The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-06
NOLINEUz'S TURN NEXT
The Defence in the Famous Poison
Case Begins Today.
4 Motion Will he Made to Direct the
Want of Sufficient Evidence - An
other Expert on the stnnd-De-
;ectivc McCaTcrty Not Yet Called.

NEW YORK. Feb. 5.-Manheim Brown,
the Molieneux juror who has been sick.
came to court today and the trial pro-
ceeded after the lapse OF fortnight The
interval proved disadvantageous to both
sides; the prosecution, because Detective
McCafferty. one of its witnesses. is i'll in
bed and was unable to appear today. so
that Mr.. Osborne was obliged to close the
case for the people without him; to the
defence because Lawyer George Gordon
Battle is down with the grip. George W.
Gordon. the stenographer at the corouer's
inquest, was called on cross-examination
by Mr.. Weeks and read from his notes the
denial of Molineux that he had hired 9
private letter box.
Isaac E. Emerson, OF Baltimore. who
manufactures bromo- settler, took the
stand and after examining the blue glass
poison bottle said that his firm had never
put up bromo-seltzer in a bottle Of that
kind. Such bottles. he said. were used
mainly for nitrate Of silver and similar
drugs. upon which light had a deleteri0us
effect. There was no mercury OF any kind
in bromo-seItzer. There were many imfta-
tions Of the preparation on the market.
Robert b. Mooney. an cuploye In the
general postoffice. was called to weigh the
poison bottle, the holder. and the boy,
which is said to be replica of the one
the bottle and the bottle holder came to
Cornish in. He said that the weight was
six ounces.
Prof. r. Fraser was called and pro-
ceeded to explain experiments lie had
nd 0f ba fntx in yar of he OF
which have been submitted as evidence.
Among these we're some admitted to be in
Molineux's handwriting and some of the
bogus Barnet letters. Whs1 Nicholas
Hickman, from whom the supposed Bar
net had rented letter box in Heckmanns
place in West Forty-second Street, was on
the stand he testified that MoIineux made
some pen and ink corrections on the en-
velope OF letter already addressed when
he entered the place A letter obtained
from cne of the chemical companies to
which Barnet wrote. showing erasure
and corrections. was among the exhibits
discussed by Prof. Fraser.
Il examined this letter with a micro
scope" said he. land found in the erasures
and corrections ridge that does not exist
in the original address. The pen used in
the corrections was evidently sitter than
that used IL the original address, and the
nibs opened out a little on pressure, thus
making the ridge"
Then Prof. Fraser plunged into tech
nique with the characteristic abandon OF
the expect. Recorder Goff intervened and
the witness moderated his scientific trans
ports to Ineligible language. explaining
the color tests for the ingredients of the
ink made by glass of vsi !ous hues- He
had tried these experiments on the ad-
Nf.rs . h., Ttar.r
letters.
And did these tests show that the ink
was ldentlcal?" asked Mr.. Osborne
No. they dou't show identity: only
a similarity said the witness. The ex
hibit was passed around among the jurors,
and then, to the surprise of every one,
Mr. Osborne said:
THE prosecution rests except for De-
tective McCafferty. who IS i'll in bed. The
prosecution would like to have an cppor-
tunity to call Detective McCafferty later"
when the prosecution rests" said Mr..
Weeks. Eve want it to rest entirely We
don't want to have the way open for any
further witnesses to break in upon cur
case"
The court will not accept provisional
said the recorder. The prose-
cution must either rest or continue now"
In that case. there is nothing to do
but to rest said Mr.. Osborne.
Mr.. Weeks asked FOE an Adjournment TO
tomorrow, as Mr.. Battle. who had pre-
pared motion that the jury be directed
to aequit the prisoner, was III and unable
to attend court.
I'VE hope to have him here tomorrow.
said he. but In any case 1 will be pre-
pared to go on
Mr.. Osborne acquiesced, and the re-
corder, saying the request was reasonable,
adjourned court until tomorrow morning.
District Attorney Ga rdener was present
at the morning session for few minutes.
The motion by the defendants counsel
to direct an acquitta of the prisoners will
be based upon the want of sufficient evi-
dence to identify him with the crime. The
argument will most likely hold out that
from the general accusations advanced by
the prosecution. any person might be
charged and tried under the testimony
offered. and that nothing has been shown
to identify Molineux with the poison pack
age, nor has motive been established.