Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-22
NO MOTIVE
As Yet Shown for Murder
| Of Mrs. Adams.
Mrs. Rogers and Mrs Mo|ineux Both
on the Stand, Tuesday.


leeais he murdssss.
New York. Feb. 21.-Three impOrtan
witnesses. Mrs. Roland b. MOlineux
Mrs. Florence Rogers and DIR. Wendell
c. Phillips were examined. today. a
the cornorer's Investigation into th'
poisoning Of Mrs. Kate J. Adams ant
their testimony. though very interest
ing. threw no light upon the myster,
surrounding the case. Cornish wa.
present in the court room most OF tn,
day. He evinced much interest In tn,
testimony OF Mrs. Molineux but did mo-
appear at all III at ease.
Mrs. Molineux's appearance. thi.
afternoon. accompanied by her hus
band, his father and his mother. Great.
ed much excitement and the cOurl
room was quickly crowded to Its capa-
city. While Mrs. Molineux WAS giving
her testimony. Mr.. Molineux's mother
set beside her The witness though
very pale appeared self-possessed and
inclined 10 freely answer all questions
Early In the day Mrs. Florence Rog-
ers. daughter Of Mrs. Adams was
cross examined at length She bore
the ordeal well. though many search
ing questions were asked her.
When Mrs. Molineux was excused
from the stand. DIR. Wendell G. Phillips.
who. with DIR. Douglass. attended Bar
net. told the story Of his illness and
death. He insisted that when he was
first called TO Barnet.s bedside there
were no symptoms Of diphtheria. There
was he said evidence of poison i'm Bar
nets condition and what Barnet told
him he was certain that Barnet was
suspicious Of the Kutnow powder and
that ne suspected certain person Of
having sent him the powder. Witness
also testified that from what he had
observed in cornish's ease there APP
peared TO be- marked similarity be-
tween his and garnet's illness.
David Murdoch. the stationer and
private letter box keeper. was the first
witness called. today and briefly veri-
fled his evidence OF yesterday in which
he stated Cornish and Mrs. Rogers had
dealings with him In 1897.
Then Mrs. Rogers resumed her test
mony. She answered questions in a
self-possessed way. She said she had
lived in Hartford, CT. all her life until
four years ago. cornish's uncle had
married her fathers sister.
Mrs. Rogers said she had relatives
both in Hartford and Syracuse. N. Y.
Asked their names she said she did not
want to have them published and AS
sistant District Attorney Osborne said
she could communicate their names
privately.
Switching from relations and other
rather tedious questions. Mr.. Osborne
asked abruptly:
How long did Cornish live in your
house?''
Since March last" replied Mrs
Rogers.
How long since you had a letter
box?'
Not in year and a half"
She had letter box as Miss Adde-
son at Murdock's place. she said. She
never had any other letter box. She
was living with her husband at the
time and having trouble with him. Her
mother was always friendly with her
husband. Asked IL he was now in
Buffalo. Mrs. Rogers said Il can't tell
you. We don't communicate. He sends
me money for my support monthly"
Coroner Hart asked: Your mother
and your husband were very friendly"
Very friendly" said the woman em-
She added her mother was
much grieved on her account over the
quarrel with her husband. The line of
was evidently intended to
bring out whether or not Rogers could
have had any possible motive for an
upon the life Of his mOther-in-
law.
Mrs MOllineux, the wife of Roland
B Molineux, was called to the stand at
go O'Clock. Her husband sat at the
table and close beside her
were her father in law and mother-in-
law.
Previous to the calling of Mrs. Mol
ineux, Mrs. Rogers was recalled and
she stated that there was only one
glass used in giving Mrs. Adams the
bromO seltzer. She was legally sepa-
rated from her husband. one year ago
last October, at her own desire. She
felt she had just cause. 1t transpired
that Mrs. Rogers was not on speaking
terms with Mrs. Sanders, Cornish's sis
ter. in Hartford. This was because
Cornish lived at the Adams house.
Mr.. Osborne also tried to show that
Mr.. and Mrs. Hovey had also QUARREL
ed with Mrs. Sanders. on account of
Cornish living with the Adams Mrs.
Rogers said she was friendly with
Cornish's parents. She said that Cor
nish's father had been living at her
house since the death of her mother.
She had learned before DIR. Hitch
cock came to the house that Cornish
had taken part OF the poison which he
had given to her mother. Mr.. Cor
nish told me that he had taken some
of it. He said that he had taken a
teaspoonful." said Mrs. Rogers. He
told me when mother drank the poison
she had said 1t had tasted bitter and
that he had taken mp the same glass
and tasted it. a
: While your mother was lying dying
did you continue to say to DR.. Hitch
cock why don't you do something for
Mr.. Cornish?'"
- =.