The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-20
HOUNDED TO DEATH
BY YELLOW JOURNALS
Molineux's Dramatic Statement Made In
Court Before Death Sentence
Was Passed.

NEW YORK, Feb. 17.-Roland B.
Molineux was sentenced to die in Sing
Sing prison during the week of March
20, for the murder of Mrs. Katherine j.
Adams. He made statement assert
ing that he had not been fairly convicted
and that "yellow journalism" he'd put
q price upon his head.
After denouncing the newspapers and
making quite an extended argument in
his own behalf, the defendant paused,
either to regain his composure or to con-
troll his temper, and went on speaking
with remarkable clearness and angry We
hemence.
II denounce and despise," he said,
"the act of the district attorney in at
tempting to villify the reputation of the
pure and lovely woman who bears my
name. 1t was the act Of blackguard
and villainous lie.
"Now, your honor Ito the recorder) +,
1 am prepared for sentence. I am not
afraid"
Recorder Golf, in pronouncing SEN
tence, reminded the defendant that his
counsel had already presented all the
facts to the jury and that the court had
but one duty to perform.
was dShtu uDOuU
the fund it had been proposed to raise
for him to defray the expenses he had
been under by the trial, and he said
when inquiry was made regarding his
acceptance: absolutely and under no
circumstances would 1 accept such a
thing"
After obtaining permission of Re-
corder Golf to speak, Molineux's state
ment was as follows:
"I thank your honor. OF the crime for which
stand convicted, and for still another crime
with which / am charged, am absolutely and
entirely innocent. All Of the evidence"
The court-You are not charged with any
other crime,
The defendant-I suppose might refer to it
since the district attorney did in his opening
and closing argument.
The court-Your counsel has attended to al
Of that matter.
The defendant-Very well, your honor. AL
of the evidence produced here does not point
in the direction of guilt on my part. / refer
especially to the evidence of Miss Miller in re
gard to the purchase of the silver bottle
holder; she did not sell it to me. Also to the
evidence of Mr.. Koch, respecting the letter
box hired by somebody in the name o.
Harry Cornish-it was not hired by me. AlsC
to the evidence given by Mr.. Kutnow respect
ing sample boxes sent around the country by
his irm-none Of which came to me.
NOR dld possess at any tlme any or the In
struments which appear to have been used il
this crime, and never for one moment had
murderous motive AS for the theories whicl
the prosecution offers, / do not think SHOULD
be convicted upon their suppostions or tb
guesses they may wish to indulge in. canno
conceive, your honor, how any honest man cal
believe the testimony of Nicholas Heclkmann
who convicted me upon an Identification whcl
was for sale. Yellow journalism put pric
upon my head
"It was an invitation to every blackmailer
every perjurer, every rogue, every man with
out principle but with price, and to that in
vitation Mr. Hickman responded. The hand
writing experts who have testified against me
your honor, may give their opinion, they ma.
give their reasons. what they believe wha
they think, but know that these hands neve
put pen to paper to address that poison pack
age, or to write the disputed letters.
"Your honor will not permit r1 to make mer
tion Of the great injustice which is matter o
history but experts in handwriting have mad
mistakes before, and they have repeated
here.
"Your honor, all this is nothing to what is il
my heart at this moment. Above and beyont
everything else / denounce and despise tn
action Of the district attorney in attemptin
to villify and attack the character of the pur
and lovely woman who bears my name.
was the act of blaclSguard. 1t was damnabl
lie. Now, your honor, am prepared to hea
you sentence me. 1 am not afraid, because
am not guilty.
His attorney made motion for ney
trial