Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-28


lthat wrote this letter signed Roland Moii-
! monk Is the hand that wrote the docu-
/ ments signed Harry Cornish and IL. g.
! Garnet"
| DR.. VIM. +. Hagan, a handwriting ex-
nor, also testified that he had examined
The three sets of documents in the case
and the letter signed Roland MoilheuA
and was convinced that the same manu-
wrote ali of them
Prof Daniel B. Ames Of EiizaDeth' ~
j., an expert in handwriting, gave testi-
| mony in line with that given by other ex-
perts.
Molineux listened to the arraignmenl OF
| the handwriting experts without Detrat
| ing any nervousness. Now and then ne
| smiled as he whispered something 70 ms
| counsel or his counsel said something 10
hun. His father Gen, MonmeuN, h o"s,ansa,
| during the better part of the hearing. his
| Inns worked convulsively and his manner
| generally showed that ne was nara De pes 81
| He bore up well, however. and declined
| TO leave the court when invited to do so
| by Mr. Weeks.
at ass o'clock, Col Gardiner announced
| that the evidence in the hands OF the peo-
ME had been given and he began 10 sum
| IN the case. He explained the reasons
| for me delay in bringing the case 70 an
| investigation, saying that IL was neces-
sary TO determine whether Mrs. Adams
| had In reality died Of poison. Prof. Wit
| thaus did discover poison IN the contents
| Of the bottle and as soon AZ ~ was pos
sihle for the district attorney once To
| 90 ahead with the innuest 1t dld so.
an consequence of the publicity which
| the case was given. continued Coz, Gar
diner certain persons became suspicious
and were put OH their guard. We realized
| that we must have evidence OF the hana-
writing of the person we suspected W.
suspected also that the person VINO coin-
4 ,l&< pftf,n had knnWlRdRe
istryy; ,. ,,.oed an the stand
Cornish was made 10 suspect that we
| thought he was the guilty party, ana me
evidence he gave was the evidence OF a
| man full of CONSERVATION. But we as
armed suspicion from the really gully
| the stand (Molneux) was the person that
| the public had settled upon
"When this witness was called ana my
| able assistant treated MN IN sucH on
apologetic manner. II was done TO disarm
| him Of suspicion. There was a general
feeling of anger against the district at
torney's Office on this account. But We
had duty TO perform. We were placed
in the position to make it appear that
Cornish was really the guilty person.
| Then the guilty person. seeing that he
TO give us all the handwriting we wanted
and we got ii. The evidence given by
these experts in handwriting seems TO me
to be conclusive.
case of wonderful Importance. That IL
the circumstantial evidence which was
brought out. There was the purchase OF
the bottle holder. Where was that bottle?
In Newark, on the 2lst day or December.
| Roland Il. Molineux was In Newark on
that day. Where was 1t mailed? On the
Broadway side of the post office. Moli-
neux was in that vicinity Al the time II
was mailed"
COL. Gardiner then told the circun-
stances under which Moiineux admitted
1,.a v,,nt hi milf
mans character tmeanng Mrs MonncuNt
has been betrayed IN TINS court room by
her own husband. For 1000 years down 10
the present one, murders of this kind. it
has been demonstrated. have been COM
mitted on account of Two reasons-jeai-
ousy or hatred. and in the large majority
of Instances either by a woman or a de-
generate"
Col. Gardiner then alluded to the char
acter of Mrs MolinenX and designated
her as woman.
Lady. if you please" shouted Roland
"In society now, it is considered at ali
times proper to use the oppression We
man in preference to lady replied the
district attorney.
Col. Gardiner called attention to the
yachting trip in which Mrs. Molineux
figured And there was another woman
there and her husband was not with he.
That fixes their character pretty clearly,
he said.
had been poisoned by powder sen.
through the mail and the one. who sent
it must have been intimate with him and
acquainted with the fact that Barne,
used kutnow powders. MolineuN, he said.
was that person.
Everything went off easily in tina
case" said the district attorney. and j.
appeared to be easy TO get rid of the
other enemy. the poisoner believed tina.
Cornish occasionally took dose OF
bromo- seltzer. and some of this was
W. a wit n 10 n
through the mail to Cornish.
Now in the killing of Barnet, where
was the motive? We have it by circum
stantial evidence. Barnet was attentive
to Blanche Cheseborough. He wined her
and dned her. invited her to his room.
and she accepted. The other man who
him and she finally consented to do 50,
| but she loved Barnet. She came to New
York and went to live from place 10
place. with no apparent means of sup
we come TO one the most remarkable
Kings connected with the case"
Col. Gardiner then read the letter writ
| ten TO Barnet while he was i'll, and said
rs that the language of one ordinary
| friend to anothcr?
Mr.. Molineux interrupted him by cry
ng out: "Yes. it is" The coroner silenced
| him and the district attorney resumed.
| He dwelt upon the fact that Mrs. Moli-
| neux had sent flowers and letter Il
| Barnet only 10 days before her marriag e
and discredited the statement of Moll.
! neux that he had paid for the flowers
1T is clear that Mrs. Molineux loved
| Barnet. but knew MolineuX had gocc
prospects and she wanted to be taker
| are of. Jealousy is the motive" said Col
Gardiner
| Col. Gardiner here took up Moineux :
hatred of Cornish and spoke of Moli-
| leux's visit to Chinatown and his init
macy with persons.
| Coming down TO tne hiring of the letter
| Boxes. Col. Gardiner said:
| in one instance the box was rented II
| he name of n. c. Barnet. You heard 3
| witness on this stand. today. swear tina
| lie saw MolineuX there ~ or 20 times ane
| Identified him as hiring the box in Bar
| let's name. Then there was another let
! err box hired in the name of Harry s
| cornish and letter was received there
| rom Frederick Stearns of Detroit in an
| swer to one written by II. S. Cornish
| making inquiries about Harpster. If tn.
| person who wrote that letter of inquiry
| ,ad known that Cornish was acquainted
| With Mr.. Stearns. he would probably MOI
| nave selected CorniSh's name. Now YOU
| have seen witnesses go upon this stand
| Us experts in handwriting and heard them
estfy that the man who wrote those let.
| ers signed Harry Cornish and H. C.
/! Barnet wrote the address on the package
| If poison. Is there any doubt in youl
| minds that Roland B. Molineux did it?''
| Col. Gardiner then said that the letters
| his mind had been written by degen-
crate.
AT SIS o'clock, Col. Gardiner. concluded
\