The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-10
MIR. CORNISH EVASIVE
SOME SENSATIONAL DEVELOP
MENTS IN THE FAMOUS NEW
YORK POISONING CASE
INQUEST is NOW UNDER WAY
Harry Cornish Displeases District
Attorney Gardner, Who Says 1t is
Possible to Secure Indictment of
the Athlete for Murder Adds
That 1t BehOoves Cornish to
Clear His own Skirts.

NEW YORK, Feb. 9.-The first day
of the inquest into the death of Mrs.
Kate J. Adams, who died from poison
on Dec. 2S, of last year, did very little
to clear up the most sensa tional mur-
der case New York has had in years.
During nearly the entire session Harry
Cornish, the instructor of the Knicker-
becker Athletic club through whom
indirectly Mrs. Adams received the poi
son, was on the stand. He was eva
slVe in his replies to questions, and
Fought shy of the popular theory-that
some person or persons with a secret
10 hide had endeavored to dispose of
those having knowledge of the secret
Cornish was also reticent in his an
swers TO all questions which touched
upon the death of Henry c. Barnett,
another member of the Knickerbocker
club, who died in November, presum-
ably from poison, believed by the state
TO have been a victim of the same per-
son or perSc rs who tried to kill Cor
nish.
Mr.. Cornish, who was the first wit
ness, told of receiving a bottle ostensi-
bly, containing brOmo- seller. in a silver
holder. on Dec. 1, 1898, of preserving
the wrapper, and of subsequently TAX
ing the articles TO the fat where he
lived with Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Rog-
ers. He narrated the circumstances
leading to the preparation of g dose
OF the drug for Mrs. Adams who, after
drinking IL. remarked that 1t was very
bitter. Cornish said he drank what
was left in the glass and said: That's
ali right" Then he set down the glass.
q and was startled by a call from Mrs
Rogers. Come and hold mamma"
He found Mrs. Adams apparently very
i'll, in the bath room. He hurried the
hall boy for doctor and ran to drug
store for instructions. The druggist
gave him sweet spirits of ammonia
for her.
No doctor having arrived. Cornish ran
for DR.. Hitchcock, and later, at DR..
Hitchcock's request, fethched DR.. Pot
ter. Mrs. Adams died and the doctors
told him the case must be reported to
the coroner.
The witness said he went to Assist
ant District Attorney Mcintyre his
personal friend, and asked him to ex-
pedite the action of the coroner. All
this while, witness said, he was ILL.,
He went to the club about A o'clock o.
NJ. (AIrs. Adams death occurred dur
ing the forenoon, and there was taken
Ill. DR.. Phillips gave him treatment
for over an hour, using the stomach
pump. Witness could suggest no mo-
tive for the poisoning; he had no quar-
rel with any one, and so far as he
knew, had no enemies. Subsequently
he modified this statement and admit
ted that he had had differences one
being about eighteen months ago.
Mr.. Cornish was questioned about the
Illness and death of H c. Barnett. the
question bringing out the fact that the
two men had not been on the best of
terms. Coirish's information regard
ing Barn.its illness was obtained
through Ir. Phillips, who attended
him near the end Dr. Douglass was
called in.
UGLY CHARGES
Mr.. Cornish said that he never had
any personal quarrel with any member
of the knickerbocker Athletic club, but
that charges had been preferred
against him He was accused, he said,
of saying things about two members of
the club to third member The
charges were made by C. C. Hughes
and the names of the two members in
Volved in the quarrel were Roland B.
Molyneux and H. c. Barnett That was
two years ago and the witness could
not remember further details Mr. Cor
nish said he was employed by J. Her
bert Balantyne, president of the corpo-
ration that conducts the Knickerbocker
Athletic club.
What did Hughes say to you of Mo-
lyneux and Barnett?" asked Mr.. Os-
borne, the assistant district attorney.
He said that 1 said Molyneux had
made his money by the improper use
of house property he owned in New
ark. He said L accused Barnett of i'm
proper practices with women
Did that mean that Molyneux let
his houses for purposes of prostitu-
tion?"
That and his gambling, 1 should
think. is what L meant. The charges
were dismissed
Mr.. Cornish was asked if he was ac-
cused of saying that a member of the
Knickerbocker Athletic club was in the