The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-02-06
MOL|N[UX'S DEFENCE.
Weeks Says the Prosecu'
ton Has Proven
Nothing.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 1900.-"We rest
upon the case by the prosecution"
This was the surprising announcement
made at the beginning of the days pro-
ceedings by the chief counsel fer the
defendant inS the case of Roland b.
Molineux, who is charged with having
caused the death of Mrs. Kate ]. Adams,
by poisoned bromo-seltzer, which he is
alleged to have sent through the mail to
Harry S. Cornish. The statement on the
part of Mr.. Weeks came as a thunder
bolt. The big court room, crowded TO It's
capacity was perfectly qulet as MI,
Weeks spoke and when he sat down, as
he finishe speaking a buzz of excitement
ran through the room.
For the second time since the beginning
of the trial Molineux, his wife and moth
err Mrs. Blanche Cheseborough Molineux
and Mrs E. L. Molineux, were in court to-
day when the proceedings began. They
were ushered into the room about ten
minutes before court opened and were
seated so that the prisoners wife Would
sit next him when he was brought IN
When the prisoner ,1a Was pTougntt pro t mo Io
embraced both his wife and mother at
fectionately.
When the court opened Mr.. Weeks rose
and said
your Honor, we make a motion to
strike out; that the jury be instructed to
disregard Exhibit I. $"
/ 1t is the diagram Didlk III WHICH, tnc
prosecution declares, the defendant gives
specifically his physical measurements.
The motion was denied.
| The Recorder stated in denying the mo-
ton that he would again instruct the
jury to disregard all that part of the
diagram blank that did not pertain to the
alleged description of the defendant and
that of handwriting.
Mr.. Weeks moved that the prosecution
be compelled to elect upon which one Of
the six counts in the Indictment It would
depend when going to the jury. This was
asked, Mr.. Weeks stated, because the
defence could not properly make its case
knowing which count would be elected by
the State.
Mr.. Osborne replied by saying that it
had long been customary not 10 compel
the State to elect its count until both
sides had been stated. The motion was
denied.
Mr.. Weeks, .'after a careful consideration
of the case, we believe that the prosecu-
tion has utterly failed to make case
| against this defendant, and that he has
not been proven guilty. and the jury
should not find him SO. Believing this, as
we do, we rest upon the case made by the
prosecution
| The defendant drew himself up, with
a shTug, in his chair and leaned over and
whispered to his wife. She smiled as the
conversation proceeded.
Mr.. Osborne then asked that the Re
corder instruct the jury to disregard all
that part of Expert Persifor Frazer's tes-
timony regarding. the microscope measure
ments of the handwriting of the defen-
dant. He asked this because of not hav-
ing been able to prove the absolute accu-
racy of the measurements which were
made He had been unable to do so. The
jury was SO instructed by the Court, who.
| in addition, instructed the jury to dis
regard that par:t of Rachel Greenes tes-
timony, the colored housemaid employed
by Mrs. Bell, at No. 217 West 18th street,
regarding the defendant having lived there
under the name of 'aCheseborough." "
The testimony that he had lived at that
number was permitted to stand.
Following these prelminaries the Re-
corder directed counsel to proceed, and
Mr.. Weeks began summing up.