New-York tribune., 1900-01-03
WEEKS CONFUSES CORNISH.
TRYING ORDEAL FOR THE PROSECU-
TONS CHIEF WITNESS.
COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENCE MAKES A
REMARK WHICH is REGARDED AS AN
ACCUSATION OF THE MAN WHO RE-
CEIYED THE POISON PACKAGE

CElVED THE POISON PACKAGE
Harry S Cornish the chief witness for the
prosecution in the trial of Roland B. Molineux,
Jared somewhat badly when his cross-examina-
tion continued yesterday by the defendants
counsel Barlow S. Weeks put Cornish through
an extremely severe ordeal of cross-questioning,
and forced the witness to admit several incon-
sstencies in the statements which from time TO
time he has made regarding the circumstances
surrounding the receipt by him of the poisoned
bromo- -setzer and of the subsequent death of
Mrs. Adams, caused by taking a dose of the
powder contained in the bottle. Although the
very candor with which Cornish confessed that
he had made mistakes went to extent to
offset the efforts Of Mr.. Weeks to destroy the
credibility of his testimony, the impression left
by Cornish upon those who heard his evidence
was that there was much that was unsatisfac-
tory in his explanations
More than once the witness was so completely
cornered by Mr.. Weeks that he construed
to fall back upon the plea that he was not
sponsible for all that he might have said whils
laboring under the mental excitement which fol-
lowed the death of Mrs Adams. That Mr. Os-
borne himself felt that Cornish had not passed
through the test Of ross-examination in an alto
gether satisfactory manner was suggested by
the fact that the Assistant District Attorney
wished to defer the redirect examination of
Cornish until another period. The Recorder
however, insisted that Mr. Osborne should pro-
ceed IN the regular manner. but as Mr. Osborne
asked only few immaterial questions, follow
Ing the ruling of the Court. it is TO be inferred
that Cornish will be called again in rebuttal.
1t was manifest. also. by the number of ques-
tions put to him by members OF the jury that
the twelve men who will be called upon to decide
Molineux's fate not particularly impressed
by Cornish's replies to the questioning of the
defence.
sHAKY ON DETAILS
Although Cornish could not be budged from
his story in the main as it was given to the Jury
last Thursday, when II to pinning him
down to details and exactitude of times and
places as Mr.. Weeks did yesterday he was ex-
tremely shaky, and frequently hedged For in
stance. although he had stated at the Coroner's
inquest that he had vomited as he rushed down
the stairs to obtain medical assistance for Mrs
Adams, yesterday he unable to recall
whether he had vomited or not. again at the
inquest Cornish had stated that he had found
the poison package in his mail box on the af-
ternoon of December "a. whereas yesterday he
admitted that he wrong and that he had
received II during the early morning of that
day Further. he had said in the first stages
OF the case that he dressed only in pajamas
when he administered the poisoned bromo seItz-
er 70 Mrs Adams, but he corrected this state
fully dressed at the time He also contra
dicteG himself with regard to the bottle He
was in error, he said, in testifyins that he had
taken Ii from Mrs. Rogers's dressing table: it
had remained in his own room all night. When
Mr.. Weeks sought to compare the witnesses de-
positions with the evidence given by Assistant
District Attorney Mcintyre. Cornish became
somewhat involved and excused himself from
answering the ground that his mental condi-
tion at the time was not such that he could re-
member. Cornish was also obviously uneasy
when Mr.. Weeks wanted him to explain how
man in the sckly condition he represented
to be after swallowing a part of the alleged
death draught could consult for an extended
period with Mr. Mcintyre. and could visit and
take drinks with Mr.. Yocum, a chemist of
Ferry-st-
When Mr.. Weeks asked him to describe his
doings in the course of his travels on the day
of Mrs. Adams's death Cornish frequently gave
the reply that he unable to remember. An
other point upon which Mr.. Weeks laid stress
reading from the minutes of the inquest. was
that Cornish was in Park Row near the Post
office on the afternoon of December %. the day
before the poison package was received.
TAKEN AS AN ACCUSATION
In the course of his cross examination Mr.
Weeks let fall remark which was generally
construed to be accusation against Cornish.
Counsel was questioning the witness about Cor
nsh's first statement to the police, and asked if
the words had not been taken down by a ste
nographer Cornish replied that they had but
added that the stenographer had made several
mistakes.
oh said Mr.. Weeks most persons accused
think the police stenographers make mistakes"
Instantly Mr. Osborne on his feet shout
ing Then Mr.. Cornish is the you accuse.
I am glad to know it. I thought it was Adams,
and some time ago 1 thought it was your friend
from New-Jersey (RudOlph Heiles).
Mr.. Weeks probed deeply into the private
character of Cornish. The witness was made to
tell of his marriage and divorce, he asked
regarding his friendliness for Mrs. Small of
Chicago and whether not he had been known
there as Mr.. Small, while Mr. Weeks insinuated
that he was responsible for the separation of
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, and, that the pres
ent time he visited Mrs Rogers in Hartford
every week Finally Cornish admitted that he
had once told the District Attorney that the let
ters signed with his name had been, in his opin
ion, written by Felix Gallagher.
MolineuX followed the cross examination of
Cornish with closest attention, and from the
frequency of his smiles il evident that he
derived considerable satisfaction from the con-
fusion to which his counsel often put the wit
ness. Cornish occupied the stand the whole Of
the morning and in the afternoon Harry A.
King recounted how he escaped taking a dose
of the poisoned bromo seltZer only because there
was no water in the cooler. Felix Gallagher
smoke of his relations with Molineux and of the
unfriendliness which existed between Molineux
and Cornish and DR.. Albert T. Weston testified
to the results of his autopsy on the body OF Mrs
Adams Prompted by DR. Hamilton, Mr..
Weeks's cross examination of this witness was
particularly skilful. and he elected from DR..
Weston that the symptoms he found in the case
of Mrs Adams could be traced iii almost every
other case where death resulted from poisoning.
The witness said he depended for his opinion
that Mrs Adams died from mercurial poisoning
+lI-u he detection Cyanide.