New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-03
GARDINER TO HART.

GARDINER TO HART.
The following is the letter sent by the ''s-
trict-Attorney to Coroner Hart
Sir: have the honor to transmit herewith ., q
copy Of report made by DR. H. poueiassS ~ roI
East Twenty sixth-st.e relative TO the hneSS r.
sulting in the decease on November 10 last OF Henry
Crossman Barnet -, 800 = doath
certificate 10 the effect that death caused by
heart failure following diph hera he SUI er IS,S
that although there were symptoms OF hel0u' a.
poisoning the cause OF death was as stale "a M,
though he has stated in this repor, 'na1 nv ue in
believe that any mcrcural poison cohulpuIci ~
the least 10 the cause Of his death am sausi 10
after further inquiry ana SHff fbaf the physician
was mistaken TO the cause OF death ana 'nd' "
was noeea eu sho1t to investigate the decease Of
Mrs Kate J. Adams. II seems TO me tnat lhese W.
OF cTminai Justice would be subserved by inyesti
eating most carefully into the cause OF Gea(n o,d
he carried on contemporaneously As preliminary
thereto IL WI ~ Iarnet IF however, IL was en-
halmed with any fluid containing mercury eXhuma-
on would be futile for the RgIPSSe in the interests
of criminal justice make due application un t9op
% his body. ana cause chemical analysis TO be
made for the purpose OF ascertaihihE Vne ''"' -
death
Coroner Hal at once communicated with H.
II Jackson an undertaken. of No. - West EieV
,r,h.st who had charge of Barnets body and
learned that no mercury had been used in the
embalming Coroner Hart will so report to the
District-Attorney. and it will remain with him
whether the body will be eXhumed or not
One obstacle in the way is the fact known
70 tho police and District Attorneys office. that
Mr. Barnet according to his physicians had
taken medicine containing mercury, when Wouiu
in many ways confuse any analysis to show that
he was poisoned by mercury sent to him by an
outsider for the purpose Of killing him.
PECULIAR FEATURES OF THE CASE
The whole poisoning case, which at the first
seemed to be only Of murder by peculiar
methods is now developing into most eXtraor-
binary proportions. All sorts of rumors ana ac-
cusations have been current in the progress OF
the case. and these have resulted in no little
c-iticis,, on those who are supposed TO be en-
gagged in ferreting it out. II has frequently
been alleged that influence has been used TO pre-
vent solution Of the mystery in order 10 pro-
tect from scandal several men high in political
circles. Many people say that the police have
gone out Of their way to place the crime on one
man. and have dsregarded the strong circum-
stantial evidence already described in The Trib-
une In regard to the man whose handwriting
resembles most closely that the package
which Mr.. Cornish received. There is also an
other person connected with the case VINO closely
resembles the man who rented the letter-boX
in Broadway in the name OF II. Cornish rms
resemblance is so strong that MI. kOch, OF the
hi
rs the man who rented the DoX. Inc real IdctS
concerning this identification have been Kept
quiet by both the police and the Dstrict-Attor-
ney's office
Another thing that has caused criticism was
the rather unusual activity Of Assistant Dis
Irict Attorney John = Mcintyre who went to
The fat where Mrs. Adams died before the police
knew OF the murder. He was called 10 lhe
house by Mr. Cornish and was with him for
some time The police of the West One-hun-
dredth-st station We're later informed by news
paper reporters and il was over forty eight
hours before detectives weEe started out 10
solve the mystery. Meanwhile. II was an
nounced from the District-Attorney's office that
MIR Mcintyre. assisted by Mr. Blunenthal.
would have charge of the case. ana Tor some
time they did look after it. and it was not until
Yesterday that ahe District Attorney made
known that a change had been decided on ana
that Mr.. Osborne had been substituted LOT Nj.
MCINTYRE All these facts have led many peo-
ple to believe that there will be no arrest, or
that If there should be one the trial VIII he the
most sensational ever tried before jury In
New York County. 10.
THE INQUEST OPENS TO-DAY.
The Coroner's inquest. which opens to-day. will
probably not bring out anything sensational. as
all the witnesses who will be summoned VIII
be Mr. Cornish Mrs. Rogers. Mr.. Hovey and the
handwriting experts Coroner Hart said that he
vvould not summon Mr.. Mcintyre nor would
he call any of those whose names have been
mentioned as suspects. as long as they were not
present when Mrs. Adams died. He has given
Hank subpopnas 10 both the District Attorneys
office and the Detective Bureau and they may
summon some witnesses but they realize that
none Of these could be compelled to answer
questions which in any way would incrlminate
them.
While the inquest will officially begin to-day
in the selection of the jurors, the actual taking
of testimony will not be begun until next lhurs-
dav and even then there may be another delay
owing 10 the exhumng Of Barnets body and the
ANALYSIS Of the stomach which may take soy
eral weeks.
. Colonel Gardiner when seen late last evening,
said that no arrest would be made until after
the Coroner's inquest. and he refused 10 discuss
the case further saying that he had ALREADY
made public his opinion Captain McClusky, OF
the Detective Bureau. left his office late in the
afternoon and did not return last night He
said that he knew nothing Of the new evidence
discovered by Colonel Gardiner and did not eX-
pect an immediate arrest He believed that in
due time Colonel Gardiner would let him know
of the latest developments OF the case.