The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-09

The Full story of the Case Unlikely
Ever to Be Made Public.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.


New York, Jan. 6.-Shake together a bit
of Camille" little OF De Maupassant
some of the darkest shadows Of "The DE-
cameron a great deal Of Laura Fair, and
make the mixture taste exceedingly bad
with a strong addition of powder from any
"tenderloin" and you have the Barnet
Molineux-Cornish-A adams murder case in
all of its wickedness and mystery. The
facts in the case are not unknown to the
district attorneys office the local police.
the newspaper men and some people not 50
high in life as they, but that these facts
viii ever be brought out in open court no
one believes. No living actor in the drama
can afford to have them appear. and the
world and society would be no better off
if they were revealed. MolineuX's convic-
ton seems a certainty-that he is guilty
of an attempt to kill Cornish and hat he
knows how the aged Barnet was disposed
of there seems to be no doubt But-hoW
far are Cornish and Blanche Molineux,
nee Chesbrough, responsible also for these
acts, which ended indirectly in the death
of Mrs. Adams?
Roland Burnham MolineuX is the super
intendent of the paint works of Morris
Hermann & Co., in Newark. He is a
member of the Knckerbocker Athlete
tAuD, IN winch HARRY <. 0OIHlSH has
figured as an official, athletic trainer and
general al-around good fellow. The two
men have been well acquainted in the
past. They We're even said to be intimate
friends at the time Molineux suspected
that his wife was untrue to him. How
far this intimacy went is not to be printed
but those who remember the Cleveland
House scandal of England will not hsve
trouble in forming opinions on this point
Molineux's wife was Blanche Ches-
brough, and she was beautiful, sirenlike,
mistress of tears and smiles alike, a wo-
man and an actress, a something not quite
a perfect peach (as Dumas might saw,
but withal not showing the speck con-
spicuously She was fond of warm dishes,
rich wines, yachting parties, pleasures
that lie between the border lines of Good
Form and a Good Time. Once she had
known one Henry Barnet, also member
of the Knickerbocker Athletic Club
known him before and after her marriage.
How dear their acquaintanceship was was
best known to themselves, but MolineuX,
the husband suspected, reproached and
waited. There was another party to all
this muss, Mcintyre. an assistant district
attorney of this city, but he does not ap-
pear until later.
Henry Barnet clubman, wealthy. petted
by women and fond of women, died sud
denly. At the club it was publicly said
diphtheria had caused his death. But
among his intimate friends the word pass
ed quickly that he had received by mail
powder, taken it without knowing its
deadly nature and died. For some rea-
son or other mis- friends were not quick
to apprise the authorities of their beliefs.
A mysterious letter was found i'm his
rooms after he died signed with a wo-
mans first NAME This letter the police
took Later they found that Barnet was
a habitual user of Kutnow powders, but
tl,a xybi oh death
tanned enough cyanide of mercury TO kill
a horse. Still there was no clew appar-
emily as to who sent him the fatal pow
ders and caused his death.
With Barnet dead Molineux turned his
attention to Harry Cornish. Cornish was
living with a widow, Mrs. Adams, and
her daughter, Mrs. Rogers. He knew
Blanche Molineux, and it appears knew
also more of Molineux than 1t is well for
one man to know of another. Two or three
days before Christmas of 1893 Cornish,
while at the Knickerbocker Athletic Club,
received through the mail small pack
age This contained a bottle of what was
supposed to be EmersOn's bromo-seltzer
and a silver holder for the same. He sup
posed it was sent to him as a Christmas
present by some joking friend. When he
went to his apartments that night he took
the bottle and holder with n and dis
played them to Mrs. Adams and Mrs.
Rogers.
The following day Mrs. Adams suffered
from a severe headache. She asked Cor
nish to give her some of the bromo-selt-
ger he had received. He mixed ii in wa
ter and did so. She complained of it's bit
terness and he tasted it. In less than an
hour Mrs Adams was dead and Cornish
suffering great agony from poisoning. The
physicians advised him to send for the
coroner. Instead of doing so he sent for
the assistant states or district attorney,
Mcintyre, who, it seems, was sufficiently
intimate with all the parties to the mud
die to desire to have 1t kept quiet. There
were photographs in existence which Nc
Intyre did not like and other evidence
which was damaging.
The newspapers and the police took hold
of the case and the district attorney was
compelled to put Mcintyre in the back
ground and force an investigation. Scraps
of evidence collected pointed to Nolineux
as the one who had killed both Barnet
and Mrs. Adams, the latter unlntention-
ally, for the poisonous bromo was intend
ed for Cornish MolineuX denied his guilt
and secured powerful counsel. The trial
is now on, and the state Is making q very
strong case.
The police have partially traced the
handwriting on the box of poison sent 10
Cornish to Molineux. They have also
fairly proven that he purchased the silver
holder, where he secured 1t, the disguise
ties of bromo he secured and where. and
that they contained deadly poison. Trou-
bic between Cornish and Molineux in the
Knlckerbocker Club has also been proven,
which resulted in Molineux leaving the
club. There is in the background some
evidence not yet used that may show
Molineux was justified In one sense in not
only killing Barnet, but would have been
justified in that same sense In killing Cor
nish and several other men,
He has maintained his composure on
the stand and stoutly afiirms his lnno-
cence But how he can clear himself no
one can conceive. The development Of
the case by the police Is one of the best
pieces OF detective work ever done In this
city-only half they ascertained can never
be told publicly.
MIR. ROBERT G. FERGUSON.