The Washington times., 1902-09-21
JUDGE BARRETT. WHO WILL
PRESIDE AT MOLMEUX'S TRIAL.

was so frequently moved to tears bim-
self in drawing tears from his auditors
that he came to be dubbed Weeping
Bill. Once upon time, as runs the le-
gend, an assistant district attorney,
while summing up to jury. warned the
men on it not to be swayed from their
duty by any tears from Weeping Bill
Howe.
The Molineux Case.
On the heels of the death of this emf
nent attorney approaches the trial OF
Roland B. Molineux-a principal in one
Of the most dramatic and sensational
criminal cases in local annals. 1t was
in December, 1897, that Harry Cornish,
a physical director in the Knickerbock-
er Athletic Club. received package
containing bottle Of cyanide of mer-
curry. 1t was labeled bromo seltzer.
Cornish took the package home with
him, and did not open 1t until Katherine
]. Adams became i'll one evening, and
sent to his room for some bromo seltzer.
He gave her the bottle. of poison, of
which she took considerable guam
tity with fatal effect Months were
consumed in gathering evidence which
eliminated in the arrest of Molineux and
his subsequent trial for murder, three
years later.
The Question of Fact.
1t developed in the trial. which re-
cri1fod in bo oopu;a,;o,
who took an appeal, that Molineux and
Cornish were enemies. Did Molineux
send the poison to Cornish? Upon this
question hinged and still hinges his in
nocence or guilt. Arrayed against each
other in the trial, which began Novem-
ber Is and did not go to the jury until
February 10. 1900, was the office of the
District Attorney, represented by As
sistant District Attorney Osborne for
the prosecution, and Lawyers George
Gordon Battle and Barlow S. Weeks,
assisted by some of the ablest talent
in the criminal branch of American ju-
risprudence. for the defense. Upon the
innocence or guilt of Mollineax the pro-
still is hanging. Even the Spanish
American war, which was fought and
won during the interim, failed to blot
out the memory of the tragedy or to
quench the thirst with which the public
drank in every detail of the case. This
was largely owing to the prominence
of the Mollineux family. General Moli-
neux, the father of the prisoner, being
one of the honored veterans of the civil
war and man of signal prominence in
this city.
Molineux's Chances.
Details of the former trial are still
fresh enough in the public mind not to
need being repeated. Molineux has
since spent his time in Sing Sing and
the Tombs awaiting new trial upon
an appeal which his counsel asked for
on technical grounds. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Osborne admitted a few
days ago that Molineux would probably
be acquitted during the forthcoming
trial in October. With one possible ex-
ception, no man who ever has been con-
victed OF murder and has secured a new
trial in this city has been found guilty
the second time in the same degree.
One of the famous murder cases which
went to trial three times-the first re-
sulting in disagreement, the second
verdict of murder in the first degree.
and the third in brief term of penal
that of Edward Stiles
Stokes for the killing of John Fisk. This
tragedy and the trial that followed
marked the elimination of a remark
able career. Edward S. Stokes was |
native Philadelphian, whose mother was
a member of the well-known Stiles fam
lily there.
He was educated in private schools
and academies, and when a young man |
was an athlete and sportsman In 1860 |
he went to New York and embarked in |
business as a member of the firm OF
Budlong & Stokes. He was bold spec
Ilator on the Produce Exchange, aud the
operations of the firm amounted to mil
lions. In 1866 the partnership was dis