The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-03-29

these not only by the handwriting but
also by some expression in the letters
which he said the defendant was in
the habit of using.
The witness stated that when he first
received a copy of one of the anonymous
letters from his wife he attributed the
authorship to another woman, but after
the death of his wife and an inspection
of the originals he came to the conclu
| sion that they were written by Mrs.
Botkin.
On cross-examination Dunning ad-
mttted that almost from the beginning
of the acquaintance between himself
and the defendant their relations had
been improper, even when his wife was
with him in this city. He admitted
having received and accepted from her
while in Salt Lake $40 or $50, which he
said was all the money she had ever
given him. Asked If he had ever re-
ceived money from other women, he re-
piled that at the time of the departure
of his wife for Dover he had been
given $500 by Mrs. Cordially, mutual
friend of theirs.
When Dunning returned from Salt
Lake he resumed his relations with
Mrs. Botlxin, and shortly before his de-
parture for Cuba to act as a CORE
spondent he lived at the Victoria Hotel
tailed how he broke the news to her
that he was going to Havana, and said
that she pleaded with him to abandon
the project, saying that he would be
better off in this city. At that time he
informed her that he did not intend to
return to San Francisco but ON his
return from Cuba would take UP his
residence in New York City with his
wife and child. On the night of his de-
parture she accompanied him to the
Sixteenth street station, in Oakland,
and cried bitterly, on the ferry and at
the parting on the train.
did the defendant ever give you
money to cover your defalcation with
the Associated Press?" asked Knight
she did not" replied Dunning.
Did any woman ever give you money
to cover that defalcation?"
mo, sir
Somehow Knight was wary of the
witness, who preserved an outwardly
calm exterior, whatever he might have
felt inwardly The cross-examination
was not nearly so humiliating and rig
orous as on the first hearing of the
case, and Dunning was allowed to go
with only few barbs to rankle as a
reminder of his experience on the stand
Mrs Almirah Ruoff was recalled to
identify card with Mrs. Botlkins adj
dress on 1t, which the witness claimed
to have seen the defendant write, and
this writing was admitted in evidence
as an exemplar
Mrs. Maggie Smith, in 1898 a cook
at the Victoria Hotel, testified that on
July 81 she saw Mrs. Botkin ascending
the stairs of the hotel in quiet, glid-
ing manner, as though wishing to
avoid detection. The witness placed
the time as about o'clock in the after
noon. She said that previously she had
nv Dali
that Mrs. Botkin was i'll and that din
ner would have to be sent to her room.
me prosecution lays much stress on
this evidence, because that was the
afternoon on which Mrs. Botkin is al
legged to have purchased at Haas &
Sons shop the candy subsequently
poisoned and sent to Mrs. Dunning
Mrs. Price is i'll and it may be neces-
sary to hold court at her bedside in
order to secure her testimony in cor
roboration of Mrs. Smith.
j. w. ErWin in 1898 a postal inspec-
tor, was called as an expert and iden-
t1hed the postmarks on the envelopes
inciosing the anonymous letters as
showing that they were mailed in San
Francisco.
Joseph S. Stevens, stenographer in
department II of the Superior Court.
where the last trial was held identified
the transcript of the proceedings, when
a letter written to Governor Budd.
signed "Cordelia Botkin,' and asking
thal assignment as nurse with the
troops going to the Philippines be given
the writer, was admitted TO be in her
handwriting by her attorney. Another
letter was shown to have been admitted
TO be in the handwriting of the de-
PENDANT in similar manner The Dis
trict Attorney offered them as exem-
plars OF Mrs. Botkin's handwriting, but
an opJectlon was entered and Judge
Cook took the matter under advise
ment.
Practically all the testimony for the
prosecution, except that of handwrit-
ing experts, is now in. 1t is thought the
case for the State will be submitted
this week.
The hearing will continue this morn