Evening journal., 1904-04-07
MRS. BOTNN IS
KISSED IN COURT
Women Weep and Men
Leave Court During
Appeal to Jury
ALLEGED POISONER COLLAPSED
Counsel For Defense Scores John P.
Dunnine as an ungrateful Man Who
stuns the Hand That Fed Him-Jury
Gets Case Today

San Francisco, Cal. April Law
yer Knight. the chief counsel for Mrs.
Cordela Botkin. was the bright par
ticular star I'm Judge Cooks court yes
terday In summoning up for the de-
fense of the alleged posone- he was
theatrical at times, and emphatic al
ways to a degree that startled his au-
dtors. on a few occasions he was so
delicately sympathetic in tone and
manner that women in the court room
wept, and many men were glad to de-
part.
Mrs. Botkin was compelled TO under
go a terrible ordeal while Mr.. Knight
reveled I'm ol'atory. Sometimes, when
illusions were made to her deceased
/ father and to her white-haired mother,
! i'm Healdsburg. Mrs. Botl1in broke down
/ completely, and showed plainly that she
had not fortified herself against the
mental perils of a presentation OF the
case by a lawyer who Is an orator of
note.
1t was not until the close Of the days
proceedings that the real sensation Of
the trial came as a genuine surprise.
During his harangue to the jury Mr.
Knight arraigned the women I'm the
court room for their morbid curiosity
snd their lack of feeling for the de-
! fenseless woman on trial.
Denunoiation Was Bitter.
His denunciation was bitter in the
extreme, and subsequent events proved
/ that it was not without a salutary ef-
feet, for, for the first time in the his
/ tory of the case there occurred a DEM
onstration for the accused woman.
Half of the women attending the
trial, probably 100 gathered around
the prisoner; some kissed her cheek,
others stroked her hand, while others
approached and offered words OF en-
! couragement.
A denunciation Of John p. Dunning
in language that was certainly intend
ed to sting brought tears 10 the eyes OF
Mrs. Botkin yesterday. Attorney
MCGOWAN held Dunning up before the
jury ana painted him as black as
clouded midnight. It was just what
ex-Judge Ftrrat had done Tuesday
with Mrs. Botkin. but she was COM
PEELED 10 sit and hear it an. while the
crowd watched her every movement
Dunning was not i'm court to hear TIL,
tongue-lashing by Mr.. McGowan. but
Mrs. Botkin heard both and after the
curious crowd had left the court room
at noon, and when she remained with
only her sister and brother-in-law pres
ent. the accused woman broke down
Scathing would be a mild word for the
fierce arraignment made of Dunning
1t was delivered in earnestness, and
lpreciseness made it sharp. 1t caused
rapt attention by the jury. and was fol-
lowed by an ominous silence in the
court room.
Scores John p. Dunnine.
'I regret to hold up to condemnation
any fellow-citizen," Mr.. MCGOWAN said
but John p. Dunning is an ungratefu
man, who stung the hand that fed him
This woman dragged him from his de.
gradation, and endeavored to instill in
him some spark of manhood. After
feeding him. he turned on her like a
demon or a cannibal to sacrifice her III
an effort to hide his own shame. II,
has no shame. He shook his head il
negative when I asked him yesterday II
he was ashamed. John p. Dunning 1.
absolutely devoid of shame. There i,
nothing in his heart or mind of man.
J hood"
The reference to Dunning came in the
middle of Mr.. McGowan's address tC
the jury. He faced the jury all tn,
time he was speaking. He took up ths
various threads of evidence of the pro.
secution, and derided the handwriting
experts, saying that it was an experl
who wrongfully sent Dreyfus TO Devil.
Island. AS to the anonymous letters
Attorney MCGOWAN asserted that tn,
prosecution exercised Jumping conjec.
ture and guessed logic"
The case win be in the hands Of tn,
=, jury at the close of this afternoon.
D session.