Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-10
CHARGE TO THE JURY
Recorder Goff Lays Down the Law
in Molineux Case.
THE VITAL QUESTION INVOLVED
Did Moiineux Send the Poison
Which Killed Mrs. Adams?
MINED Up ON HIS FACTS

NEW YORK. February 10.-The Proceed
ingS Of what will probably be the last day
in the trial of Roland Molineux for the
n,urd.r IF Mrs. Katherine ]. Adams We're
late in getting under way. 1t was almost
II nclprk when Recorder Goff assembled the
bench Gen. MoIineux with his wife and
faughter-in-law. had passed on to their
places before the court room doors opened
to tho public
Gen. I0lineux looked in good health and
spirits. but both women showed signs If
having passed a sleepIess. fearful night.
tirnrg, Gordon Battle of counsel for Moli-
neuN had handed in the requests when
he said were suggested by the summing up
of the district attorney. 1T took the re-
corder nearly ten minutes to read the list,
AMI he commented sarcastically upon Mr.
Battles handwriting. which he was unable
to read in several instances.
Charge to the Jury.
In opening his charge Recorder Golf told
the jury that the rules of law are to shape
.hrir Judgment. He said he would not
comment on the facts of the case The pre-
sumption of innocence, he sad, remains
with th,. defendant until his guilt is proven
beyond reasonable doubt.
Recorder Goff stopped in his charge and
asked Lawyer Weeks if he wished him to
define the various charges of manslaushter
and murder. MIR. Weeks answered that he
did not; that it was murder in the first de
gree nothing. Without defining tue
crimes of manSlaughter and murder Re-
corlrr Golf continued by saying: IF you
think n witness has testified falsely you
are not compelled to reject all of his testi-
mony: YOU may reject all of 1t or only part.
a. you deem proper. You may find yer
dict Of murder in the first or second de-
gree. hut you must not use your power ca
pricinUSly.
The recorder went over the indictment
and its several counts, and then said: If
you tud hat Molineux sent the poison he
IL just As guilty as if Cornish had died in
St-ad Of Mrs. Adams.
The Question in Issue.
Did the defendant send the poison pack
age /" Cornish? Upon that controlling
question the whole case haEgs. If he did
n"t. then all the other questions are dis
posed Of. IL you are satisfied he did not,
den rou shall acquit-
The recorder went at length into a def
milton of circumstantial evidence and men
tfon"d The incidents of Importance during
the Iral. He dweit at some length on the
so-calied diagnosis blank, and read in
fulI the physical description of H L. Bar
net and d few lines regarding Barnets ill
ness and death. He simply gave syu0p-
IS ''I tIlt f'NiuEICe upon lHe pOiutS 10 WHICH
he referred and did not discuss them nor
offer any opinion
Coming To the events subsequent to the
death al Mrs. Adams. the recorder went
St~p by step over the evidence submitted.
showing the sickness of Cornish the work
ri III. police. the futile attempts TO secure
an identification of the man who purcha sed
the silver bottle holder IN Newark and the
discovery. piece by piece, of the letters sent
!" different patent medicine firms.
slightly Mixed Up.
The r-earder got a little mixed as to his
statement Of the Koch letter box incident.
Mr. Weeks and Mr.. Osborne Interrupted
him together Both agreed that Koch had
not identified Molineux as the man who
hired the box at 1920 Broadway. hut had
declared hirn TO be the man who called at
the place between the 18th and 18th of May
l>sIS. and made inquiries to hiring a let
Ter box.
T'h-. recorder went at some length into
thu testimony of the doctors and chemists
attending Mrs Adams and H c. Barnet
and who later discovered the poison in
their remains. He read the opinion OF the
medical experts to the quantity of cy-
aEltst Of mercury necessary to cause death,
and the testimony to the manufacture
o. that poison. Then he resumed his judic-
Ia address
Recorder Golf finished his charge to the
jury al 2;l5 pm He then began to read
certain Specifications of law. The charge
consumed three hours.
Case Goes to the Jury.
NEW YORK, February 10-The Molineuz
case was given to the jury at 3:O5 pm