New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-07
WEEKS MAKES NO DEFENCE


ing very careful study of the evidence present.
ed in this case. and with full sense Of the "a
sponsibity resting upon the defence. we believe
that the prosecution has failed to establish the
charge made against this defendant and that no
conviction can be had should be had upon the
evidence presented Therefore we rest upon tha
case made by the prosecution"
Mr.. Weeks opened his address with the usual
complin entary references to the intelligence fair
ness and honesty of the jurors and then wen.
on to outline the crimes charged by the State
Piunging at length into his subject he enumer-
ated all the articles contained In the poison
package. OF all these things, which was the
easiest to connect with an individual 70 the e.
clusion Of all others? he asked. Many peopls
might have had similar envelopes. similar wrap-
ping paper; many people might have the blue
bottle. the bromo-seItzer. and even the cyanide
of mercury, but only one person could have the
silver bottle holder. II the prosecution had
proved that that holder was sold 70 the de-
PENDANT, Mr. Weeks assumed that the jury would
not be long In reaching it's determination: but
what was the evidence? Absolute positive I'M
disputed. he asserted. that the holder was sold
by Miss Miller to man who was not the de-
PENDANT. Nor was there the slightest proof that
any one connected with the defendant had
bought the holder The prosecution, Mr.. Weeks
said suggested that the defendant got somebody
to purchase the holder for him. but men who
were bent upon committing murder by stealth
did not take others into their confidence
Would man." Mr. Weeks asked. risk his
life by intrustng such secret to some one
else? And no honest man who had bought thar
silver bottle holder honestly for a friend would
remain in the background and keep quiet. No.
gentlemen. the man who bought that silver bot
tie holder. that himself the man who
sent these articles. No friend OF any one else
xr-ff,
No man who is committing a crime Of this char
acter would ever have placed his life in the
hands Of some else"
THE EXHIBITS REVIEWED.
Taking the exhibits in turn. Mr.. Weeks said
there was no proof that the defendant had in
his possession a box similar TO that used Ia
Tiffany's silver department. The District At
torney had insinuated that perhaps it had con-
tanned wedding present sent TO the defendant,
but if any such present had been sent from
Tiffany's either the defendant or his wife. was
il not reasonable TO suppose that the District
Attorney would have discovered that fact by
searching the firms books? Similarly, there
was not Particle Of proof to show that Moh-
had in his possession a small blue
bottle. nor had 1t been proved that the defend
ant had ever bought or used bromo-seltzer.
Nor there scrap of evidence adduced TO
show that Molineux had ever bought or manu-
featured cyanide OF mercury. or had had the
ingredients for making it in his possession
Coming then to the evidence Of the handwrft-
ing experts, Mr.. Weeks said the writing on the
poison package was the only thing about the
bring home to the defendant But was IL pos
sible to believe that twelve sensible men were
going to send man TO his death upon the evil
denee of trust Of handwriting experts in the
employ OF the District Attorney he asked The
prosecution. Mr. Weeks went on, had spent
$50, 900 in hiring these experts, bringing them
from all parts OF the country in palace cars and
feeding them at the WaldOrf-AstOria, in order
to drown the defendant in flood Of expert tes-
Lrranvr hat ha had V7OF ThA
himself TO hire experts.
MAILING OF THE PACKAGE.
Regarding the mailing of the package on the
Broadway side of the General Postofice on De-
cember % between 3 and 4 o'clock in the after
noon. Mr.. Weeks pointed the fact that while
there was nothing to show that erolineux was
in the city on that afternoon. Cornish had adj
mitted that he passed the Postofice on the
Broadway side between the hours mentioned
Cornish had stated that he received the pack
age at his club December II, but neither OF
the clerks in the office who would take the pack
age from the mail carrier had been produced.
had the postman been brought forward who
would have carried the package. Again. Cornish
had stated that he cut the address from the
wrapper w tn pair of scissors, but, displaying
the ragged edges of the exhibit to the jury, Mr..
Weeks asked if the least trace of any clean cut
to be found upon it.
Further. Cornish had related that he gave the
silver bottle holder to Mrs Rogers because she
remarked that 1t matched the sverware on her
dresser.
Now said Mr.. Weeks, 1.-The defendant knew
nothing about Mrs. ROgers's silverware. but the
man who bought the silver bottle holder said he
wanted to buy a silver bron0 seltzer bottle
holder for a lady's dresser. and by some strange
coincidence the bottle holder was taken home
by Cornish and did find its place on a lady's
dresser"
Koch, the letter box man, who swore that Moli-
neux inquired about hiring box at his place.
was fabricated through desire to get money.
Mr.. Weeks Will continue his argument AZ
1880 o'clock this morning.