Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-07


NEW YORK, February Counsel
for Roland B. Molineux, charged with
numbering Mrs. Katherine ]. Adams by
poison sent to Harry Cornish in De-
cember 1898, took a bold and unexpect-
ed step to-day announcing that the de-
Tense would submit no evidence Last
night Barlow 8. Weeks, counsel for
Molineux, stated that the defense would
consume less time than the prosecution
but it had been the general expectation
that many witnesses would be- called,
including handwriting expert Carvalho
and a number of persons who would
attack the character Of Harry Cornish.
In three notable poison trials in this
city those of Carlisle Harris, Meyer and
Mrs. Fleming, the defense called no wit
nesses. Harris and Meyer were convict
ed and executed and Mrs Fleming went
free. Mr.. Weeks began his summing
up to-day and had not finished when
court adjourned. He spoke with great
earnestness and the jury listened to him
intently. He told Of his long personal
friendship with Molineux, and he at
tackled Harry Cornish bitterly. The ten
or of his argument was that the proofs
pointed more strongly to Cornish as
the murderer than to Molineux. Moli-
neux's father mother and wife were in
court as was Cornish, who was visibly
nervous.
Molineux seemed cool and collected.
only one person could have had the
silver bottle holder" said Mr.. Weeks.
'Only one person could have had these
particular articles collected in the box
If they could have proved to you that
they had been in his possession then
you would not have been long in max
ing up your mind. But there is abso-
lutte and indisputable evidence that the
man who bought that silver bottle hold
er
Was Not the Defendant.
'Let. us take this package and make
1t up. We have a blue box from Tiff
fanys. 1t is the size used in silver
ware.
rs that connected In any way with
the defendant? Any proof that he had
the blue box? Not word. The Dis
trict Attorney showed that he had an
account IN the stationary department,
but they had not the boxes of that SIZE"
So Mr.. Weeks went along through
each article, declaring that not the
slightest evidence. had been shown to
connect the defendant with either OF
them.
is it reasonable to believe that
twelve sensible men win send this man
to his death on the testimony of these
experts? By these experts in hand
writing they expect to prove beyond
a reasonable doubt that the defendants
hand wrote Exhibit A. and ON this
testimony they ask you to send this
young man to his death
Because this great city OF New York
has unlimited wealth, has a boundlsss
treasury, is it right and just that they
should firing on al army OF handwril-
ing experts from California to Maine,
carrying them IL palace cars, feeding
them ar the Waidorf-Astoria, paying
them exorbitant fees-brought on TO
drown this young man in an avalanche
Of exper. testimony?
And they expect you to believe this
testimony and upon that take mans
life.
Remember there must be no COM
promise. You must believe or not.
Either this young man is entitled to
be restored to his wife and family or
give up every drop of his LIES blood
to the electric chair. He is guilty or
not guilty. It is death or freedom.
NO testimony has been produced
to show that this defendant
Mailed This Package
Or was in the vicinity OF the postof-
fee at $50 o'clock on December %.
1898, the day this package was mailed.
But" said Mr.. Weeks. pausing an
instant and posing his hand in the
air, while his eyes swept over the
jury, Harry S. Cornish was and he
was at the postoEice at exactly the
time the package was mailed and on
that day.
THAT silver bottle holder was
bought by man who said that he
wanted il for a lady's dresser and
matched the silver on that dresser
There is not syllable or scintilla
of proof that that package ever came
through the mails except Mr.. Cornish.
Has he told the truth? This is I'M
portant No one proves the receipt, no
postman proves the delivery except
Cornish.
Word by word. ~. Weeks xsnt 90