Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-11-05
THE MOLINEUX TRIAL.

History of the Noted Murder Case
Now on It's Second Hearing In New
York.
On December 2S, 1898. Mrs. Katherine
Adams. an aged woman in New York,
died from the effects Of dose Of deadly
poison administered to her for medi-
cine. The poison had been sent in a
bromo-seltzer bottle to a young man
named Cornish, who lived with Mrs.
Adams and her daughter, and son. On
the morning Of that day Mrs. Adams
had a headache and Cornish gave her
a dose of the medicine. In short time
the woman died and the physicians pro-
nounced that she had been poisoned
with cyanide Of mercury, a rare and
very potent poison. The bromo-seltzer
bottle which contained this poison had
been sent to Cornish anonymously
through the mail and 1t was contained
in silver bottle-holder. Soon after the
death of Mrs. Adams, Roland B. Moli-
neux was charged with having caused
her death, tried and convicted. He ap-
pealed from some ruling OF the judges
who sat on the case and the case has
been in the courts ever since. 1t is an
illustration of the theory about New
York justice that conclusion can
scarcely ever be reached so long as one
of the parties in interest has the money
and inclination to continue litigation.
Unless justice is speedy it almost ceas-
es to be justice and is apt to become
rank injustice. If at last Molineux Is
convicted Of this crime and executed for
it, the retribution will have lost It's i'm
pressiveness. If it Is finally determin-
ed that he is innocent then he has been
the victim of the grossest wrong and
persecution. To be practically under
sentence Of death for several years is
a punishment almost as bad as death
itself, and the state has no right to In
flict It upon an innocent person. 1t is
this delay in dealing with cases, and es-
pecially criminal cases, which brings
the law into discredit and makes the
courts a mockery.
It is conceded by the state that Mol
ineux did not intend to murder Mrs.
Adams. He did not know her. 1t was
shown in the first trial that there was
enmity between Molineux and Cornish,
and the theory is that the intention was
to poison Cornish. Under the common
law, IL q person attempts to murder
one person and the attempt results In
the death of another, the crime Is the
same as If the purpose Of the attempt
had been accomplished. Therefore, 1t is
only necessary for the state to prove
that Molineux attempted to poison Cor
nish and the death of Mrs. Adams re-
suited. It was shown that the bottle
holder was purchased In Newark, and
some connection Or acquaintance was
shown between the prisoner and an en-
ploye Of the firm that sold 1t. One Of
the main features Of the evidence for
the prosecution was the testimony of
the writing experts. who undertook to
show that the handwriting Of the ad-
dress on the bottle was that Of the pris-
oner. This, taken in connection with
the handwriting in certain letters, with
the alleged motive for the crime and
with certain proof and theories about
the purchase Of the poison. was the
principal evidence for the state. All the
evidence seems to have been circum-
stantial. Nothing in the nature Of d.
rect connection with the crime was
shown. To sentence man to death up
on the testimony of handwriting ex-
pert would seem to be a most hazard
Gus oceeding.-Baltimore Sun.