Evening journal., 1900-02-23
MRS. BOTKIN
As A WITNESS
Murderess of Two Dover Women
Testihes in a Divorce
Suit.
HER CHANCE FOR REVENGE

HER CHANCE FOR REVENGE
ON MRS. PRICE. WHO TESTIFIED
AGAINST HER-PRIsoN LIFE
HAS NOT ALTERED THE AP-
PEARANcE OR MANNERS OF THE
PRISONER.
Mrs. Cordelia Botkin. the California
woman who murdered Mrs. John p.
Dunning and her sister, Mrs. Deane.
by sending poisoned candy through
the mails to Mrs. Dunning, whose hus-
band, John P. Dunning, was her para
mOur, is again before the public The
san Francisco Chronicle says:
Mrs. Cordelia Botkin, who was
found guilty Of numbering Mrs. John
p Dunning with poisoned candy. was
the chief attraction in the Price divorce
case yesterday. and men crowded into
Judge Daingerield's courtroom to see
her. She was called as witness
against Mrs. Birdie Price, the plain
tin in the case. Mrs. Price was the
landlady at the Victoria, a boarding
house on California and Hyde streets,
when Mrs BOtkin resided there in
1893. The defendant in the suit, A. G.
Price, accused his wife OF undue inti-
macy with W. W. Barnes, and Mrs
Botkin was brought from the county
jail to support this allegation Mrs
BOtkin was sentenced to life imprison-
meat, but an appeal to the Supreme
Court has stayed her journey to the
penitentiary. Mrs. Price and Barnes
were Witnesses against her on the muir
der trial, and she partly evened the
score yesterday.
The county Jail, where she has been
for aVe2r and a-half, has not altered
Mrs. Botkin's appearance. She still has
her embCnp0int, her English accent
and idioms and her peculiar lifting OF
the upper lip. which exposes a row OF
white teeth in a manner that suggests
cruelty. She was gOwned, yeiled and
gloved in quiet colOrs Mrs. Botkin
was indisposed to talk of her own
trouble while she was on the stand.
She first got revenge on Barnes, who
had been described as the manager Of
the house for Mrs Price. Previous tes-
timony had given the impression that
he lived in luxurious idleness at the
Victoria, with his face as his fortune.
Il merely knew Barnes as an at
tache ci The house, said Mrs Botkin.
as IL she were discussing someone who
did net interest her in the least. "He
was porter, / believe. His duties.
apparently,were washing windows and
laying carpets. Part Of the time he at
tended TO the cookery. but / never saw
him at that, as I did not take my food
at the house. Mrs. Price was a very
delicate woman physically. felt
sorry for her. l feel sorry for any
wcman's misfortunes."
Attorney Reddy wondered why. with
this SORROW, she disclosed to Prices
lawyers statement which she said
that Mrs. Price made to her, and which
was used to Mrs. Prices moral detri-
ment. Reddy asked her il Mrs. Price
was a Witness in the case OF the People.
VS. BOtkin
The records so indicate" Mrs. Bot
kin replied, the lifted lip showing that
she did not like the reference to that
case. Judge Daingerfield inquired III
she remembered. and she answered:
The court records will show you who
were called as Witnesses She fenced
with Reddy and the court for ten min
utes on the point There was su6n a
coterie Of witnesses in petticoats that
| can't remember any particular one. "I
she said, but she would not say that
she did not recollect that Mrs. Price
was a witness.
DO you decline to answer?" asked
Judge Daingerfeld when in response
to one question she said: Il have mol
answer" No, ] do not Decline" she
returned. Finally the court elected
from her: Il suppose Mrs. Price was a
witness" and this answer was accept
ed as enough. Mrs. Botkin seemed to
realize that being already under SEN
tence of life Imprisonment, she had no
reason TO fear a term in Jail for con-
tempt OF court. Reddy inquired wheth-
er she remembered If Mrs. Smith was
a witness against her. Mrs. Smith waE
a cook at the Victoria, and she is on
the side of Mrs. Price in the divorce.
case
Il refuse to answer any more ques-
tons bearing on my case until my at
torney, Mr.. Heggerty, is present" said
Mrs. Botkin, looking annoyed. "If /
could remember that she was a wit
ness | would not recall it, / did not
come here to go over my case. had
no malevolent feeling toward anyone,
and have not now"
Reddy asked her If she had been con-
victsd OF a felony. THE records of the
court so indicate" she replied. please
say yes or no, and then we'll say no
more about it, urged Reddy. "WelI
say no more about 1t anyhow, for / am
not going to give any such answer. -
she responded. Then the discussion OF
herself ended. In her testimony she re-
ferred to me apartments" and to the
rentals that she paid at the Victoria
FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT.