The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-10-28
MRS. ROGERS
TAKES STAND
Tells of Death of Her
Mother.
IS QUESTIONED CLOSELY
Relations With Cornish Sub
ject Of Interrogation.
Handwriting Expert Tyrrell Gives
the Jury q Lesson in chiro-
graphy-Rapid Progress
Made in the Case.

Rogers, daughter Of Mrs. Katherine j..
Adams Of whose murder Roland B. Moli-
neux, Ii accused was the most conspicu-
Gus witness on the stand at the trial to-
day. Her appearance attracted an un-
usual crowd Of women who followed the
examination Of the witness with the keen
est attention. N-''
animation regarding her relations with
Harry Cornish. but little that was signi-
Hcant was ELECTED in this line of inquiry.
Mrs. Rogers related the circumstances
Of her mothers death Immediately after
taking the poison and identified the glass
in which the fatal draught was admins
tered, and from which. she said. she
afterwards saw Cornish drink.
The greater part Of the session was de-
voted to the examination Of handwriting
experts who testified to the identity Of
specimens Of the admitted handwriting
of Molineux with the address on the
poison package and that Of the disputed
letters. ~ Pc; d" ---
1t was remarked In court after the ad-
JOuh tHot tfO C1oC AVA thc ptoScCu~
ton would close tomorrow In which event
the case may go to the jury by the end
Of the week. -.~-..
Work Done Quickly.
At the first trial of the case 1t took
eight weeks to get jury and examine
six witnesses. In the seven and q half
days of the trial since the jury was OBJ
tained, 'thirty-six witnesses have been
called and crossed-examined and counsel
have reached an agreement as to expert
testimony In handwriting that, 1t Is ex-
pected, will materially lessen the techni-
cal ordeal to which jurors and audience
were subjected when Aolineaux >first
faced the charge In November, lsSs.
When the court adjourned On Friday,
John r. Terrell. the Milwaukee expert,
was telling the jury why he believed
Molineaux wrote all the disputed writ
ings including the addresses on the poison
package wrapper. ~ ~ 81
Assistant District Attorney Osborne re-
called him to the stand as soon as the
court opened. He took up his testimony
where he left off when interrupted by
the adjournment and told the jury where
he had found the. "MolineauK character
istics" in the disputed writings.
District Attorney Jerome sat with the
counsel for the State and now and then
prompted Mr.. Osborne. ,. -
Expert on Stand. '
Mr.. Tyrreli laid particular stress upon
the similarity he found In the disputed
writings and In the writings known to
have been made by Molineaux before
there was any suspicion of him as being
connected with the death of Mrs. Adams.
The peculiarities manifest in those writ
ings and in the disputed writings, he
said, were lacking in the request" writ
inRs Molineux made for the district at
torney after he was indirectly accused Of
the murder District Attorney Jerome
asked the court again to permit witness
to illustrate his meaning on the black
board.
~ see no occasion for 1t, otherwise
would allow It," ruled the court. .,
Mr.. Jerome insisted that time would be
saved and involved points cleared II Mr..
Tyrrelf was permitted to use his board
and the court granted the application.
Mr.. Tyrrel copied the frst syllable OF
the word 'Knickerbocker" from the poi
son package address and compared with
it the "ck'' in the word tickets" ap-
bearing In a letter Moiineaux wrote to
Cornish about an athletic entertainment
in November. 1897.
Many Letters Compared.
The expert made like comparisons with
the ''k' in book appearing In one OF
the Barnett" letters and sent In busi-
ness letter written by Molineaux and
with letters In the word West" and
street" appearing 4n another Barnett"
letter and on the address West S4th
street 'on an envelope Molineaux wrote
to a Mr.. Shelter.
Justice Lambert said he thought the
Jury had been showed enough and the
It, a lie n
At Mr.. Osborne's request the expert
proceeded to point out the peculiararities
in handwriting about which he had testi-
fed
DO YOU consider the study OF hand
writing an exact science" Ex-Governor
Black asked in opening his cross-exami-
nation =,
- I'm some instances. yes, in some no."
ut is based upon the theory OF prob
ability, is it hot?"
Yes. l suppose So"
Did you ever know of any other exact
science based on probability"
mo"
In answer to Mr.. Black. witness said
there were other capital IT'S" and ms"
in the conceding writings of Molineux be-
sides those he had testified as resembling
similar letters in disputed writings. The
Illustrations made on the blackboard were
NOT fac SMILES of the writings copied
Mrs. Rogers. daughter Of the dead
voman. was next called and to Mr.. Os-
horns questions told of going to the thea.
ter with her mother. on The night OF
December 27. and Of her mothers appeal
N Mr.. Cornish the next morning Tor the
medicine She told OF the giving OF the
poisoned medicine to Mrs. Adams ana OF
her almost Immediate collapse.