Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-28

New York. Feb. 2l.-Roland Burn
| ham Molineux. son of Gen. Leslie
Molineux of Brooklyn. was arrested,
tonight. charged with numbering Mrs.
| Katherine J. Adams in this city, Dec.
| 2S, 1898. He was locked up in the
| Tombs. The arrest followed the ver-
dict of the coroner's jury accusing him
| OF the crime.
| While the inquest was into the death
| of Mrs. Adams, it also went into the
circumstances of the death of Henry
1 c. Barnet of the Knickerbocker A. c.,
who was poisoned by powder re-
/ ceived through the mails, as was Mrs.
| Adams.
| The proceedings of the final day OF
the inquest were sensational in the
extreme. The case had dragged along
montonously. witnesses being examin-
ed for the sole purpose. as 1t seemed
Of contradicting Harry Cornish's testi-
mony in minor details or of elicting
suggestions as to a motive that might
| have led Cornish to commit the crime.
The newspapers from the beginning
had stuck to Molineux as the person
most to be suspected. but the prosecut-
ing officials apparently never harbored
such a thought. The examiner was
kind and gentle when Molineux was on
the stand; gruff and severe when deal
ing with Cornish.
| This afternoon, shop keeper who
rented private letter boxes. swore
| positively that Molineux wah his pat
! ron, using the name of ii. {. Barnet.
| 1t was proved long ago that bottles of
medicine had been sent to that letter
| box.
Then the handwriting experts were
calle~and one after another declared
| that the hand that wrote the address
| on the poison package and forged the
| names of Harry Cornish and H. C..
Barnet to the letters sent to drug
| firms ordering powder medicines was
| the hand of Roland b. Molineux.
District Attorney Gardiner then sum-
med up the case. directly accusing
Molineux. He defended his Office from
criticism, saying that u consistain
policy had been followed and that a
complete case had now been made out
against Molineux. He reviewed the
circumstantiaI evidence and declared
the motive and the commission Of the
crime had now been made plain.
The jury brought in a 1erdict charg-
ing Molineux with the murder and he
was at once arrested and committed to
the Tombs without bail.
Molineux is q member of the New
York A. c. and was. until his quarrel
with Harry Cornish prominent MEM
Der Of the Knickerbocker A. c., but he
resigned because of that quarrel.
Molineux's father is paint manufac-
turer and is reputed to be millionaire.
The prisoner has gone into good So
ciety. being of excellent address and
manners. and prospective heir to
great fortune. His counsel Is Barlow
S. Weeks of the New York A. c.. and a
personal enemy Of Harry Cornish.
Joseph Koch, who keeps letter box
establishment at 1920 Broadway, where
a box was rented in the name of 'Har-
ry Cornish" was the first witness. He
testified that he only once saw the
man who rented it.. He gave the name
of Fl. Cornish. Koch said he was near
sighted and did not think he could
identify the man who rented the box.
He had never called for mail and the
only time he had been to Koch's place
was to rent the box. Koch said three
pieces of mail had arrived for Harry
Cornish" A box of Kutnow powders. a
letter from a drug firm Of Cincinnati
and box of capsules.
Roland B. Molineux then entered the
court. Mr.. Osborne announced that he
had no further questions to ask Koch.
Mr.. Weeks said: Wont you ask him
(Koch) if he can identify any one
here?"
This brought ap angry protest from
Col. Gardiner NO" said the district
attorney. He won't ask anything.
and if anybody interrupts these pro-
ceedings he will be sarrested for con-
tempt of court"
Coroner Hart supported Mr.. Weeks
and asked Koch if he identif1ed ANY |
one as Cornish. Koch said he had not.
He was excused.
Felix Gallagher was then called.
Gallagher said he was clerk at the
New York Athletic Club. previously to
that he had been employed at the
Knickerbocker Athletic Club. Gala
CHER said he had known Molineux
about three years. He could not say
that they were great friends. Moli-
neux was instrumental in securing him
his position. For the last year they
had been good friends.
Now, Mr.. Gallagher asked Mr.. os-
borne, did you write the address on
the package Of poison that was receiv-
ed by Cornish?"