New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-01
POLICE WORKING ON A CLEW.
PRIVATE MARK ON THE HOLDER SENT
TO MR.. CORNISH.


CAPTAIN McLUsKy INVESTIGATES THE SALE OF
CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM - MRS. ADAMS
BURIED IN Northumberland F.
ROGERS GOES TO ALBANY.
The developments yesterday In the Mrs.
Adams poisoning case were not OF such nature
as to indicate that the mystery surrounding IT
would be cleared up as soon as the police orig
inally expected. The entire force of the De-
tectve Bureau is working on what appears to
be a mystery deeper than 1t has had 10
handle before In many year.
Captain McClusky. who is In charge or the
Bureau. has worked steadily night and day
since the case was put into his hands and while
ne is satisfied that considerable progress mas
been made, he is not yet ready 10 make pubic
the result OF his investigations He said late
last night Il have no real news to give out.
What I know now about the matter might, II
made public defeat the ends Of Justice"
The principal incidents in the case yesterday
were the burial Of Mrs. Adams at Hartford, the
departure Of her son-in-law, MI Rogers, from
the city and the discovery by the detectives of
q private mark on the silver match-holder IN
which the fatal drug was sent to Harry S. Cor
nish at the Knckerbocker Athletic Club This
mark will give clew to the retail dealer who
sold the holder. Captain McClusky made an In
vestigation as 10 the sale Of cyanide of potas-
sun.
Edward r. Rogers the husband OF Florence
Rogers. Mrs. Adams's daughter, returned to
New-York from Hartford on Friday night. he
remained in the city until yesterday morning
and then went 10 Albany. He saw no person
connected with the Detective Bureau. and did
not call at the West Eighty sixth-st. apartment
house, where his wife lives. He had no state
iy1a1
to talk about the relations existing between him
self and his wife 1t Is probable that he will
return to New-York tomorrow Assistant Dis
trict-Attorney Mcintyre said last night; Il saw
Mr. Rogers after he came to the city. The
meeting was by appointment made before he
left Buffalo. You may say that Mr.. Rogers
came here at the service both Of this office and
the police. and that he will do all In his power
20 assist in the detection Of the crime. be-
lieve the reason why he went to Hartford on
Friday was TO arrange for the interment OF his
mother-in- law. as the family plot in the GENE
terry there is In his name. or at least in his
charge"
How about your original statements. Mr..
Mcintyre TO the effect that Mr.. and Mrs. Rog-
ers had never sought divorce, and the subse-
uuent assertion that both he and she had ap-
piled for divorce
IS true" said he but I am not at liberty to say
TO what extent efforts have been made by either
OF them to obtain a divorce. 1t is true that they
are separated and have been for some time"
A PRIVATE MARK ON THE HOLDER.
A clew to which Captain McClusky is devoting
considerable energy is the discovery Of private
mark Of a retail jeweller on the bottom Of the
silver match-holder. This. with the fact that he
ha MI list frOu I.ebkeucher
OF Newark of all the jewellers who purchased
the match-holders may give him direct clew
TO the sender Of the article TO Harry Cornish.
That II was mailed here in the city there is no
question r. the minds Of the detectives, but
whether 1t was purchased here or in some other
place is what they are anxious TO know. They
are working the theory that If 1t was not
purchased here at least the crime planned
here.
When asked TO allow reporters TO see the hold
err CAPTAIN McClusky said he had no objections
70 their looking at II in general way. but that
he would not allow them TO examine the bot
tom with a microscope When asked the drecti
question What distinguishing mark there
on the holder beyond the hall mark of the manu-
facturer?" Captain McClusky replied Il am
willing to answer any proper questions which
will not interfere with the ends Of justice but
as 10 the match holder ] must decline TO talk
Just now"
AS TO other features of the case. the Captain
said:
81 do not expect TO make arrest tonight
and all can say is that working hard
on the case. l have found that there sew
eral limitations of bromo setter made and that
the bottles in which they are put up would fit
the match holder. while a bottle OF bromo settler
as made by the Baltimore firm would not go in
the holder The bottle which contained the poi
son did fit the holder. but I must decline to
tell all our Investigations the matter"
From another source IT was learned that the
police have finally discovered that cyanide Of
potassium can be purchased in the granular
form. and. in fact. it is in this form that ii is
most commonly sold for medicinal The
commercial or fused cyanide which is used in
photography and other arts is by no means pure.
1t often contains only % per cent Of cyanide.
and this deteriorates with age While the COM
Inercial cyanide is powerful poison II taken in
large doses. IL not used in the present case.
That which was in the bottle was the chemically
pure cyanide Of potassium. which is In granu
lar form and does not look unlike Of the
efervescing salts
The chemically pure cyanide is frequently used
IN cough mixtures. and THE United States Dis
pensatory" Of 1894 which is the latest edition.
says that five grains have repeatedly taken
life" The usual dose is one-eghth grain in one
half drachm Of distilled water. with one-half
fluid drachm of syrup Of lemon. DR.. Joseph
Wythe another authority. also gives the same
statements as to cyanide and II is on these that
the police are now doing considerable figuring.
Dr. Witthaus and DR.. Ferguson OF the New
York Psychological. Pathological and Chemi-
cal Laboratory. at No 45 East Forty -second-st
received the jars containing the organs OF Mrs
Adams yesterday morning. and began their
chemical analysis Immediately. The bottle CON
tanning the alleged cyanide Of potassium was