New-York tribune., 1902-10-28
MRS ROGERS ON THE STAND
URoss-EXAMINED on RELATIONS WITH
CORNISH
cEr,rRrrY n pIsPosING OF HANDWRITING
EXPERTS AT MoLINEUH TKlAl-fhoSE-
cuTIoN MAY REST TO-DAY


YESTERDAY. but her testimony was uni-nportant'
and she remained calm under spirited cross
examination by Ex-Governor Black
Assistant District Attorney osborne, by whose
.,ae sat District Attorney Jerome succeeded In
,yetting blackboard testimony in. but II lasted
sor only fifteen minutes. The day was more re-
rnarkable for the celerity with which handwrit-
sne experts were disposed of than for any testi-
mony.
A. A. Harpster. Of Chicago. who was ex-
pected 10 reach here 10 testify yesterday. was
not on hand. hut Is expected 10 he to-day
John F. TyrrelI the handwriting expert re
,uued the stand as the first witness. He told
the jury where he had found 'MolineuN charac-
teristics" IN the disputed writings He gave ms
,estin1onv i'm monologue that had been care
fully rehearsed Tyrrell laid particular stress on
the similarity ne found in the disputed writings
and in the writings known 10 have been hhaue
by MolineuK before suspicion was directed low
ard him The peculiarities manifest IN those
writings and in the disputed writings, ne salo'
were lacking in the request" writings Mo4l-
neux made for the District Attorney aiter nc
was indirectly accused
Does it not often happen that experts IN
handwriting giving testimony under oath fire.
ouently take opposite Sides and give evidence
that is absolutely irreconcilable2' asked eA-
Governor Black in cross-examining.
The following is a part OF the questions ana
answers:
Q-You have found capital ms" .taSes n thSss
writings writings thar tyss EsseTPie RiT 'he m " 's
o.-Do you know there are eighty-on o'he' 'Ai
q You have found thirty-seven t. which you
have ne BseS SoS f9T So% there are otS
vritines% Al know there are other rs 49,, -
make the etters you drew look alike? A-Yes. sir
Mrs. Rogers told of her appeal to Cornish
Cor a draught of the bromo seltzer for her
mother. the giving OF the poisoned drink 10
Mrs. Adams and her almost immediate collapse
Most of Ex-Governor Blacks -eXamina-
ton was devoted to the relationship between
the witness and Cornish. Mrs. Rogers fenced
a little now and then, when the counsel found
that her answers did not agree with those she
gave al the former trial and taxed her with
convenient memory, hut. on the whole, she held
her own well.
She said she had known Cornish nearly all
her life and that separation from her husband.
occurring couple OF months after Cornish came
10 New-York. was only coincidence.
Following is part Of the cross-exaInination:
o-Have YOU seen Mr.. Cornish often OF late? A
o9Dd You See him Saturday night2 Al do
ODD he stay with you until aTter L O'CLOCK!
Ale left the house with my brother
o-Are you and Mr. Cornish married now? A
q IBID You not go together to Fer Rockaway7
Ave might have ] think ik we ,bTes qa, savs r-orn
Friday to Monday? A.-we dod not: We returned
9..saa al you ,r no rsotbeT9 A@No
Mrs Rogers said she had private letter boH
once under an assumed name. She hired IL from
David Murdock, of No. sos Columhus-ave.
admitted sending her lawyer. a Mr.. Set
TEL 20 threaten Daniel Callahan with a suit for
damages II he does not withdraw his statement
that Mrs. Adams hired letter box from him a
few months before her death
Did you ever buy bromo seltzer?' asked ex-
Governor Black
Never"
did you ever buy anything from the drug
store at Park-ave and Sixty-siXth-st when
you lived across the road from there?"
Il don't remember If ] did not. / may
have"
did Cornish ever kiss your" Mr.. Osborne
asked
Never"
did you ever sit in his lap?'
The witnesses answer was drowned in the OBJ
Section of Ex-Governor Black
At the first trial Mrs. Rogers admitted that
the family asked 10 leave the apartments
at sixty-siXth-st. and Park-ave. Ex-Governor
Black got her 10 repeat that admission and
then she told Mr.. Osborne that Cornish had a
birthday party there and the noise his friends
made annoyed the neighbors. AS result OF
the lnpedSantneSS mat IOllOWed lneg leIt lne
house
Alfred S. Osborn, part proprietor OF COM
nlercisl school in Rochester and a handwriting
expert, declared that the hand that wrote the
poison package address and the other disputed
letters was the hand that wrote the conceded
writing OF Molineux
Mr.. Osborn frequently started TO explain
statement referring TO some peculiarity the wit
ness had mentioned. by saying:
That Indicates
Ex-Governor Black objected each time and
Justice Lambert sustained each objection. rul-
ing that the experts might state only what they
believed 10 be facts.
As soon as Mrs Rogers was released from the
witness stand she took seat beside Cornish
They sat for an hour listening TO the testi-
mony and then left court together. followed by
q small crowd OF men and women with cameras.
Assistant District Attorney Osborne wanted TO
put Alvin A. Harpster on the stand before he
called Mr.. Osborn, but there was no reply when
the court crier called his name. and the expert
took the stand.
Osborn's testimony was a confederation OF
Tyrrell's.
DO you, know il they (other writings OF the
oefendantG were left out or this case because
they did not show the peculiarities you spoke
or" asked Ex-Governor Black.
Il don't understand So" was the reply.
They can have the other letters" said the As
sistent District Attorney in an undertone 20
Deputy Assistant Smyth, who sat beside him
i object" shouted Ex-Governor Black. that
counsel for the prosecution should oonfine his
lury."
The counsel should do So" ruled the court
Professor Osborn denied that ne had discussed
with the Assistant District Attorney the eyf-
oence that he 10 give
Has there been no understanding between the