Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-10

] WAS SEM, AMI FUR WHOM IL
Is SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN
INTENDED, WAS ON THE STAND,
But HE PROVED A RATHER UN-
I. SATISFACTORY WITNESS AND
MAY BE INDICTED HIMSELF.
| New York, February 9.-The inquiry
into the death OF Mrs. Kate J. Adams,
who died after taking bromo settler
containing cyanide OF mercury, which
! had been sent through the mails to
| Harry S. Cornish, physical director OF
the Knickerbocker Athletic Club, was
begun by Coroner Hart to-day. Crowds
OF people who gathered early in the
corridors of the criminal court building
were refused admission to the coroner
court, where there were present only
| those intimately connected with the
case or interested in public capacity.
| Little difficulty was experienced in
| securing jury. Harry Cornish was
put on the stand. The taking of his
testimony occupied the entire day and
he will go on the stand again to-mor-
row.
According to District Attorney Gard
liner, who was himself present at the
inquiry for brief period and who was
represented by Assistant District At
torney Osborne, the testimony given by
Cornish was not entirely satisfactory
nor, the District Attorney asserted, was
it as complete as had been expected.
Roland B. Molineaux's name was
brought into the case at the start and
! Cornish's relations with Molineaux
were gone into thoroughly.
| During the early part of the exam
ination, Cornish was very self-possess-
ed and gave his answers quickly. To-
gave his answers with much more de-
| liberation and sometimes after a care
full consideration. A large amount Of
the time of to-day's session was taken
up in re-telling the story of the re-
ceipt of the package through the mail
and the giving of the poison to Mrs.
Adams, but the progress, of the trial is
not likely to be interfered with to-mor-
row by details that have been SO fire.
quently published.
Mrs. Kate ]. Adams died from poi
son on December %. The most gener-
ally accepted theory has been that some
person or persons with a secret to hide
had attempted to dispose of those hav-
ing knowledge of the secret, and that
Henry G. Barnet, former member Of
the Knickerbocker Athletic Club, who
died November 10, had fallen a victim
to poison sent him anonymously in
the mails.
Mr.. Cornish told Of receiving the
bottle of medicine and silver bottle
| holder at the Knickerbocker club on
December "a, and of preserving the
wrapper and Of subsequently taking the
articles to the fiat where he lived with
| Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Rogers. He mar
rated the circumstances leading to the
preparation of a dose of the drug for
Mrs. Adams who, after drinking it, re-
marked that it was very bitter.
Cornish said he drank what was left
in the glass and said; That's all
right" Then he sat down to read, but
was startled by call from Mrs. Rog-
ers, Come and hold mammal" He
! found Mrs. Adams apparently very i'll
! in the bath room. He hurried the hall
| boy for a doctor and ran to drug
! store for instructions. The druggist
gave him sweet spirits OF ammonia for
! her. No doctor having arrived, Corn
| ish ran for DR.. Hitchcock, and later at
DR.. Hitchcock's request fetched DR.. Pot
| ter. Mrs. Adams died and the doctors
sold him the case must be reported to
/ the coroner.
| The witness said he went to Assistant
| District Attorney Mcintyre, his per-
sonal friend, and asked him to report
to the coroner. All this while, wit
ness said, he was i'll. He went to the
club about 4 o'clock p. m. (Mrs.
Adams'b death occurred during THE
! forenoon) and there was taken III. DR..
Phillips gave him treatment for over
an hour, using the stomach pump.
Witness could suggest no motive for
the poison; he had had no quarrel with
any one, and so far as he knew had no
enemies. Subsequently he modified
this statement and admitted that he
had had differences" one being tbout
eighteen months ago.
Mr.. Cornish was questioned about
the illness and death Of H. c. Barnet,
the questioning bringing out the fact
that the two men had not been on the
best Of terms. Cornishs information
regarding Barnet's illness was obtained
through DR.. Phillips, who attended him
until near the end, when DR.. Douglass
was called in.
The coroner produced a letter and
| Mr.. Cornish read it. The letter was
written by Molineaux to w. w. Schiw-
Ter. It suggested that Cornish be dis
ciplined and inclosed a letter from Cor
| nish TO Bernard ]. Wefers, the sprinter.
Cornish acknowledged that that let
| ter was the origin of his trouble with
Molineaux. The latter accused Weeks
| of dirty dealing" and declared the
writer had it in for Weeks and would
never let up until he got even"
Weeks" is Balow S. Weeks, presi-
| dent of the New York Athletic Club
Molineaux's contention was that Cor
| pish had no right IN rnfor On dtcrncrao<