The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-17
ADAMS CASE INQUEST
FURTHER FRUITLEss EFFORTS TO
PROBE THE POISONING MYSTERY.
Testimony of Mr.. and Mrs. HOvey, Drs.
Weston and Potter, and Assistant
District Attorney Mcintyre.

the poisoning of Mrs. Adams, but no sensa-
tional testimony was elected.
Mrs. Bertha May Hovey, wife of the wit
ness examined yesterday, was first placed
on the stand to-day The questions of the
assistant district attorney brought out the
facts that Cornish had separated from his
wife and that Mrs. Rogers was living apart
from her husband. When Mrs. Hovey
reached the Adams flats she was admitted
by policeman. She met Assistant District
Attorney Mcintyre there. Mrs. Rogers
seemed heartbroken. She told witness that
Mrs. Adams had taken bromo-seltZer, but
never mentioned poison, nor did she say that
her mother was the victim of a diabolical
plot The fact that Cornish had given the
bromo-seltzer to her mother was not spoken
of by Mrs. Rogers.
when was the first time you discovered
that Mrs. Adams had been poisoned?' was
asked.
Il don't know. I didn't discover it; read
it In the newspapers" was the reply.
Mrs. Hovey said she remained in the
Adams house until Saturday, Dec. 81, the
day Of the funeral when she went with
Mrs. Rogers to Hartford, where the body
was buried (Mrs. Adams died on Wednes-
day, Dec. 28) Witness said she had talked
with Cornish about Mrs. Adams's death, but
she could not remember that Cornish said to
her: What fool am that L should have
received that bottle and given some of the
contents to Mrs. Adams"
COroner's Physician Weston next took the
stand. DR.. Weston testified that he per-
He at first formed the impression that Mrs
Adams came to her death through taking
cyanide of potassium from the odor of the
bottle and from his diagnosis at the autopsy.
Subsequently chemical analysis showed
that death was due to cyanide Of mercury.
The bottle was wrapped in piece Of brown
paper such as lawyers use for their notes.
The bottle was three-quarters full when he
saw it. The policeman gave it to him and
said he had got it from DR.. Hitchcock Wit
ness talked with HOvey on arriving at the
flat and HoVey told him about the case. He
SmelIed the contents of the bottle and told
HOVey he thought it contained cyanide of
potassium. No one else was present at the
time but q little later he saw Mrs. Rogers
and asked about Mrs. Adamss age, etc, so
as to fill out his report, He told Mrs. Rog,,
ers that her mother had died of poison and
that he would make an autopsy on the fol-
lowing day.
have smelled the substance in the bottle
without putting it to the nose. He answered
that he thought the odor could have been
detected, although 1t would not have been
SO marked. The cork in the bottle pro-
truded about three-eighthS of an inch. Wit
ness asked where the box was in which the
bottle came through the mail and was told
1t had been thrown away at the Knicker-
booker clubhouse. Cornish was not at the
flat when witness was there Witness did
taken, although Hovey told him it was
somewhere about the fiat. He could not re-
call having said anything about who might
have sent the bottle. He was under the i'm
preston that something was said about the
probability of q mistake having been made
IN the preparation Of the bromo,,, settler.
Frederick Hovey was recalled to the
stand when DR.. Weston finished, and Mr.
Osborne asked him: How soon after your
conversation with DR.. Weston did you see
Cornish?"
Next morning"
DIR. Weston told you the woman had been
II have just heard him say So"
you told us yesterday that it was three
days later when you first heard OF poison"
"Dr. Weston said he told you, and DR..
Hitchcock says the same"
Il cont recall it,
You, say all these circumstances formed
Yes"
viii you kindly tell the jury why, after
you had seen one person fall down and die
and another claim (and Mr.. Osborne put a
strong emphasis on the world to be i'll, it
did not form a great impression?'
Hovey replied; I'VE all supposed it was
an accident"
You said yesterday that you examined
with the greatest possible care the pack
age that contained the poison bottle, the
wrapper, seal and wax, and expressed an
would take an expert to discover that it
was not the original package. Then you
SWOre there was no wrapper"
Il was mistaken"
us it not true that there were two bot
ties. with a wrapper, one Without"
j, Not that ], remember. I did not see
them anyhow"
Did not Cornish show you a bottle with
mo. was perfectly willing to make
my statements here and have corrected the
Incorrect statement made"
That concluded the examination of Mr..
Hovey, and Mr.. Osborne called e. Stiles
DnNf Wrr,n l1O1 49, 49,. v@ar-l.
sist DR.. Hitchcock at what proved to be
Mrs. Adamss deathbed DR. Potter said
that when he arrived at the Adams fiat
Mrs. Adams was dead. There were pres
cnt DR.. Hitchcock, Mr.. Cornish, Mr.. Hovey
and Mrs Rogers The last named told him
that upon her advice Mr.. Cornish had given
her mother a. dose of bromo-seltzer. Mrs.
Rogers was crying and hysterical Mrs.
Rogers expressed desire to have the mat
ter kept from the papers. She suggested
to DR.. Hitchcock and witness to delay the
notification of the coroner until she had
opportunity to see Assistant District AttOr-
ley Mcintyre, as he already had charge of
was a remark made by Mrs. Rogers to
Cornish to the effect: you know the
reason why" 1t was said in an undertone
and not intended for witness to hear. Cor
nish told witness how Mrs. Adams had
taken the bromo-seltzer, and how she had
been taken sick a couple of minutes later.
Cornish further stated that when he
mixed it 1t did not efferVesce as 1t usually
does, and after Mrs. Adams had taken her
see if it really tasted bitter, as Mrs. Ad-
ans had said it did. The dose, Cornish
said, made him very sick. Witness said
there were two glasses standing on the
table.
Was there something. in each glass;"
Eyes, I am very positive about this fact.
am sure there was q solution in each
glass
Witness said that the bottle was sup
posed to hold only two regular doses of
teaspoonful each dose. About one-eighth
of the contents had been taken out when
he saw it. Witness heard DIR. Hitchcock
say that diabOlical crime had been COM
mitted. He thought Cornish and Hovey
said that he had asked Cornish who could
have sent him the bottle, and Cornish said
he knew of no one. Cornish said that he
had been watching addresses to see who
in this way on the package. received by
Cornish He had not found the word
spelled with ~ up TO that time. Witness
told Cornish that he thought Mrs. Adams's
death was caused by cyanide of potassium.
Witness did not see any sign OF sickness
on the part OF Cornish; he was not called
on to treat him. Cornish had not vomted
in his presence, and his impression is that
he was not sick. DR.. Hitchcock had COM
planned of having been made sick by tast-
know what became of the two glasses. 1t
occurred to him after he left the house that
they should have taken the glasses away,
but then it was too late.
Assistant District Attorney Mcintyre was
next called to the stand His testimony was
not important. He told of Harry Cornish's
visit to him on the day Mrs. Adams died.
After he had heard Cornish's statement he
told him ii was necessary to inform the DIS
trict attorney OF a death under such sus-
piciCus circumstances; that It looked like
Precinct Detective William f. Maher who