The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-02-28
M0ZINBUX FOUND GUILTY
.Jury's Verdict in The Famous Murder
Case in New York City,
DRAMATIC SCENE IN COURT ROOM


Murder in The Flrst Degree Aitef'
De,iberat,nr Nearly Eight Hours
Ca,end,or of the Case - A Long and
c,.t,v TrIal-EenderInc the Verdict.
Nrwyonx CRY jSpeciaD. Roland Durn-
ham Molineux was found guilty OF murderln
tb, arst degree in causing the death OF Mrs.
Katharine J. Adams by means OF poisoned
hromo seltz.r sent TO Harry S. Cornish.
The prisoner took the announcement conf
.nosodlv. His father and his two broth ers
wa-s In court, but his mother aud wife
went home Mt the close OF Recorder Gohs
charre. The Courts charge occupied over
four hours.
The jury was out for nearly eight hours.
TEev asked that they bs allowed to have
the writing and other exhibits OF the MOL
dnelIy case 20 be used in their deliberations.
Tho exhibits were given to the jury.
Before agreeing upon verdict ne Jury
AGAIN sent or other writings OF the case.
They asked that the three writings made
Inv MolIneux at the request Of the prosecu-
Hon be sent to the jury room. One OF
these writings is q copy OF the poison pack
ace address. Ten minutes after this copy
written by Molineux had been placed IN
the hands OF the jurors the doors were
opened and the jury announced to the
court officer that the verdict was ready.
No time was lost after tho jury came in
ut 1O.55. Recorder Gofy went at once upon
the bench, and Clerk Brophy asked the
iateful question:
.sGentlemen, have you agreed upon
verdict"
Foreman Martin arose and said: "We
have" :. -.
place. .,,.
defendant. Defendant, look upon the
fury" said the clerk.
Roland Mollncux glanced boldly at the
foreman. whose next word was to mean 50
much to him. ..,,,
CHOW saw YOU, gentlemen OF the jury?"
was the clerks next question. Looking
MoIineux souarely In tho eve and half de-
family, Matthias L. B. Martin, the FORE
! f I'VE find him guilty OF murder in the
first degree"
be felt an electric shock, threw back h1S
head. but remained standing. HIS face was
q little more flushed, his eyes little more
steely In their expression, his hands thrust
flrmer into his troaserss pockets, as he
glanced back at the jury.sH -.
= The clerk went ahead with the dread
work OF convlcting manslegally of. muir
der and omitting no necessary step.
"You say you find the defendant guilty
OF murder in the first degree" continued
the clerk.
eve do" said the foreman.
"And so say you all2" asked the clerk.
All nodded.
Mr.. Weeks asked that the jury be polled-
This was done. .
Tue Mollneux trial will so on record as
the longest yet tried In the history OF
criminal Jurisdiction in New York County,
1t lacked but o few days Of three full cal
endar months when the case nnaiiy went
to the jury.
The effort to get jury began on Novem-
Der l., 1899, and lasted through the re.
mainder OF that month. The taking OF
testimony began on December 4, 1899.
Ninety-two witnesses were examined, ELz
ipieces OF evidence figured rs exhibits, and
had the defense not determined against
the necessity OF making case as many
more witnesses might have figured 10
the records OF the case. N>
The Moineux trial is, in legal parlance,
the case OF the People vs. Roland Burnham
iMolineux. The prisoner was accused ol
numbering Mrs. Katharine J. Adams by
poison sent through the mails to Harry 8.
Cornish. M
Mrs. Adams death occurred at her fat.
81 West Eighty-sixth street, on the morn
ing OF December 2S, 1893. The arrest o.
Roland B. Molineux was made on February
az, 1899, after Coroner's inquest which
LASTED three weeks. This verdict found
him guilty OF causing the death OF Mrs.
Adams.
When the case vas presented to tho
Grand Jury OF Murch, 1898, On Indictment
was found It was overturned by the de-
cislon OF Justice Pardon @. Williams. The
case was presented again to the May
Grand Jury, which refused to find an In
dictment.% Again the District Attorney
presentedsthe case to the Grand jury oil
the following month and TRIAL count was
returned. ..
.; The story Of the trial followed in almost
an exactsfashion TINT Of the Coroner's In
questsS$Th TWO witnesses OF Importance
presented by the prosecution whose testi-
mony was novel and sensational were
Mamie Melando and Rudolph Heiles.
The former told OF her finding the FAM
ious blue paper with interiaced crescents In
"a drawer Of O sideboard In Roland Moll-
neu1's room In Newark, and Helles testified
ltendant's suggestion letter to Frederick
G. Stearns & Co., asking about the charac-
ter OF Alvin A. Harpster. -,
But the suddenly announced determine
tlon OF the defence not to call any witness
ses to the stand and to rest on the prose-
toution's case on the ground that they had
failed to make case, did surprise every
body. It took the prosecutors breath
away and forced him to the issue. The re-
suit was that bis speech showed lack oi
careful preparation. k III
The charge Of the Recorder was a. long
, one, and made In the most careful and
judicial way. He reviewed the Jcase nnd
presented it to the jury In its frst exbibi.
tion as perfect whole.
The money spent on the case since its IN.
,ceetion by the people Is enormous. Costly
experts, detective work Involving great
,outlays and other expenses aggregatinc. II
Ia roughly estimated, Sl00, 900. hnve been
incurred for the result as stated.