The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-11
THE TRIAL OF MOLlNEUX.
"A Resume OF the Remarkable Case
just Concluded in New Work.

NEW 1Okh. feD. III ne tflh
OF Roland Burnham Molineux was
in many respects the most remarkabl,
in NeW York's criminal annals club
man and athlete. OF good birth and station
he was accused OF numbering woman
whom he did not know. In an attempt e
ieill another athlete and an avowed enemy
This athlete. Harry Cornish. attended tht
trial daily, glaring al the prisoner snc
helping The prosecution whenever possible
by testimony ard suggestions No o,hei
murder trial in New York county las
onualed i in time consumed in laying TIRE
case before the jury, and none has been
SO expensive.
The trial opened November Il. 1898 and
with The exception Of few days deay
during the Christmas holiday season, and
about two weeks of inaction later, because
OF a jurors Illness. II occupied the colii
FIVE DAYS in each week until its submission
10 the jury on February 10.
4 conservative estimate places the cost
OF prosecuting MolineuN in the neighbor-
hood OF 100000. greater part OF which
goes to handwriting experts. who admitted
that they charged s5u per diem for their
services, and the stenographic report Of
whose testimony. approximating 100000
words. cost the county al the rate of %
cents per folio. The prosecution called in
all about one hundred witnesses. As in
the Carlyle Harris case. the prisoner was
defended by his personal friend. but it took
only fifteen DAYS TO gel the Harris case be-
fore jury.
The longest murder trial on record prior
TO the MolineuS c.s-e was that Of Mrs.
MARY Alice Livingstone Fleming for pois-
oniNE her mother. YET her trial occupied
only forty-tbree days.
Mrs. Adams Death.
Mrs Katharine J. Adams died in her Fat
in West Sixty-six;h Street on December -,
1898, half an hour after drinking dose OF
bromo- seltzer Harry Cornish. Athletic Di-
rector of the ,KnicRerbocker Athletic Club
Sio boarded with her, administered the
medicine. which he had received through
the msilg three weeks before. When Mrs.
Adams complained OF the bitter taste OF
the drug. Cornish took swallow or two OF
It also. He became violently i'll and re-
mained under the doctors care for several
days.
on Investigation il developed that Cor
nish had received the bromo- seltzer in a
package containing also a silver bottle
holder. and, after exhibiting both at the
club. as what was regarded as an snony
NOUS Christmas present from joking
friend took them home. He saved the
outer covering. with the idea, he has testi'
fed, of possibly later learning the identity
of the strange handwriting on the package.
With this handwriting and the bottle
holder the police went 10 work on the
theory that the poison had been meant for
Cornish. They learned that Cornish had
mad enemies IN his own club, and directed
their energies thither first.
An artist on local paper. seeing the
handwriting ON the poison package wrapper
3ver the shoulder of the captain OF de-
1ectives. redrew IL from memory and his
paper printed it as a genuine fac-simile on
December 20. When John c. Adams. Sec
retary OF the club. saw this. he gathered
some specimens of Molineux's handwriting
from his own correspondence and presented
them to Cornish. who informed the police.
and from that time Molineux became the
chief suspect.
The Quarrel With Cornish.
MolineuX had resigned from the club
o year or so before, because Of quarrel
with Cornish, for which the club refused
70 discipline the latter. 1t has beea said
that Cornish had called Molineux 2 vile
4sme All kinds of rumors became rife
sbat the prosecution would show during
the trial that the discovery OF degeneraey
Inr ltdsL tt ana OtOtF MeIn-
t,ers caused MolineuE TO hate Cornish and
TO desire to kill him. IN justice 10 Moli-
neux and to the club. II should be said
that The prosecution failed to furnish such
evidence and that beyond commonplace
differences, no motive for the attempt on
Cornish's life has been actually proved
against the prisoner.
From the testimony of Cornish Moli-
neuX and others at the coroner's inquest
into Mrs. Adams death. February 10 1893
snd from the clews and opinions OF dc
sectives and handwriting experts the pros
ecution secured enough clrcumstantial evi-
dence against MolineuX to secure his ar
rest February 81. and his indictment in
March This Indictment was subsequently
qUashed by the court. but he was Te-
ihdicied in the following May. Efforts 10
qussh this indictment failed.
Suspicion had meanwhile been aroused
over the death of Henry C. Barnet. at
the kniclIerbocker Athletic Club. Barnet
had beer an intimate friend OF MolincuEs 5.
He died in November. 1898, after short
5llness His doctor ascribed his death 20
diph;heria. but an autopsy showed traces
of cyanide Of mercury la his body. An au-
1opsy Of Mrs Adams body and analysis
of the bromo settler which she and Cornish
drank showed the same rare poison. II
is said that only three cases OF poisoning
by u are O, record.
Harnct Mrs. MoIineux's Friend.
Barnet had been an intimate friend Of
Blanche Cheseborough, whom Molineux
married shortly after Barnet died. The
district attorneys Office WIS convinced that
Nolineux committed both crimes and be
cause proof OF prima facie motive, ihat
OF jealousy was stronger in the Barnet
case. Assistant District Attorney Osborne
sought first to hive Molineux indicted for
Barnct's death. The grand jury refused TO
fpd true bill for that crime.
MolineuN wa arraigned on the Adams
Indictment. before Recorder Cot in the
Court of General Sessions on November
IL. A jury was secured On November %,
utter twelve court days spent In empan
eling and n the examination OF 5O4
fGlesmen. OF these. 2le were excused be-
tsusc they were proyudiced against capital
punishment. IL for an aversion TO cir
qumstsntial evidence. and A for alleged
discredlt Of the testimony OF so-called eX-
terts The jury was completed on the first
anniversary Of NOiBeuXs wedding day.
The trial began on Nonday. December 4.
Interest In 81 had become national, ana
the court room was ismmed with ali kinds
and conditions of men and women. from
p galaxy OF legal. medical. and handwrit-
tnR experts. teNt-seek king clergymen. and
plot hunting novelists. to the mere NOR
bidly curious. Golinegxs father. a gen
rral in the civil war aud man OF social
distinction ia Brooklyn. who had vowed
that be would spend si00. .000. his entire
fortune. II necessary 20 save hts sons
life. sat beside the prisoner. as he has
every trial day since.
Defended by lii. Friend.
Barlow S. Weeks, former President Of the
New York Athletic Club personal friend
OF the MoiineaS family and enemy OF
rorntSh was the principal counsel for the