The Washington times., 1901-10-16

none Of the Barnet witnesses was rcle'
want or competent to prove the murder
/ Of Mrs. Adams. Before leaving his point
! it may be added that even if the evidence
relating to the death of Barnet were
| generally competent for the purpose of
proving the murder Of Mrs Adams yet
! there was fatal error in the admission
of the statements made by DR.. DoUgas=
as 10 what Barnet had told him with ref
orence to receiving the box of Kutnow
powder by mail.
This evidence was clearly incompetent.
IT may be conceded for the purpose of
this discussion that when evidence of an
eNtraneous crime is admissible to prove
the crime for which a defendant is on
trial, it is not necessary to prove every
fact and circumstance relating to the
eN;rancous crime that would be essential
to sustain a conviction thereof. But it
cannot require serious argument to show
that such evidence. to be admissible,
must be relevant and competent TO the
issue or trial.
Mrs. katherine J. Adams. for whose
murder Roland Burnham Molueux was
arrested and put on trial died from a
dose of cyanide of mercury taken in a
quantity of brcmo seltzer on December
y, 1898, at her fiat on West Eighty-sixth
street. new OTK. Nnert she lNtd with
her daughter, Mrs. Rogers. Harry Cor
nIsh, athletic director at the Knicker-
booker Athletic Club. was a boarder in
the house. That night the police dis
the poison had been received by Cornish
as a Christmas present, accompanied by
a silver bottle holder Two days later
they ascertained that the bottle holder
had been sold al store in Newark, n. j..
IN which city MolineuS was employed as
chemist in paint factory. Ii was
never proved that MolineuX was the pur-
chaser of the bottle holder
The police began tracing the powder
ana found that similar powders and other
patent remedies had been sent by several
manufacturers to letter = box at 1920
BroaGway. The box was rented by a man
who gave his name as A. Cornish. From
the manufacturers of these powders let
tiers bearing the Broadway address, and
signed II. Cornish and A. A Harpster
were procured. They were written in Il
hand alleged to be similar to Molineux's.
he writing was said also TO resemble
the writing on the paper that covered the
bottle and silver holder when Cornish re-
cClEed them. The articles were received
by Cornish at the knickerbOcke- Athletic
Club, and We're taken by him to his home.
He administered the powder to Mrs.
Adams and was sickeued by some OF it
that he took himself. At the time of Mrs.
Adams death she and Cornish were alone
in the fat.
The death Of Henry C Barnet. of the
hlACktIbpc-eE tihD. on November 10,
1898, with which an attempt was made
to connect Molineux. was discovered by
the police on January 30, 1893. Barnet. 1t
was alleged. dicd from cyanide of mer-
curry poisoning. after having received u
bottle of headache powder similar to that
received by Cornish and administered to
Mrs. ADAMS. causing her death. 1t was
learned that Barnet and Molineux, who
had been a member Of the knickerbocker
Athletic Club, had been enemies. 1t was
also ascertained by the police that there
had been enmity between Cornish and
Molineux. They also discovered that let
tcrs in a handwriting similar to the Cor
nish and Harpgter letters had been re-
ceived by several manufacturers of patent
remedies.
Then came a new phase in the case
Several OF the alleged Molinepx letters,
signed H. Cornish were written on
peculiar blue paper bearing a stamped
design of three crescents. Some OF this
paaer was found IN Molineuxs s apart
mcnts at Newark a diagnosis bank,
filed out with a description of the writer
signed II. {. Barnet was obtained from
a manufacturer. II was said by the po-
lice TO describe MoiinguX, and by that Ii
the Barnet letters.
Some newspapers openly accused Moii-
ncuX Of the Adams murder in January,
1859. MOlineuX went to Captain McCluE-
ky's house on January Of that year and
offered to surrender himself, but he was
permitted to remain at liberty until Feb
ruaTF y. itsj. Nntn LDe DtLte GndTSt-u
him with the murder Of Mrs. Adams.
Then came the coroner's inquest which
lasted until March /, when verdict,
finding MOlineuN responsible for Mrs.
Adams death. was returned. MolineuX
was arraigned on May and waived eX-
Eight days later he was discharged by
Judge Mcmahon in the Court of General |
SESSIONS, the grand jury having set aside
the verdict Of the coroner's jury. He was
Immediately on a charge Of as
sault in the first degree. preferred by !
Cornish. the act specified being the send /
nE OF the bottle Of poison. He was Ie- |
committed to the Tombs by Justice |
Jerome in the Court of Special Sessions !
under $4,000 hail
Afolineux was reindicted and placed on !
rial before Recorder John ". Con in
Part Ii Of the CoIrt of General Sessions |
on Nov. (. 1873. after many delays caused |
By the efforts Of the coursel for Molineux
10 have the case tried in the criminal |
branch of the Supreme Court. II was
shifted about from court to court in the
pre reliminary hearings until the recorder
put his foot down and ended the delay.
When the case was called on November
l4 Col. Asa Bird Gardiner. then District
appeared before the court in
person. though the prosecution was really
in the hands Of james w. Osborne, AS
sistant District Attorney, who took il up
in February. 1899 and, curIously enough.
worked with the idea that Cornish and
not Molineux was the real murderer
Gardiner appeared in the court only oc-
casionally ard took no active part in the
conduct Of the case.
The trial covered q period of three
months. II was not until December that
the jury box was filed. Jurymen were
secured one day, with intervals Of two
or three days when not a man was oh
tained. Two jGrymeH in one day was the
record. The repeated delay led Recorder
Con TO say - one occasion that unless
the LAWYERS ceased their chickering's he
would find way to get jury. Ills I'm
piled threat had It's effect.
On December 5 Mr. Osborne presented |
the case for tho State His speech Cc,u- |
pied five hours. Then began the hearing |
n witnesses. Days and days were con |
7umcd in hearing experts in handwriting |
and chemistry II was upon The writing !
ia the letters and on the package cover. |
and the chemical analyses Of the bodies. |
,hat the ease depended. The body Of II. |
G.. barnet was eNhumed and the contents |
n the stomach were subjected to an an
3'ysis.
Nolineux was attended ga count b7 bt7 |
wife, formerly Miss Blanche Chesebrough. |
and his fathcr. throughout the trial lie |
was GgfDudrd q ty Barlow s. WglI-a ami /
Iamos GCrdor Battle. The summing ru |
NJ he case 0CCuUisd two dayE. Mr. o.
5arue's address to the Jury was in uart. |
sU attack uuon the prisoners wife IN !
prisoner aid rot take the stand in his own |
-"half. and much was made "f that f-cf
Hy the prosecution. The verdict Of guilty. /
Vas rendered on February II. TWO 9s vs |
atCr Malineu,- was sentenced to die lu tha
lCctric chair n sing Sing IN the WseE
seginniug March ZS, 1870
Vie was tol-en 10 the death hour At |
iag sing prison that Same dav. A staF
lauling AN appeal was procured by MGii- |
leuN's counsel at once, aud moro than |
year was spent IN preparing the papers f. |
hc auuo1l. The document was held b. |
.rcardOr C0G for nearly two months. and |
'"yg--i times was revised in part Iy 10" |
-acorHrr before s. vas returr,a t. fbr |
% nt'-s for FINAL Correction The c1so w1e