The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-16
DIFFICULT TO PROBE
NEW YORK POISONING MYSTERY AS
DENSE AS 1T EVER WAS.
Fred L. HOvey and DIR. EdWtA Il.
Hitchcock Examined, but No Inn
pOrtant Testimony Elected.

NEW YORK, Feb. 15.-Fred L. Hovey and
Or. Edwin T. Hitchcock were the only wit
nesses examined in the Adams inquest to-
day. nr Hitchcock attended Mrs. Adams
after she had taken the poison. No de-
velopments of any note were brought to
light and the mystery is as dense as ever
The witnesses were repeatedly led up to
point where it was thought something OF
startling nature might be evolved, when the
attorneys would branch off on a different
line of questioning. Dr. Hitchcock was still
on the stand when court adjourned until to-
morrow. 1t is now believed that Mrs
Molineux will not be called to the witness
stand before Friday.
Frederick Hovey. who was in the Adams
apartments when Mrs. Adams died, was the
first witness to-day He was examined by
Assistant District Attorney Blumenthal
and told the incidents of Mrs. Adams's
death. Witness said there was no CONVEX
sation when he was called into the bath
room to aid Mrs. Rogers and Cornish in
caring for Mrs. Adams
do you mean to tell me-, said Mr.. Blu
menthal, that on seeing such condition
you did not have any words or ask how 1t
all happened%'
Witness hesitated an instant and then
said: L do remember that either Mr.. Cor
nlsh or Mrs. Rogers said that Mrs. Adams
had taken bromo-seltzer."
SeA%N bOANAC
mo-SeltZer?
Well, ! don't remember that anything
Mr.. Blumenthal tried to learn the exact
time at which the suspicion of poison first
took root N the minds of witness and Mrs
Rogers, but elected very little beyond what
the witness had already said. Mr.. Hovey
said he was not related to the Adams fam
ily or to Cornish; that he had known Mrs
Rogers about eighteen years. He could not
tell when or where he first met Cornish
They were both men about town and ath-
letes and were intimate friends.
After recess the witness said he had been
TO lunch with Cornish and Cornishs father
and on being asked If his talk with them
remember the label on the bottle" In re-
garu to the bottle containing the poison
Mr. Hovey said that when he testified at
the morning session he was under the i'm
preston that there was wrapper around
the bottle. He said: Il did remember see
ing a label marked bromo-seltzer on the
side wrapper" While at lunch Cornish re-
marked 10 him: You must have forgotten
now now that bottle looked The outside wrap
per was not on it at that time" AS wit
wrapper.
Mr.. Blumenthal seemed to consider this
change IN testimony of Importance, and
confused the witness by a series of ques-
tionS concerning the appearance of the bot
tie. lie said he had not conVe sed with
Cornish on any topic except the bottle and
It's covering. Hovey was then excused.
Ut. E. f.. Hitchcock who attended Mrs
ADAMS in her last moments, was called
The first intimation he received that his
services were needed in the Adams apart
meAt was on the morning of Dec Is He
was returning from call when the bell boy
told him he was wanted al once as person
had been poisoned. He was sure the boy
useQ the word poison. He found Cornish
waiting on the stOop of the Adams house.
Up stairs everything was in confusion Mrs
Adams lay on the lounge. The table was
on one side. One plate laid showed that
only one person had been eating there He
presumed it was Mrs Adams because she
en- deshabile.
He described in detail the efforts he made
70 reheVe Mrs. Adams, and also described
the bottle of supposed bromO-seItzer He
cork protruded. He removed the cork and
remarked that he saw no paraff1ne about it
or on the mouth OF the bottle. This is dia-
metrically opposed to the testimony of
HoVey, who stated emphatically that the
cork was covered with paratfine paper Con-
tlnulng, witness said: Il took the bottle
from my pocket and removed the cork |
TOOK my little finger, wet 1t with my mouth
and placed it in the bottle and a little of
the powder adhered to it, which / placed
on the end OF my tongue. l was standing
over the table. Instantly after / touched
the powder TO my tongue / sank back into
q chair partially paralyZed. The powder had
a metallic taste and was extremely nau-
seating. l started to get up but could not
90 so except by holding to the table. Mrs
Rogers was continually imploring me to do
something for her mother. She did not re-
alize that her mother was beyond human
assistance. was very sick myself and did
not know how soon l would follow her. /
sent for DR.. Potter and selected Cornish to
go because he was sick and / thought the
fresh air would do him good. This was at
$3.50 o'clock. Ten minutes later DR.. Potter
came and | asked everybody to leave the
room except him. I had the bottle, holder
and wrapper al that time in my possession
| realized that crime had been committed
/ said: "A diabolical crime has been COM
mttted.j This was said in the presence of
Cornish and Mrs. Rogers. Mrs Rogers
asked me if l thought the matter would get
into the newspapers. l told her that in all
probability it would She asked me if it
could not be kept quiet. told her that 1
thought it would be impossible"
The remainder of Witnesss testimony was
unimpOrtant. merely describing the detailed
movements of those persons in the fiat at
the time of the tragedy. At its conclusion
an adjournment was taken