The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-12

H
NEW YORK. Feb. l1.-Roland Burn
ham Mollneux was found guilty Of
murder In the frst degree at II o'clock
last night Unless q higher court re-
verses the decree he must 90 70 the
electric chair for the murder Of Mrs.
Katherine ]. Adams, who was killed
by poison sent to Harry s. Cornish.
Aollneux. although be had been pre-
pared IN q measure for the verdict by
his lawyer, Barlow s. Weeks, almost
tainted when his doom was pronounced.
He stood up straight as Of old to face
the jury, hut as the words, guilty Of
murder in the first degAe." were pro-
nounced he gasped and fell back into
his chair. The iron nerve which he
had displayed had given away at last.
The Verdict Unexpected.
The verdict, which comes as the clos
ing chapter in the greatest murder
drama OF recent years, was in q meas
ure unexpected. The general belief was
that the jury, Il II did not acqulL would
disagree,
Twice during the evening the jury
men had asked for instructions from
the recorder for certain exhibits In evi-
dence. But just before the clock struck
II the whisper ran through the court
room that q verdict had been reached,
and a moment later the jurymen filed
IN and took their seats. The recorder
and the prisoner entered by different
doors and took their seats. Molineux
was white with suspense and fear, but
still he strove to maintain his compos-
ure and sat erect.
The recorder speaking in low, meas
ured tones, enjolned the strictest sl-
lence. The hush was intense and palm
full. Then the clerk asked the usual
question Of the foreman and his fell
lows. It ran according to the usual
formula.
Announcement Of the Verdict
Mollneux had risen. He held his
shoulders back and stood erect. His
gaze was fixed upon the foreman.
Guilty Of murder in the first de-
gree" said Foreman Martin.
Moiineux's knees seemed to give way.
His face grew whittier than 1t had been,
which seemed scarcely possible. He
sank down In his chair. Many thought
he was falntlng, but he was not. In
this. his bltterest hour, he strove again
to pull himself. together, and succeeded
partially.
A mighty murmur ran through the
court room, then there was deep silence
for moment. The crowd took mighty
breath as one man, and exhaled 1t in
a great sigh, Molineux was guilty.
Someone opened the private door and
whispered the news to the crowd that
packed the corridors outside. and the
cry went up Guilty, From floor to
floor of the great. gloomy building the
cry resounded. In a moment 1t was
carried oli into the street, and in a
moment more telegraph and telephone
carried 1t from one end of the city to
the other and far across the country,
which had watched and puzzled over
this greatest OF modern murder myster-
les, now a mystery no longer.
Last Look Of Defiance.
AS Mollneux went out he looked de-
family at the. spectators. After he had
disappeared through the door Recorder
Con turned to the jurors and thanked
them for doing such faithful public SER
vice and for attending so carefully to
the details. The recorder said that he
had understood that they had made
a request to keep the Photographic
folio of the handwriting experts. This
he said was very reasonable sequel,
and he was glad to grant 1t.
Recorder Gof continued; There is
one thing 1 want to tell you. The law
does not forbid you to tell what took
place in the jury room, but in accord
ance with the dignity of the proceed
ings 1 would request that IL anyone
should ask you about what took place
in your deliberations you say nothing
about It When a juror has said the
word that makes up his verdict that is
sufficient"
Foreman Martin then said: Your
honor, If you please. we have agreed
among ourselves that we will say moth
ing about our deliberations to any
one