The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-11-10
erdict in MoIineux Case IS
Expected Very Soon, as
Evidence Is About in.
TROUBLE between THE
ACCUSED AND CORNISH
II All Happened Year Before the Pack
age of Poison Was Sent, According to
One Attorney-Ex-Governor Black
Lets Loose and Says Some Very Sar-
castle Things, as Well as Offering to
Buy Poison Enough to Kill Everybody.
[BY ASSOCIATED rRrss.1

[BY ASSOCIATED rREss.1
New York, Nov Io.-The criminal
branch of the supreme court opened to-
day on the closing scenes of the second
trial of Roland Molneux for the murder
Of Katherine j. Adams, on December IS,
1893.
An hour before the official time for
opening the court more than 900 men
and women thronged the corridors OF the
criminal building and clamored for ad.
mission. A special squad of policemen
was on duty to reinforce the court squad
and the visitors were formed into lines
four deep and compelled to show their
cards Of admission.
In opening his address Former Gov
ernor Frank S. Black said Molineux was
director of the Knickerbocker Athletic
club, where Cornish was employed. Mol
ineux did not like Cornish and he did not
like Harpster. He had many friends in
the club and perhaps many enemies. Cor
nish wrote what Molineux considered an
improper letter, and Molineux complained
OF 1t.
"Was that any reason for Molneux
sending to Cornish quantity of poison
sufficient to kill any man in that club 7"
dSNCd WI. DldCk. AOTillSH 1nSulteu
Molineux and Molineux behaved like
gentleman, regarding the difference OF
their station, and passed on. Is that proof
OF murder? Nothing else under the sky
has been produced here to indicate any
motive Molneux could have for wanting
to kill Cornish.
Trouble With Cornish.
"The trouble between Cornish and Mol
,,AI III.
the poison package appeared. No evil
dence has been presented here to show
that in all that time Mr.. Molineux had
said an unkind word or uttered one un-
charitable thought toward Cornish. All
the evidence in this case points away from
Molineux and towards another man, |
shall indicate who that man is before ] sit
down. The case points to that man just
as surely as the needle points to the north
star"
Ex-Governor Black ridiculcd the test-
mony of Joseph Koch, the Broadway letter
box man, who said Molineux rented let
ter box from him and declared it to be the
evidence of man who "pedded his story
and his eternal soul at the same time"
The governor took up the question Of
writing and declared that the Washington
expert, Hay. was "a stupendous fraud"
when he testified that none OF the "rc-
quest writing made by Molineux con-
tained a characteristic to be found in his
other writing and in the disputed writing.
Then he dwet at length upon the alleged
suppression of evidence by the district at
torneys Office and argued that the evil
dcncc might point to some other than
Molneux.
How About Those Letters?
"The prosecution" he said "has pro-
duced here the poison package wrapper,
the envelope to the Burns letter we con.
cede to have been written by Molineux,
the envelope to the Harpster and the Bar
net letters, but where are the envelopes
to the Cornish letters? Not one Of them
has been presented in evidence. Why
have they been suppressed? Did they
show too much? You may forget to date
your letters, but Uncle Sam never forgets.
Did the Cornish envelope show too much?
I'm Molineux's desk, Newark, was
package of small envelopes used for in
closing cards. The detectives of the dis
trict attorneys Office found them, but they
did not match envelopes that accom-
panied the poisoned package and so they
were suppressed. Was that to shield any
body?
~ Nas ~ SIiIiC W MIS-. ADAMS,
but it would be no less crime to murder
this man OH the evidence in this case.
You are asked to believe that no man
can get cyanide of mercury unless he ap-
proaches it with mask, and in fact the
prosecution asks you to believe that it can
only be got in Newark. II you want it
you can get it. If any of you want cyan
ide OF mercury get it when you go to
lunch. Or, if Won have NOT pot time T1,
get you enough to poison every man
within the sound of my voice and it shah
not cost you more than IS cents"
AS to the Barnett letters Mr.. Black
said: II don't know and | don't care
when and where they were mailed and
Molineux does not know and he does
not care"
Expert Testimony Analysed.
Counsel analyzed the testimony of the
handwriting men to show how they diff
fered and how all had admitted, under
cross-examination, that there were hun
dreds of characters in the disputed and
conceded writings that in no way re-
Scmble each other.
Coming to the connection of Cornish
with the case, Mr.. Black declared that he
was not arguing for the punishment of
any one, but that he believed it was his
duty to show the whole case to the iury
as he himself saw it.
There was crime and there was
motive" he said, "and the motive points
) to Harry S. Cornish"
Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Rogers mother, was
a good woman, Mr.. Black said. ,"Do
you think she looked with complaisancc
II