The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-07

New York, Feb. 7.--Roland B. Molin-
euxs fate will rest in the hands of
jurors who have not heard a single
word said under oath in his behalf. IL
the jury believes the deductions of the
professional experts i'm handwriting, OF
the practical experts from banks ana
OF his former associates OF the hnick-
erbocker Athletic club, that he wrote
the address on the poison package re-
ceived by Harry $. Cornish, he VIII be
sentenced TO ignominious death In the
electric chair.
There viii be nothing to controvert
the Identification by the letter box men,
the hundred scraps of circumstahtlal
evidence tending 10 connect him Win
the murder Of Mrs. Katherine j. Ad-
ans save only the excerpts from ms
testimony before the coroner. Thls
record was put in by the prosecution
10 show that he then openly proiesseu
hatred for Cornish. and that he had
denied all knowledge OF the tri-cres-
cent paper. since admitted TO have been
I'm his possession. His general denlal
was in this manner placed before the
Jury, and upon that and upon the
.,leading OF his counsel, Barlow D
Weeks. he must rely
Mr. Weeks made bold move IN ue-
Gliding To offer no defence. and there
was a murmur Of surprise in the court
room yesterday when he rose and made
the announcements The defence rests
upon the peoples case
The general buzz OF comment was In
terrupted only by the rapping OF the
clerks gavel. II was the eliminating
sensation In murder trial without
parallel.
The danger Of going to jury upon
the practically uncontroverted testi-
mony OF the prosecution is recognized
NV All. The experiment has been tried
before in murder cases and In at least
one instance recalled by members OF
the district attorneys stan, III proved
successful. That was on the trlal OF
Frank Marino. which resulted in ac-
oi,ittal But Molineux's case Is with
out a precedent in New York criinlnai
jurisprudence.
Mr.. Weeks, with his voice racked by
a cold maintained conversational
tone and never lost sight of his facts
He essayed no flights of fancy made no
apt quotations. but confined himself %
rhe exposition of the case from MS
standpoint.
Incidents lost nothing In their dram
attic interest as he retold them I'm MS
own manner depicting Molineux as the
victim OF a foul conspiracy disclaimins
any intention Of accusing apotner, anu
VET with every breath essAying y dis
credit Cornish. the bulwark OF the
prosecution. and 10 create innuenuos
So thinly yelled that they were nttle
less than direct charges.
Harry Cornish leaned forward to
catch every word OF the construction
nlaced upon the testimony. He smiled
yhen Mr.. Carvalho came over TO MIN
from the camp OF the defence TO ex.
press sympathy and say he regretted
the attack.
MoIineux was radiant. His conven-
.sonal smile-worn alike at the discom
f,ture of an enemy and a revela ton cal
culafed to injure him personally--hau
brc.adened into a genial beam when ne
found hik wife and mother in the court
room. He frequently turned 40
face the former and to whisper approx
al as Mr. Weeks went from point 10
Yosnf and then he stuC'"@ the appear
ance OF the men whose verdict Will give
him life or death.
When Mr.. Weeks brought up the aw-
ful CONSEQUENCES of verdict of guilty,
Mrs. Molineux'e eyes were suspciously
moist, and she bent her head over her
husbands shoulder. When the lawyer
told the jurors that they must give his
clie>t the credit for some common
sense. must realize that he was not
looking around for halters to put his
head into. Molineux, in burlesque en-
rhusiasm. placed hand on his heart
and bowed.
Recorder Goff had prepared an un-
pleasant surprise for the Jurors. Ru-
mors had reached his ears that at least