Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-27
Writing Expert Testiies in
Molineux Trial.
MRS. ROGERS CALLED
DAUGHTER OF MRS. ADAMS DE-
SCRIBES TRAGEDY.
Tells How Her Mother Drank the Poi
soned Headache Powders and
Collapsed at Once.

NEW YORK, October 27.-The trial OF
Roland B. MolineuX was continued today.
At the first trial of the case 1t took eight
weeks to get jury and examine six wit
rlesses In the seven and one-half days
Of the present trial, since the jury was
obtained. thirty-six witnesses have been
called and cross-examined and counsel
have reached an agreement as to expert
testimony in handwriting that 1t is ex-
pected will materially lessen the technical
ordeal to which jurors and audience were
subjected when Molineux first raced the
charge in November, 1899.
When court adjourned on Friday, Jonn
F. Tyrrell, the Milwaukee expert, was ter
ing the jury why he believed Molineux
wrote all the disputed writings, including
the address on the poison package wrapper.
Assistant District Attorney Osborne recall.
ed him to the stand as soon as the court
opened. He took up his testimony where
he left off when interrupted by the ad-
journment and told the jury where he foLa1
the .'Molneux characteristics in the dts
puted writings.
District Attorney Jerome sat with the
counsel for the state and now and tten
prompted Mr.. Osborne.
Handwriting Expert.
Mr.. Tyrrell laid particular stress upon
the similarity he found in the disputed
writings and in the writing known to have
been made by Molineux before there was
any suspicion of him as being concerned
in the death of Mrs Adams. The peculiar
tiles manifest in those writings and in the
disputed writings. he said, were lacking in
the request writings Molineux made for
the district attorney after he was Indirect
ly accused of the murder.
District Attorney Jerome asked the court
again to permit witness to illustrate his
meaning on the blackboard.
Il see no occasion for it. otherwise 1
would allow ruled the court.
Mr.. Jerome insisted that time would be
saved and involved points made clear If Mr..
Tyrrell was permitted to use his board, and
the court granted the application.
Mr.. Tyrrell copied the first syllable Of the
word "Knickerbocker'' from the poison
package address and compared it with the
&C. K" in the word tickets appearing In
letter Molineux wrote to Cornish about
an athletic entertainment in November,
The expert made like comparisons with
the ''k'' in book appearing in one of the
Barnet letters. and in business letter
written by Molineux. and with letters in
the word west and street appearing in
another Barnet" letter, and on the adj
dress West s4th street. on an envelope
Molineux wrote to Mr.. Shelter.
Enough Expert Testimony.
Justice Lambert said he thought the jury
had seen enough and the expert relinquish-
ed the blackboard
AT Mr.. Osborne's request the expert pro-
ceeded to point out the peculiarties in
handwriting about which he had testified.
do you consider the study of handwrit-
ing an exact science?' eX-Gov. Black said,
in opening his croSS-examination. -'
In some instances, yes; in some, no."
1T is based upon the theory of proba-
bility, is 1t not?"
Yes, suppose So"
Did you ever know of any other exact
science based on probability
No"
In answer to Mr. Black witness said there
were other capital IT'S" and Ms" in the
he had testified as resembling similar let
tiers in disputed writings. The Illustrations
made on the blackboard were not fac SIM
lies of the writings copied.
Mrs. Rogers Called.
Mrs. Rogers. daughter of the dead wo-
man, was next called and to Mr.. Osborne's
questions told of going to the theater with
her mother on the night of December II,
of her mothers headache in the morning.
and of her appeal to Cornish for draught
of his br0mO-SeltZer.
She told of giving the poisoned drink to
Mrs. Adams and Of her almost immediate
collapse.
To the counsel for the defense Mrs Rog-
ers said her relationship to Cornish is by
marriage. and not by blood.
She said she had known Cornish nearly
all her life; that the fact of the separation
from her husband. occurring a couple of
months after Cornish came to New York,
was only a coincidence.
Mrs. Rogers denied absolutely that her
mother ever hired letter box from Daniel
Callahan. who said last week that she did,
and declared that she and her mother had
no secrets from each other. Mrs Rogers
said she had private letter box once
under an assumed name.
Counsel were arguing whether Mrs. Rog-
should should not be asked to iGen-
tify Cornish's handwriting, when an ad-
iOurnment was taken until 9 O'clock