New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-13
POISON, SAYS WITTHAUs.
FIRST EVIDENCE OF THE CAUSE OF
MRS ADAMS's DEATH.
MR.. wEEKs's DISCRIMINATION INTEND
ED TO SHOW THAT THE WOMAN WAS
NOT NECESSARILY KILLED BY
CYANIDE OF MERCURY.

CYANIDE OF MERCURY
Professor Rudolph A. witthaus the chemical
expert retained by the prosecution IN the trial
Of Roland B. Molineux. continued on the stand
yesterday for the greater part OF the day. On
the previous day he testified that his analysis
Of the internal organs OF Barnet produced
hydrocyanic acid and Prusslan blue betOkening
the presence Of cyanide OF mercury. and swore
also that the headache powders taken from
Barnets and the contents of the bromO
seltzer bottle mailed to Harry Cornish contained
cyanide Of mercury in large quantities. Yester-
day, after the identity Of the glass from which
Mrs. Adams drank had been fully established. he
stated that the sediment in the glass also con-
tanned mercurial cyanide. He proceeded then to
describe the results Of his chemical examina-
tons OF portions of Mrs. Adamss body He
testified that he had discovered enough Of the
mercurial poison in the woman's organs to
satisfy himself that enough had been taken to
kill more than one person Thus for the first
time the prosecution laid before the jury svi-
dence tending to prove directly that Mrs. Adams
died from poison.
The cross-examination OF the witness was
mainly devoted to showing that the symptoms
exhibited both in the cases of Mrs Adams and
Barnet did not agree with the symptoms de-
scribed in the standard authorities of hydro
eyanic poisoning. Mr.. Weeks sought to press
this point home by reading extracts from Pro
fessor Witthaus's book on poisons and his
evidence In the Fleming trial. when he appeared
for the defence The witness however. con-
tended that the symptoms in all cases were not
necessarily alike. and asserted that because
there was no bleeding from the nose. OdOr
OF hydrocyanic acid after death and other signs
of mercurial poisoning to which Mr. Weeks
drew attention, 1t could not be implied from the
| absence of those signs that Mrs. Adams did not
die Of mercurial cyanide poisoning. BY referring
| to the testimony given at the CoroneTs in
| quest counsel began an effort to involve the
witness in contradictions in his evidence on that
OCCASION and his evidence of yesterday. but the
| Recorder opposed this line Of examination.
marking that the jury would render its verdict
upon the evidence adduced before it.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE GLASS.
1t viii be recalled that on Thursday afternoon,
when Professor Witthaus was about to testify
what his analysis of the sediment in the glass
| from which 1t was alleged Mrs Adams drank
! the fatal draught disclosed to him. Mr. Weeks
| interposed the objection that the Identification
of the tumbler incomplete. because 1t had
not been properly traced from Mrs. Adams to
/ the laboratory Of Professor Witthaus. Mrs
Rogers had testified that she had placed the
| glass in a china closet on the afternoon OF De-
cember 2S where it remained until she gave Il
to Detective Carey week later She admit
/ ted, however, being away from the fat while she
attended her mothers funeral. Howard Adams
was thereupOn recalled. and stated that it was
/ at his suggestion that the glass was locked in
/ the cupboard. while Detective Carey repeated
/ that he had conveyed the glass from the
Adams fiat to Professor Witthaus's office Mr..
| Weeks, however still maintained that the
tumbler had been imperfectly traced. and sug-
| gested that Mrs Rogers and Cornish should be
recalled to prove that the glass the identical
| one from which Mrs Adams drank. This was
done yesterday morning. when Cornish and Mrs.
Rogers in turn took the stand and swore il was
| the same glass. Cornish said he saw Mrs.
Adams drink from it. and Mrs Rogers de-
scribed how she put the glass in the cupboard.
| where 1T stayed locked up and undisturbed until
| 1t was handed over to Detective Carey. This
! chain of proof was considered sufficient by the
Court to admit in evidence the glass and the
spoon accompanying it.
When Mrs. Rogers left the stand Mr. Osborne
| asked permission to interrupt the regular order
| of procedure for a few moments. in order to put
a witness from Cincinnati on the stand for the
| purpose Of Identifying some of the letters IN
| the case. The witness Herman J. Witte
| who said he a lawyer. and had been assist
! ant to the Chief Of Detectives OF Cincinnati for
about fifteen years. The witness testified to
| having received a letter. known Exhibit
/ C in the case. from the Won MohI company, OF
! Cincinnati and forwarding 1t TO Captain Nc
| Clusky. This letter. which he identified Is
signed H. Cornish" and asks that a certain
remedy be sent to the writer. Then Mr., Os-
borne showed the witness another letter. and
asked if he had seen it at the offices of the Won
| Mohl firm. He replied that he had but that
| the proprietor would not allow him TO take IL
at the time that he secured Exhibit G. The last
letter was signed H c. Barnet The prose-
cuttOn regards these two letters the most
important exhibits yet put in evidence. The
significance in the letters lies in the fact that
one is signed III Cornish" and the other H C.
Barnet" and both had been sent to the same
firm asking for the same remedy Moreover.
they are similarly worded. and apparently are
in the same handwriting. Uuquestionably these
two letters will go far TO establish the fact In
the jury's mind that the Barnet" and Cor
| nish" letters were written by one and the same
person Later in the afternoon William ]. Kins-
ley. the handwriting expert. was recalled and
gave it as his opinion that the newly produced
letter was written by the defendant.
AMOUNT OF MERCURIAL CYANIDE
Professor Witthaus then resumed the stand
Describing first his analysis of the sediment IN
the glass. he said:
The tumbler and its contents were put aside until
February p and by that time the liquid had
evaporated and left crystals adhering the spoon
these here. and due TO the slow evaporation.
The glass and spoon and sediment were weighed
the dference 5etween the weight 81 the crystals
was shown. This amounted to IS 2-l0 grans- 4
/ IS 47-lO0 per cent mercurial cyanide.
| planation OF the effect of cyanide upon the sys-
|