The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-08

| OBS employed Dy the Id"y Yes OiI DC1Ai
sides OF the case in general, and Of the
fatal propensity % Mr.. Weeks to talk
too much, in particular.
In some respects one Of the greatest
criminal trials in the history of the
| country is now in progress in New York.
| Readers Of the Eagle who are more or
| less familiar with the. case will be in
| terested in the opening address to the
jury, of the Assistant District Attorney
| Osborne which, taken from the New
| York papers, is as follows:
| The gist Of the long Indictment, he
first pointed out, was that the defend
ant killed Mrs. Adams while trying TO
kill Cornish. He urged upon the jury
| that such law as he should offer them
was not law unless approved by the
| Court, and his facts not facts unless
| borne out by the testimony of the wit
! nesses as these should be called to the
stand. The prisoner must, above all,
| be given the presumption Of innocence
until the evidence should have estab-
lshed his guilt beyond a reasonable
| dobt. "In the history of mankind" he
| said, there is no jurisprudence so gen.
/ tie, so kindly, so tender, so charitable
as our jurisprudence; none so deliberate.
This crime" said he, was perpetrat-
ed in December, 1885, about a year ago,
and every intervening stage Of the pro-
| ceedings has been marked by the same
care and deliberation. Great time and eau
| ton were given to the selection of the
jury and we feel that the result has JUS
tilted the expenditure" With a cOmpli-
ment to the aucmen and energy of the
opposing counsel, doubtless hoping that
| it might prove a reactionary tribute to
the prosecution, ne set out upon a con-
| else recital of the crime.
Mrs. Adams he said, had reached the
period of altruism and self-abnegation
which only a woman can reach. She had
| left behind her the burning passions and
appetites Of youth. She had ear for no
voice save the voice Of duty. She had
not an enemy in the world. She had no
money There was no motive for any
| one to kill Mrs. Adams.
Describing the receipt of the box by
Cornish. Mr.. Osborne dwelt with sinister
emphasis upon the fact that it contained
besides the bottle and the silver bottle
holder, a Tiffany envelope. When he I'M
dertook TO recount the conversation at
! the Adams fiat, in which the woman
urged Cornish to bring his christmas
| present" home, Mr.. Weeks for the second
! time asked the Court to instruct the Dis
! trict Attorney that he must not cite the
! jury heresay conversation at which the
! defendant was not present. Osborne went
! on The picture I shall present to you,"
! he said. will Itself show the pigments
with which it was painted. These silent
! winesses-pointing to the exhibits piled
upon the table-will tell the story. In
! hearing this evidence it must be remem-
! bered that Cornish, who had tasted the
poison. and whose life had been almost
/ despaired of, was an athlete and a man
! of great physical strength.
Cornish administered the ratal dose in
! broad daylight. and in the presence of
witnesses, and. moreover, swallowed some
Of the poison himself Captain McClus-
! ky and his detective have investigated
! Cornish as never man was investigated.
| 1t was the first step requisite in the
! case, and they had satisfied themselves,
! EtAtlt fltOEtQAAlS AhA tlAtAy tAAe1N w AA4o-k
| was innocent
Now let US study cyanide of mercury.
! 1t was first made known by a Swedish
chemist named Scheele, who discovered
it while making a dry color known as
! Prussian blue. A man engaged in the
manufacture OF colors. or a chemist,
could have ii. Mr.. Weeks or l could not
go into Il drug store and obtain it. The
great firm OF Powers & Weightman only
sold thirty ounces Of it in ounce bottles
/ in . year.
Next let US consider the peculisrities
! of the handwriting on the wrapper o. the
| poison package. The man who wrote ii
tried to have all the characteristics Of
his own hand. The question is. did he
have some characteristic he knew not o.?
And did he leave these behind him Did
he drop a stitch now and then? The pros
ecuuon in a secret case is compelled Ia