Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-07
NO EVIDENCE FOR MOLINEUX
Counsel for Accused Poisoner Rest His Care
on States Evidences.
LAWYER WEEKS ATTACKS THE EXPERTS
in~sinuntcs that Cornish May ne
GuiltS-Dilntcs on what lie Terms
SUSPICIOUS Actions of
Principal Accuser.

NEW YORK, Feb. 6.-Counsel for Ro.
land B. Mo!iaeuN took a bold and UNEXPECTED
step today, announcing that the defense
would submit no evidence. Lasp night Rar.
tow 5. Weeks, counsel for Molineux. said
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 Ex-
pert Carvalho.
In three notable poison trials in this city,
those Of Carlisle Harris, Meyer and Mrs.
Fleming, the defense called no witnesses.
Harris was convicted and executed and Mrs.
Fleming went free.
Mr.. Weeks began his summing up today
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 attacked Harry Cornish bitterly.
The tenor Of his argument was that the
proofs pointed more strongly to Cornish as
tho murderer than to Molineux. Molineux $
father and wife were in court, as was Cor
nish, who was visibly nervous. Molineux
seemed cool and collected.
only one person could have had the sill
yer bottleholder," said MIR. Weeks. "Only
one person could have had those particular
articles contained 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 making up your mind.
But there is absolute, positive and undis-
putable evidence that the man who bought
the silver bottleholder was MT the defend
ant.
Let us take this package and make 1t
up. We have a blue box from Tiffany's.
1t is the size used in silverware. Is that
connected in any way with the defendant.
any proof that he had the blue box? Not
one word. The district attorney showed
that he had an account in the stationery
department, but they had not the boxes of
that size"
So Weeks went along through each ar
ticle, declaring that not the slightest evil
dence had been shown to connect the de-
PENDANT with either of them. Then he dis
cussed the experts:
HIS ~ the Experts.
rs it reasonable to believe that twelve
sensible men will send this man to his death
on the testimony of these experts? BY
these experts ia handwriting they expect
to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that
the defendants hand wrote each exhibit.
and on this testimony they ask you
to send this young man to his death. Be
cause this great city of New York has I'M
limited wealth, has a boundless treasury,
is 1t right and just that they should bring
On an army Of handwriting experts from
California to Maine, carrying them in palace
cars, feeding them at the Waldorf Astoria,
paying them exorbitant fees-brought on to
brown this young man in an avalanche of
expert testimony?
And they expect you to believe this
testimony and upon that take a mans life.
there must be no compromise.
You must believe or not. Either this young
man is entitled to be restored to his wife
1r family or give up every drop of his
ife's blood to the electric. chair. He is
guilty or not guilty. 1t is death or freedom.
M testimony has been PRODUCED to show
hat this defendant mailed this package or
in the vicinity CT the postofice at
o'clock, the day this package was mailed.
said Mr.. Weeks, pausing an instant
nd posing His hand in the air, while his
swept ever the jury. Harry c. CorLi b
vas and he was at the postofice at exactly
he time the package was mailed and on
hat day.
That silver bottleholder was bought by a
nan who said he wanted it for a lady's
lresser' and matched the silver on that {
destinations About Cornish.
There is not a syllable of evidence or 4,
of proof that that package ever J
ame through the mails except Mr.. Cornish's. !
las he told the truth? This is important.
10 one proves the receipt, no pcstman
roves the delivery, except Cornish"
Word by word Weeks went over Cor ?
ish's testimony and strove to impress on !
he jury the impression tina; Cornish might ?
ave been guilty. He dilated en- the sus- |
lcious circumstances. T
Mrs. Adams took a dose of medicine and l
led. Mr.. Cornish took a dose, or says he l
id, on an empty stomach and wanders
round all day with no evil effect. He says
e took a dose. He went to see Yocum, a
ian who knows how to make cyanide OF
lercury. Now, what reasonable excuse did
have for visiting Yocum on that
ay OF all days?"
Weeks then described MolineuX's actisns
yer since the newspapers accused him OF 3
he crime as those CT an innocent man. :
,eeks asked for an adjournment until to- S
borrow, his voice having failed. {
The jury will be locked up tonight in the /
.stor house. Weeks address will con- Y
lme all of tomorrow. {
DeWitt's Witch Hazel Salve is unequalled I
N DiIes iniuries and skin diSaaeas II is /