The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-01
Says He Never Used Cyanide of Mercury and Didn't
 Buy the Bottle Holder
ANSWERS QUESTIONS BY
 MR. OSBORNE FEARLESSLY
Attorney Succeeds, However, In Get ting Nearly All the MiIando Tes- timony Before Jury By se-
 ries of Shrewd Questions.

New York. October s1.-Roland B. Mo- lineux took the witness stand today to testify in his own defense against the charge of murdering Mrs. Katherine J. Adams. In response to the questions of his counsel, former Governor Black. he declared his absolute innocence of any part of knowledge Of the crime. and cat egoricalIy denied that he had written the Barnet and Cornish letters; that he had ever made cyanide of mercury, or that he had ever seen the silver bottle holaer in which the poison was sent until t was exhibited in court He admitted having written and signed with his own hand his one letter asking for a certain ratent remedy, on the famous blue inter- laced crescent paper, identical with that on which the Cornish letters were writ ten, and said he procured the paper al the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. His bitter diff. ferences with Cornish, which resulted ir his leaving the Knickerbocker Athletic club, were related by Molineux without any apparent reserve.
 The witness sustained unmoved a rig
 
 Attorney Osborne answering readily all questions as to his past life. his relationi with Cornish and Barnet and the efforts he and other members ct the club had made to discover any one who had common enhiBys to the two named
 Osborne Succeeded.
 The feature of the cross-examinatior was MT. Osborne's successful effort tc place before the jury the substance oi the testimony given at the first trial by Mamie Melando and Detective Farrell but excluded by Justice Lambert. This was accomplished by the experiment oi framing a series of questions relative to statements purporting to have beer made by the witness outside of the tes- timony, but practically covering every essential feature of it. to which frequent and vehement objections were made by MT Black. Throughout his examination and his cross-examination Molineux pre- served an unruffied and confident de- meanor. answering all questions prompt ly and even smiling occasionally when relying to his own counsel
 The announcement that defense would be made. none having been undertaken at the first trial, and that Molineux him. self would face his accuser, drew an immense throng to the court room. In the afternoon so great was the crush that police reserves were called out to pre- serve order and Justice Lambert himself had the utmost difficulty in forcing passage through the crowd into the court room.
 As soon as the jury was boiled fromer <N- Tof -T- L--- 1a .4.-~w ~A dress. He kept the promise he made yesterday and spoke for less than fyc minutes. He declared the accused man innocent of any connection with the crime and promised to show to the satisfaction of the jury that Molineux never wrote any of the eliminating letters or the ad- dress on the poison package
 Molineux on Stand.
 When he finished he called Roland B. Molineux, take the witness chair
 Replying to the first question of his lawyer Moineux gave his age as Sa years, told the date of his arrest and the length of time he was in the Toombs and in Sing Sing prison.
 He said he took a course in chemistry in Cooper Union after he left school. When he was 16 years old he went to Utah and Mexico. He was correspondent in divorce suit. and 1t was thought better that he should leave the city for a while He returned to New York a year later and got employment in his fathers firm Devoe Reynolds & Co.,, paints and colors He continued with the firm until he went to Newark as superintendent of the color factory of Morris Hermann & Co. He was mem Der of the Knickerbocler Athletic club for two years, resigned In 1897, when he went to the New York club He was a member of the governing board of the Knickerbocker Athletic club.
 Molineux said he did not approve of Cornish's management of the baths of the gymnasium.
 Moiineux said he talked to Rudolph Helles, about Cornish. saying he .did not think Cornish was any good"
 MT. Black then questioned the defend ant as to his movements December S1 1S9S and Molineux said he went to New ark as usual that day to attend to bust ness and returned to New York in the evening.
 Did Not Buy BottlehoIder.
 Did you buy the bottleholder?' asked MT. Black.
 Nc" replied Molineux.
 Did you ever see it?'
 No"
 On December 23 he went to Columbia college, and he thought it probable that he called at the New 1Urk oince or nia firm, as was his custom to do almost ev- cry day.
 In the evening lie went to the opera. He was not nearer to the general post office that day than Cortland. which Is four blocks away. The poison package was mailed at the general postoffice. ,'Did yon mail the poison packager asked MT. Black.
 No sir
 .swhen did vou first gee the adfresu or the package?"
 T think at the last trial have never had 1t in my hands. The questions of
 
 (contInued on Second PaoQ