The sun., 1902-11-12
NOlineux's Acquittal.

The verdict of the jury in the Molineux
murder case acquitting MoLINEUX of the
crime of poisoning Mrs. KATHARINE j.
ADAMS on Dec. %, 1898, is one which has
been expected for some days past, and
the finding of acquittal will be generally
approved throughout the community.
In the opinion of calm and judicial
observers, the prosecution had utterly
failed to make out case against the
accused, and had failed to exclude that
reasonable doubt the exclusion of which
can be the only justification for bringing
in a verdict of guilty in a criminal case.
1t will be remembered that on the
first trial of MoLINEUx, the defendants $
counsel offered no evidence in his behalf
and on appeal relied solely on the errors
committed by the trial court in the ad-
mission Of evidence. The great error
in the former trial was the admission of
evidence tending to show that the de-
fendant had poisoned one HENRY C.
BARNET on the 10th day Of November,
1898. Proof Of certain facts and cir
cumstances tending to substantiate the
prisoners guilt of this distinct crime
had been admitted, it being the theory
of the prosecution that BARNETs death
was also caused by mercuric cyanide
poison.
. The Court Of Appeals reversed the
judgment of conviction, holding that by
the whole course of the trial and the
rulings Of the Court, MoLINEUx was
really and substantially required to
answer not only the charge of causing
the death of Mrs. ADAMS, but also the
charge of causing the death Of BARNET
and that this was reversible error
The history of the case in brief is as
follows:
Mrs. KATHARINE J. ADAMS and her
daughter. Mrs. ROGERS, lived together,
was a member of the same household
On the morning of Dec. "a. 1898, CORNISH
received through the mail a package
containing a silver bottle holder and a
blue bottle bearing bromo-seltzer label
and filled with powder purporting to
be bromo-seltzer. The bottle fitted into
the bottle holder. On the outside wrap
per of the package the address was
written Mr. HARRY CORNISH, Knck-
erbocker Athletic Club, Madison ave-
nue. and Forty-fifth street, New York
city" CORNISH cut this address from
the wrapper and placed it in his desk,
together with the envelope, the bottle
and the silver bottle holder. Three
days later CORNISH took these articles
home to the house of Mrs. ADAMS and
showed them to Mrs. ADAMS and to her
daughter Mrs, ROGERS. He then pre-
sented the silver bottle holder to Mrs
ROGERS, who had other toilet articles
resembling it in design on her bureau
On the following morning about o. clock
Mrs. ROGERS informed CORNISH that her
mother had headache, and asked him
for some of the brom o-scltzer he had
brought home. CORNISH poured tea
spoonful Of the contents Of the bottle
into a glass held by Mrs. ADAMS and
stirred it while she poured water upon
II from another glass, After the dose had
been prepared Mrs. ADAMS drank il:
she commented upon the peculiar taste
of the mixture, and CORNISH said (:
. Why, that stuff il all right" and swal-
lowed portion of what remained in
the glass A few minutes later Mrs.
ADAMS dropped to the floor in state
of collapse and died shortly thereafter.
Three days later Prof. WITTHAUs, an ex-