The Portland daily press., 1899-01-09

A Mysterious Missive which Figures
I'm Adams Poisoning Case.

New York, January S-No apparent
progress was made today In the solution
of the mystery attached to the Adams
poisoning casa. Miss Addie Il Bates, the
trained nurse who attended Henry q.
Barnet. the Knickerbocker club mem Der
who is alls ged to have died from poison,
called to see Captain McClusky today.
Captain McClusky gave out the SUD-
stance of her talk with him as follows;
According to Miss Bates's statement
she was sent for by DIR. Henry b.
Douglass on November ], last, to take
care OF case. She called at DIR. Douglass's
Office and was directed by him TO go to
the Knick blocker Athletic club TO attend
diphtherla patient, man.
The patient had a sore throat and LIT
Douglass came in the afternoon and gave
directions for giving medicine and spray
ing the throat. The doctor also told nef
to admit no one to the patients room
during his illness. She gave him medi-
cine 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
continued, "a gentleman having room
on the same floor in the club called TO IN
ouire for him and also sent him flowers
On Monday afternoon before he died the
died on Thursday, November lo) SONS
flowers came to Mr.. Barnet with note.
He was sleeping at the time. When ne
awoke told him some flowers were there
and also q note. He requested me to read
the note and / did So After reading
the note he Just closed his eyes and said;
81 wonder how sne knew l was i'll.
After had been there two or three
days Dr. Douglass asked me II had seen
a box marked 'kutnow.' l answered
that 1 had and we found 1t on the dresser
In the bath room and DR.. Douglass took
1t away with him. He afterwards saio
that it contained mercury.
nAt the time of his death there were
in the room, DR.. Douglass, myself ana
Miss Jennie Calendar, the other nurse.
His brother had been there. too, but al
the particular time he died he was not
there. During MIR. Bsrnet's entire illness
he was in such a condition rs man
suffering from diphtheria. At no time
was l suspicious that his illness was due
to any other cause. He was uncommuni-
oative through all this illness. l paid
no attention to the sores on his mouth
and sprayed his throat"
Miss Bates denied that she had ever said
to anyone that Barnet had been 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 much has been
written and about which there has been
much speculation as TO the identity of
its sender. Captain McClusky now has
this note in his possession. be would not
permit 1t to be seen or tell whether 1t Is
now in the hands Of the handwriting
experts He would not admit that the
note was signed blanche" but when, In
discussing some point, one of his listen
ers asked If the note referred to was the
one singed blanche Captain McCiusky
replied in the affirmative. he quickly
corrected himself, however. The captain
said that he did not think that the inter-
view with Miss Bates had any effect in
throwing light upon the Adams case and
said that he had not requested Miss Bates
to make a statement. 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 MIR.
Kinsley, the expert in handwriting,
might make his report upon the spaci-
mems in his possession, Captain Nc.
Clusky said that It might be in AS hours.
With relation to the possible exclamation
of the body of Barnet, the captain said
that that matter was in the hands OF the
a let ri nd