Evening journal., 1919-06-30
R. c. WHITE dies
OF HEART DISEASE
Was Prosecutor or Defender
in Several Noted
Murder Cases
DECEASED SERVED AS
ATTORNEY GENERAL
,peclal 10 The Evenlng journal.

Special 10 The Evening Journal.
GEORGETOWN. June 3O-Robert C.
White. dean Of the Sussex county bar
and former Attorney General OF the
state. died az his home on South Race
street. late Saturday nsht. OF heart
disease His death is great shock
10 his hundreds OF friends throughout
the slate. many of whom d not know
that he was ill The funeral viii be
held at 40 o'clock next saturday after
noon and interment viii be made al
Milton.
Mr.. White was widely known AS a
criminal lawyer of ability and during
his term as attorney general which
started i'm tS9j. he successfully assisted
boo the prosecution Of some famous
murder eases Peter J.. Cooper. now
deceased, was lls deputy attorney
general and Bernard j. McNey and
Walter Wilsil. state detectives.
Probably the most noted case that
Mr. White assisted in prosecuting was
that Of Ada T.. Botkin. Of san Fran
cisco. who was convicted of poisoning
Mrs. j. p. Dunnng and Mrs. J. D.
Dcanc of Dover. daughters of the late
Congressman John b. Pennington. Mrs
Botkin actuated by jealousy sent
poison candy from California TO Mrs
Bunnlng at Dover through the mail
Mrs. Dunning and Mrs. Desne, her
sister. who ate some OF the candy.
died and several others were critically
ill for a time but recovered.
Mrs. B0lkin Was tried In san Fran
e SEQ. convicted and sent 20 prison for
life. Mr.. White and state Detective
Rornsrd !. MrNey attended both OF the
Botkin trials in san Francisco. the
jury having disagreed Ia The first trial.
Nlr White assisted 30 The prosecution
ln the western city.
Another noted murder case that he
successfully prosecuted while atiOr-
ney-gencrsl was that OF James GOrdy.
GOrdy Nas convicted at Georgetown
Tor the murder Of his wife. New
York woman. The day after he mar
ried her
After his term a. sttorney-general
expired Mr.. White was counsel Tor
the defense IN a number OF more noted
murder cases. lie represented Elmer
Collins. who was acquitted on the
charge Of numbering his wife.
The deceased was born July 80. 1882.
near Milton. Sussex county, son OF
BENJAMIN and Harriet Hopkins White.
His at-grsndfslher. Paul White, was
born. lived and died in LeWes. and his
only son. Robert, grandfather Of Rob
ort T.. White. spent his entire life IN
Sussex county. as did his father. Ben
iamin White.
Robert g. White received his cdu-
cation I'm the public schsol OF Sus-
sex county. living with his father on
fhe old homestead until he was II
wears OF age. when he secured sit
nation IN a store in Drawbridge. this
county. Mhen he hecsme of age ne
went DO HarbesOu and engaged in busl-
ness for himself. Three years later ne
abandoned mercantile pursuits ana
read law i'm The Office OF the late VIII
lard SALISBURY in Dover.
Uc was admitted 10 the bar April
S. iSS0. and at once began his prac-
fire From 1893 10 1925 he was coun-
sci for the Levy Court or sussex
county. and on November %. 1899. was
appolnicd Ail0rney-General by Cover
nor Watson. being The last Attorney
General 90 be solocled In That way
Tho new state Constitution was pro-
claimed in 1897. and provided That the
Allornev-Gcneral should be elected by
ibe voters OF the state. Upon his re-
firemenl from The office he returned
10 his practice. which grew rapidly
and hc was associated with many I'M
pnrtant cases. lie was regarded as one
OF the leaders of the Sussex bar.
ON February &C. 1881. he was mar
ried 90 Laura. daughter Of John T. and
susan Conwell lie was a member OF
inc Presbyterian Church and an elder.