The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-05
BAD DAY FOR MOLINEUX
TESTIMONY AGAINST THE ALLEGED
MURDERER OF MRS. ADAMS.
Experiments Of Chemist Who An
aIyzed Powder Taken from a Box
in III. c. Barnet's Room.

NEW YORK, JAM 4.-Interest did not lag
for moment to-day in the trial Of Roland
L. Molineux, for the murder of Mrs. kath-
crime j. Adams. Three Of the witnesses
called gave testimony concerning the sick
ness OF Henry c. Barnet, who died at the
Knickerbocker Athletic Club, in the fall of
1898, and who. the prosecution claims, was
poisoned by cyanide of mercury contained
i'm Kutnow powder. The prosecution was
also enabled to Introduce the marriage
Blanche Chesebrough, the alleged purpose
of Offering it being to fix the age of Molin-
eux In one of the letters asking for a
patent medicine. signed III. c. Barnet. ="
the writer gave his age. 1t correspondent
with that in the certificate but did not an
swer for Barnet.
A witness testified to-day as to the ef-
fort by Molineux to have Cornish disci-
plined by the Knickerbocker Athletic Club,
and a bank teller identified the poison
package address and the Barnet and
Cornish" letters as all written by MoIi-
neux.
All the testimony to-day strengthened
the prosecutions case except that Barnet
attending physician, while conceding that
there had been mercurial poisoning, in
sisted that the cause of death was heart
failure. following diphtheria. He was
asked: You have no doubt that Barnets
death was due to diphtheria?" and replied:
81 am just DIS sure as 1 can be that Bar
nets death was due to diphtheria. with
symptoms of mercurial stomtitis''
Guy r. f. Ellison, a chemist, testified
that he had reserved some of the mysteri-
Gus powder taken from the box In Bar
nets room, and was sent TO his Office for
the powder and for apparatus to analyze
IL. He made a demonstration before the
jury. He placed part of the powder In a
test tube and poured some muriatic acid
on top of il. The fumes OF hydrocyanic
acid then rose in the air. and the liquid
became perfectly white. Then the witness
took up a small phial of iodide of potash
and emptied 1t into the test tube. The
liquid first turned orange. then gradually
turned darker and darker, until IL was
bright red. This" said the witness. lis
Then the recorder asked for the tube, and
ii was passed up TO him. He held IL aloft
and looked through 1t. AS the recorder held
IL the liquid changed. 1t became white al
the bottom and turned lighter at the top.
Later the white turned red like the rest OF
the fluid, showing, the witness said, that
mercury was present.
Charles u ttugnes. member OF the
Knickerbocker Athletic Club. testified that
he had repeated to Molineux a statement
made by Cornish that he (Molineux) had
made money by selling liquor in disrep-
utable way.
What did Molineux say?'
'He said 1t was an outrage. and an en-
ploye should not be allowed to make such
statements"
Witness then told how Molineux COM
planned to the board OF governors of the
club of Cornish slandering him. and also
complained of the condition of the baths,
which were under Cornishs charge
When Hughes left the stand and passed
around behind the jury box Molineux
turned around In his seat and bowed and
smiled To him with a great show OF cor
dtality. Hughes returned his bow and