The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-20
FATE OF MOLINEUX
NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE COURT
OF APPEALS.
DAVID 3. HILLS GREAT SPEECH
A STRONG APPEAL FOR ENFORCE
MENT OF LAW.

MoIineux's Counsel, in Reply,
Points Ont Great Flaws in the Case
of the state-SeveraI Important
Links in the Chain of Evidence of
the Prosecution suII Very Weak.
gen. Molineux I'm Court-Court
May Take Several Months to De-
eide.
Buffalo. June 19.-The fate OF Roland B.
Molineaux. convicted of murder as the
poisoner of Mrs. Katherine j. Adams at
New York in December. 1899. is in the
keeping of the seven judges of the Court
of Appeals, who for three days past have
been listening to the arguments for and
against a new trial. The appeal was
finally submitted at 1885 o'clock this af-
ternoon, and the decision will not be an
nounced until some months hence, when
the court sits at Albany for the fall term.
The strange crime, with its complicated
plot and manifold mystery, retains
strong hold upon popular interest. The
crowd that sought admission to the
court room this morning was larger and
more determined than ever, and the ball
IFS had to resort to force to restrain
them. The principal speaker was former
United States Senator David b. Hin. ad-
vocate of the cause of the people who
had three hours and fifteen minutes OF
his allotted time left when court opened
at 10 O'Clock. He spoke until lis o'clock
and John G. Milburn. attorney for Moli-
neux, was heard fer twenty minutes in
concise reply.
Hill speaks for Law.
Mr. Hill was again forceful and elo-
quent He declared that the question of
guilt was the main issue in the case, and
warned the court not to heed a plea that
dealt i'm technicalty. and urged objec-
tions to acts and rulings that had not
substantially affected the rights OF the
accused. If the courts were to be thus
swerved from the pathway of duty, he
suggested that the murderers might or
ganize a trust and ell enjoy freedom. In
a dissertation on the law he led the court
down a long line of authorities and decis-
ions all aimed at sustaining the use of.
the Barnet evidence, and the policy of
the lower court toward the exhibits Of
handwriting at the trial. In this admi-
ra-bly told story he made frequent rerer-
ence to the famous Tichborne case IN
England, tracing a similarity in the ad-.
mission of certain writings TO prove per-
jury on the part OF the luckless claimant.
and in the policy OF objection and obstruc-
tion on the part of the defense.
In finally summing up Mr.. Hill review
ed the points made by him yesterday. aud
step by step traced out the main features
OF the theory of the people. He reviewed
the correspondence with the patent med-
cine dealers. and proclaimed Moiineux as
the author of the letters, the enemy of
Henry g. Barnet and Harry Cornish. the
coinpounder of the rare cyanide of mer-
curry, used In both crimes, and the man
who mailed the fatal poison that killed
Mrs. Adams.
MiIburn Makes Reply.
Mr.. Milburns reply was largely devoted
to an answer to personal criticism and
particularly to Mr. HIPS allusion to the
fact that throughout all his speech he
had not once expressed his personal con-
viction of the innocence of the man for
whom he pleaded. The strongest feature
of the reply was the indication of three
points Cd weakness in the case of the
people He drew attention to the fact that
the claim that Henry G. Barnet had re-
ceived poison rested solely upon the hear
say testimony of DR.. Douglas; also that
Molineux had not bought the bottlehold-
er, and had not been identified as the man
who hired the Koch letter box. without
which II was impossible, Mr.. Milburn said
to fix guilt upon him.
Gen. MoIineux In Court.
conspicuous figure during the argu-
ments was Gen. Moineux, the aged ia
ther Of the prisoner, whose face told OF
the strain that the always spirited and
at times bitter review OF the case had
been to him
There was no comment at the close, and
as attorneys ana spectators left their
chairs. Chief Judge Parker called the
next case.
Both Mr. Hill and Mr.. Milburn were
proffered enthusiastic congratulations for
their notable efforts.