The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-03
Weeks ACCUSES CORNISH
The Defendants Counsel Suggests
the Athlete SEM the Poison.
\ sharp Scoring Admin. stored In the
Cross-fixamination- - The Prosccu-
tion Disappointed mt the Course
Pursued by the Dcfcncc-Fiye Wit
ncsses Were Examined Yesterday.

NEW YORK, Jan. 2.-More progress was
made today in the trial of Roland b. Moli-
neux for the murder of Mrs. Katherine
Adams by poison than on any previots
three days OF the trial. Five witnesses
were examined, all of whom were more or
less connected with the crime itself. or with
the affairs of the Knickerhocker Athletic
Club, out of which. 1t is alleged. grew the
motive for the sending of bottle OF
poisoned bromo- seller to Harry S. Cornish,
who administered the fatal dose TO Mrs.
Adams.
When court adjourned Friday the cross-
examination of Harry S. Cornish tad not
been completed, and Cornish resumed the
stand this morning. His cross-eXaGiration
was finished without anything being asked
concerning his relations. either business or
social, with young Mol!neux. On his direct
examination. Mr.. Osborne had confined
himself strictly TO the events connected
with the receipt OF the poison package at
the Knickerbocller Athletic Club, the ad-
ministrstion of the dose OF poison TO Mrs.
Adams by Cornish, and the subsequent
events up to the time Cornish himself re-
covered from the effects of the sma
amount of the poison he had taken.
Mr.. Osborne, it is said. thought that Mr..
Weeks, counsel for Molineux, would on
cross examination bring out something
about the relations between the two men,
and would thus open the door for the prose-
cutor to get in all that he wanted to IN
that line. II he did so think, MI. Weeks
OWNED his thoughts for he carefu.ly
avoided asking Cornish anything about ms
relations with Molineux. This omission
was rather important. 1t was Cornish's
life which the prosecution alleges was 10
have been taken by the alleged murderer
and it is necessary TO show motive lot
attempting Cornish's life. But Cornish has
left the stand without being asked any
questions remotely connected with mat
matter, and he cannot now be recalled II
the recorder sticks to his ruling OF TO-DAY
Testimony Was Conflicting.
on the whole Cornish was very good
witness for himself, though his story did
not agree with those he previously gave TO
the newspapers, nor with his testimony at
the coroner's inquest.
Mr.. Weeks asked Cornish il he had not
left his first employer because OF 'iinan-
cial irregularities" If he had not gone
under an assumed name; If he had not rep
resented himself as the husband of wo-
man not his wife: If he had not testified
under oath to what was untrle; II he had
not broken up another mans home; II his
wife was not compelled TO get divorce
from him and many other more Or less
pleasing questions, interjecting d side re-
mark on one occasion that virtually ac-
cused Cornish of sending poison to him
self that he might give II TO Mrs. Adams.
Weeks was asking about Cornish's first
statement to the police. He asked:
Your first statement to the police was
taken down by a stenographer. was 1t
not?''
Yes" replied Cornish. And he made
several mistakes
"oh, most accused persons think the
police stenographers make mistakes" said
Mr. Weeks
Cornish shut his lips tight. MoliE.ux
laughed Osborne, the assistant district at
torney, jumped to his feet and crieu:
as Cornish accused? 1 am glad TO know
it. / thought it was Adams. and While
ago l thought it was your friend from New
Jersey" meaning Rudolph heiles.
p Mr. Weeks went into Cornish's life ut
why Cornish lived in West Eighty-fouTth
Street when his business was in East
FoTty-iifth Street, and he finally asked IL
Cornish had not gone there because Mrs.
Florence Rogers lived in the next block.
He got Cornish TO say that he had fire.
quently called at the Rogers fiat. and laid
stress upon the coincidence that on each
of these occasions Mr.. Rogers had been
unavoidGbly absent.
In auzuvpr IN Weeks Cornish said that
he lived in Chicago in 1898 with his wife
When he came away his wife stayed there
and she got divorce in 1897. He admitted
that he had known a Mrs. Small in Chi
csgo. but denied that he was known IS
Mr.. Small. Cornish added that Mrs Suall
had died in 1894. Weeks asked about Mrs
Smalrs" burial.
Yes I paid the undertakers bill, with
the assistance Of her brother" sail Cor
nish. land l bought lot and saw that
she was properly buried"
King on the stand.
Cornish was succeeded on the stand by
Harry 4. King, the man who did not take
a dose OF poison because there was no
water in the cooler at the Athletic Club
the day that Cornish got the bottle. This
was the substance of his testimony. lie
was followed by Patrick ]. Finneran, Cor
nish's assistant at the Itnickerbocker ath-
letic Club, who was present when Cornish
opened the package originally. Finneran
described how Mr.. King had missed taking
a dose, and Identified the address on the
poison wrapper, the bottle, and the holder.
Dr. Weston performed the autopsy on
the body of II. c. Barnet when it was ex-
humed in February. just before Moiineuxs
arrest, and he began to tell about this.
lie was stopped, but the moment his redirect
examination was begun, Mr.. Osborne
started in with him to find out all about
it. Mol.neuxs counsel protested vigor-
ously. There was a wrangle, and Osborne
made speech in which he said everything
he wanted to about the Barnet case. Dr.
Weston was still on the stand when court
adjourned.