Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-10-29
MOLINEUx TRIAL.
Possibility Of Prosecution Clos
ing It's Case, Today.
Handwriting Suppositions Continued
by Experts TyreIl and Osborne.
Admissions and Denial by Mrs. Rogers,
Dead Woman's Daughter.

i
Molineux is accused, was the most con-
spicuous witness on the stand at the
trial. Monday. Mrs. Rogers was SUBJ
jected to a close examination regarding
her relations with Harry Cornish, but
little that was significant was ELECTED
in this line of inquiry. Mrs. Rogers re-
lated the circumstances of her mothers
death Immediately after taking the poi
son.
The greater part OF the session was
devoted to the examination Of hand
writing experts. who testified to the
identity of specimens of Molineux's ad-
mitted handwriting with the address
on the poison package and that of the
disputed letters.
i The trial of Roland B. Molineux was
continued. Monday morning. At the
| first trial of the case it took eight
| weekc to get jury and examine six
| witnesses. In the seven and a half days
of the present trial, since the jury was
obtained, 36 witnesses have been called
| and cross-examined and counsel have
reached an agreement as to expert tes-
timony in handwriting that it is ex-
pected will materially lessen the tech
nical ordeal to which jurors and audi
ence were subjected when Molineux
first faced the charge in November,
1899.
When court adjourned. Friday. John
F. Terrell. the Milwaukee expert. was
telling the jury that he believed Moli-
neux wrote all the disputed writings.
including the address on tie poison
package wrapper. Assistant District
Attorney Osborne recalled 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 'Molineux characteristics" in the
disputed writings. District Attorney
Jerome sat with the counsel for the
state and now and then prompted Mr..
Osborne.
Mr.. Tyrell 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 con-
cerned in the death of Mrs. Adams. The
peculiarities manifest in those writings
and in the disputed writings, he said,
were lacking in the request" writings
Molineux made for the district attor-
ney after he was indirectly accused of
the murder.
District Attorney Jerome asked the
court again to permit the witness to
illustrate his meaning on the black
board.
II see no occasion for it, otherwise /
would allow it, ruled the court.
Mr.. Jerome insisted that time would
be saved and the court granted the
application.
Mr.. Tyrell copied the first syllable of
the word "knickerbocker" from the poi
son package address and compared it
with the 'ck'' in the word tickets" APP
pearing in letter Molineux wrote to
Cornish about an athletic entertainment
in November, 1897.
The expert made like comparisons with
the * in book appearing in one of
the Barnet letters and in business
letter written by Molineux. and with let
ters in the word west and street ap-
pearinS in a Barnet" letter and on the
address West S4th street on an en-
velope Molineux wrote to a Mr.. Shelter.
Justice Lambert said he thought the
jury had seen enough and the expert re-
iinquished his blackboard.
At Mr.. OsbOrne's request the expert
proceeded to point out the pecuiiarlties
in handwriting about which he had tes-
titled.
'Do you consider the study of hand
writing an exact science?" Ex-Governor
Black said in opening his cross-examina-
ton. 'In some instances. yes; in some.
no."
1T is based upon the theory Of prob; ro
ability. is it not?,' Yes. l suppose SO.
seiense Ya based eve% on kmS% proSaSiity
Mrs. Rogers. daughter of the dead wo-
man. was next called and to Mr.. Os-
borne's questions told "f going to the
theatre with her mother on the night
of Dec. q. of her mothers headache IN
the morning and of her appeal to Cor
nsh for a drauglt of his bromo seltzer
She told of giving the poisoned drink to
Mrs. Adams and of her almost imTe-
diate collapse.
To the counsel for the defence Mrs.
was 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 occurred couple Of
months after Cornish came to New York
was only coincidence.
Mrs. Rogers denied absolutely that her
mother ever hired a letter box from DAN
iel 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 let
ter box once under an assumed name.
She hired 1t from David MurdOck OF 5G
Columbus avenue.
Alfred S. Osborne. an expert in hand
writing. replying to Mr.. Osborne. said
the mana tndt Wrote tHe pOiSon pdchdSc
address and the other disputed letters
was the hand that wrote the conceded
writing of the defendant. Molineux.
The witness was armed with enlarged
photographs of the different exhibits |
mounted map-like. which he hung across |
the easel He began on the conceded |
handwriting and showed the peculiarities
he later discovered in the disputed writ |
ings.
I'VE concede." said Mr.. Black, that |
the triangular formation Of letters is dis |
tinctively found in Mr.. MOlineuxs writ |
ing.
To ex-GOv. Black, Mr.. Osborne said he |
hau examined other writings of the de- |
fendant than those included In the list
of exhibits.
do you know II they were left out of |
this case because they did not show the !
peculiarities you spoke off, Il don't un-
derstand so.'
Ex-Gov. Black showed the witness a |
bundle Of letters and asked him II he had L
ever seen them before. 1t developed that l
the papers were specimens of his hand |
writing made by Molineux in the pres
ence of and at the request of the district
attorney.
Somewhat of sensation was sprung at |
Monday nights meeting Of the Lawrence l
Mass, board of aldermen when Lawyer |
William ]. Bradley alleged that there L
as.<l