The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-04-09
BOTK|N ATTORNEYS
ENCOURAGED
A New Trial is Promised
Prisoner is Resigned
to Her Fate

Mrs. Cordelfa Botk1n has been con-
vcted of murder for the second time,
as announced in yesterdays issue OF
the Silver State. The crime for which
Mrs. Botkin was sentenced to life I'M
prisonment Is too well known to re-
quire reviewal. Attorneys George A.
Knight and Senator MCGOWAN have
made a haid fight. against the most
convincing testimony ever given In a
murder trial where circumstant' al evil
dence was relied upon for conviction.
The corridor was packed when the
jury filed into the court room at HIS
o'clock Thursday night. During the
dramatic scene to follow Mrs. Botkin
retained her composure wonderfully,
not even trembling.
A verdict had been reached and the
jury filed slowly into the jury box
Judge Cook made his announcement
about order and the clerk called the
roll.
The silence was intense and afte'
what seemed an interminably long
time Judge Cook sad: Gentlemen Of
the jury, have you agreed upon
ukti We HdNtt SOuI ilbiioit
said Foreman Hyman, at the same
time handing the fatal slip of paper to
the court.
"The clerk viii read the verdict"
said Judge Cook. and then in a delib-
crate tone the officer of the court read:
I'VE, the jury, find the defendant,
Cordelia Botkin. guilty of mu- der In
h. her
punishment therefor at Imprisonment
I'm the state prison for life"
Judge Cook thanked the jury and
fixed April 16 as day of sentence. Al
the Delaware witnesses were near the
jury box when the verdict was ren
dered. The jury went out at 4:30
m.. returned once at 9:15 for instruc-
tions ard returned to the jury room to
deliberated until 11:15, when a verdict
was reached.
Mrs. Botkn's attorneys promised her
a new trial. but she replied; You held
out too much encoura cement for me:
you have been too good. / do not ex.
pect another trial. 1t is my fate. | am
resigned"
Il am satisfied with the verdict -
said District Attorney Byington.
II always accept the verd ct of o
Jury. or course we shall appeal to
the supreme court for a new trial ]
do not believe that the supreme court
will ever sustain such a verdict. No
one should ever be convicted of muir
der on such evidence as was intro
duced by the prosecution I'm this case
Look at their evidence-its an injus
tice. have no doubt that NJ s. Bot
kin will be granted a new trial." said
George A. Knight, attorney for Mrs
Botkin
Six years have passed since the con-
yicted murderess was first arrested
charged with this awful crime. a short
history of which follows:
The two trials of Mrs. Botkin, in both
of which the vefdicts were the same
have cost the city of San Francisco
nearly $4,000. and have demanded IN
one way or another the attention OF
the judicial departments for five anc
a half years. Mrs. Dunning died In
Delaware on August IL. 1898. the day
following the death of her sister. Mrs
Deane. who had also partaken OF the
poisoned candy mailed to them by
Mrs. Botl<in. Their deaths led to an
Investigation. which was extended &c
San Francisco and resulted in the in
dictment and arrest of Mrs. Botk.n
early In November of the same year.
Her trial began before Judge Cook De
Nd faf Of
der in the first degree was rendered
by the jury on December 80, 1mmed'-
ately afterward her attorneys took an
appeal to the state supreme court and
were granted a new trial on the
ground that the lower court had erred
in its instructions to the jury on the
question of circumstantial v'dence
An appeal was also taken to the Unit
ed States supreme court on questions
of CALIFORNIA; jurisdiction in the case
but the court ruled adversely to the
appellant.
The lmpaneling of a jury for the sec
ond trial began in February and the
hearing of the case commenced on
March Ia. From its beginning to It's
finish the case was fraught with ex-
citing incidents, the most sensational
of which was the declaration of juror
Goetjen that he had been approacheo
with an offer of money for verdlc'
I'm the interest of the defendant. since
then the last jury has been kept con-
stantly together. sleeping at night II
apartments at the Palace hotel. un'
der the watchful eye of a deputy sher'