Cornish was per-
picked. He could not explain it. He ad-
mitted debating a statement for the news
papers on Jan. 4. Mr.. Osborne continued
questioning and Cornish grew confused. He
said he could not tell exactly when he got
the bromo-seltzer bottle. 1T was a matter
Of detail, and not important" He could
not tell whether 1t arrived on the Friday
afternoon. Saturday morning or Saturday
afternoon mail.
Cornish admitted that all his testimony re-
garding the time he received the bottle was
lust a matter Of guess"
Mr.. Osborne read at length from Cornish's