The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 30, 1898, Page 1

Call 1898. = The SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, VOLUME LXXXIV.—NO 91. PRICE FIVE CENTS. MRS. BOTKIN, CHARGED WITH ' MURDER, ASKS FOR JUSTICE ° Then the death package itsell was and not blue, as the candy dealer of i brought to the scaffold. The poisoned | sweetmeats. !OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00000000000000000000000003?£$‘°§0¢0 Detective McVey brought also the :OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOO0000000000000: SHE SEEKS CHI 444444+ 44444444444+ +442 4333444404444 44444+ O bundle of anonymous threatening let- o+ . +0 | ters that Mrs. Dunning had received. | 0 WILL FIGHT FOR MRS. BOTKIN. © ; o+ 66 '9, 40| These were carefully examined and| @ ° TO PROVE | o+ I AM NN 1 40 | will be used for purposes of compari- | g —_ P 40 son. In all the evidence brought across ° AN ALIBI o 30 the continent by the dctective there 15| 9 The Delaware Authorities Will Make a Hard g 2 | not a single letter signed by Mrs. Bot- S o R e oins Ay b it b o Struggle to Take the Accused Prisoner o T | | her. With the examination of the anon- : ial.. = | O+ 3 B tk' D l r She Had Noth_ 42| vmous letters the Eastern detective ex-| © East for Trial. o v'MCVey Brings the o+ rs. oraeiia 0 1n eciares 49 | haustea his contribution to the case. © DOVER, Del, Aug. 2—*“Mrs. Botkin will be fought for.” Attorney @ G | O+ < 5 o -Og‘ Chief Lees lost no time in having g General White =aid to-day. Sea 0 doubt that t:ireml;eq‘ur:un‘.ihu‘r; wiil b 3 5 . ’ i f evi granted an rs. Botkin w. i . e T ing to Do With the Poisoning of Mrs. 39 mad's photoerizne oy ot evey| 8 ERS S0 S L, g Tt b 8 me, t f th A & '+ +o e ascd the attention of the| © cause she was not actually in the State where and when she is alleged @ nts o € AS o4 & ‘o T;:;Sr‘“hk engaged the attention of the| & 1o nave committed the crime, nor has she been in the State since, she is g . D) d M D | Chief, the Eastern detective and . not, therefore, a fugitive in the sense contemplated by the constitution, yet sassin’s Work. c' Dunnlng an PS' eane. 0 pert the entire afternoon. Specimens of S We do demand the surrender upon the ground of State comity. We pro- @ | 0: / 40| Mrs. Botkin's known handwriting were | @ pose to place before the Governor of “alifornia gufclent evidence in_the g + ; and will be com-| © way of affidavits of witnesses of this State and by oral testimony in Cali- (8% *g ;l:;;aph\::?:rig:eia:i(w;;zlng received| © fornia to convince him of her gullt. 8 : + +0 | ves v 7 A as pos-| @ -0 @ | yesterday from Dover. As soon D 00000 000000000 The Local Police Authori- |93\ 1 wwhat Should Be Granted to Every Accused Per- to i s nsnirsstai 990000000000 A (5 i ties Begin the Actual |o+ +¢ | the specimens will be made and thén T 3 igation Will | witn Acting District Attorney Hosmer | he made to hold the defendant for trial in o 5 lo+ . P . 4+ | the actual work of Invest. with Acting Investigation. o+ son, a Suspensxon of Opmlon Until She +9 | begin. Notwithstanding the fact that |anq Postal Inspector Irwin. The legal | (his State. The complaint is drawn un- o+ 2 43 | Mrs. Botkin has been charged With|phases of the case were again revnewiedi o Uasw ection 27 of the o 4% | murder the vital evidence agalnst her, | and Inspector Irwin was asked to assist | . sp attempt was also made yesterday to Legal P di A Su -‘l ': Can Be Heard n COUPt. 49 | if any exists, must yet be obtained. in every way In determining beyond | correct the errors made wnen Mrs. Bot- ga roceedings Are S g; 40| One of the witnesses who believed | question the exact time when the box | kin was arrested. The statute providing pended for a Week—The Ac- 3 o+ = 40 nm:thel pnssess:»dh lnfgrmaflonl of tl’:e Og;,,_,;ggemz "fi:l:disotkm aae !:;irmt:egnei(;r?;l;\:o&:tmp:;s&::lic?::d 125 % 40 | greatest moment has become of great- s . Mrs. e e s o ¥ 2 i > n the Police e order for arrest shall specify in e Wonmu Ot 10: Editor Call: I believe the time has arrived when it is proper for me to speak, andl I take :0 ;'}‘:D‘::(‘)‘:m“:’“::’ d,;,;oi:S:i:::‘:; I:-eho’sh:; Eiirn z?;:"i:z ;’:;‘::ml_"clmih The | :‘her d%cun:ent ar:asgnladble time Wmfih the | e ‘ s e - es efen; v be ® Her Plan of Defense {©+ this method of requestinz you to publish in your columns the following statement: 43 carried consternation to Chief of Police | habeas corpus proceedings before | iai'of (ne requisition ‘trom ihe State for the First Time | O+ Up to the present time I have maintained silence by the advice of my husband, who told Lees is J. E. Fennessee, who insists |Judge Coaok were postponed un-|asking for the surrepder of the fugitive 3 |0+ me when this awful suspicion was first brought upon me that in my hysterical and terrified con- ¥+ | that at quarter to 6 o'clock on the af- | til next Tuesday morning to | from justice. Judge Joachimsen's war- o+ dition talking could do me ¥© ternoon of August 4 he saw a woman | give time for the arrival of the papers 2‘,‘,"5}.‘1‘15‘"“&53;“3“1‘Q"so‘?‘fiifii‘fy‘“f:;ri.‘it o+ no good, and that any- :0 deposit a box {n the mail at the ferry }dem“"d‘;‘g “;“l”bd’;m“'mfim; 3:3;“;:: directing that “said Cordelia Botkin be The tragic story of murder in which | Q4 thing I might say would © | pestal station. Fennessee is positive |reason the trial before ge. e produced in his court forthwith.” Mrs. dictrestaciel iy e i 4@ | auite as s 5 & 5 : msen’s court, although the p: e oy and misrepresented and ¥O| L G hat he believed to be the | battle will be suspended, but in another | that she s in the jurisdiction of the Police pRticolmax 0 d Mo Vey o+ perhaps used to my disad- 4| (... uneasiness and he Is con-|fleld Mrs. Botkin will be fighting for | Court. 1f the attorneys for Mrs. Bot- State detectives of Delaware reached vantage by the sensational +© | NOman’s uneasines h & g Jin 80 desired they could demand.and:se- the city, and brought with him -the|O+ = 4O | vinced that the box resembled that of a | her life. Her whole career is under | (o™i immediate release of the pris- deadly evidence that may lead some O+ reporters. ince I have Ov = | oner because the proceedings so far have one to the gallows. The local authori- | O4 obtained legal counsel I +© been decidedl):r:gilil:._ ties began their investigation and Q4 have been told that this +Q - FORMALLY CHARGED started on the trail. Mrs. Botkin was | g4 advice was good. There- <+O / formal arged with murder and | gy fore it has been through +© /t ‘“"C WITH THE CRIME aroused to the terror of her situation o+ no desire to keep from the 40| . % L e ghe -broke the silence that has sealed o public information of my +4© 5 Mrs. Botkin Booked on the Prison her lips: She appealed to The Call as| 9% defense in this matter that +@ | P Register on Two Counts for edium through which to proclaim | O+ I have remained silent un- 4@ | Murder. e ocence and to:demand fan - im-| O# der the most trying cir- + At 10 o'clock yesterday morning two ; trial from the people of the O+ e = 4 formal charges of murder were entered State. o+ cumstances, but because 4o in the big book at the Central police sta- In the events of the day Mrs. Botkin's | g 4 in the humiliation and +9 The Loving Letter That Accompanied Death. |tion asainst the ntme of Mrs. Cordelia defense of herself was immeasurably o+ terror of being arrested on 49 Botkin. The prisoner was not present at the most important. The woman ex- | o suspicion of having com- 4g —— == e ‘flhr:[d?i‘:;:;efc‘hi‘;‘;i*“.“;‘afg;“}"’;r‘""‘e jius plains her motive in maintaining si- o+ mitted an awful crime, I 4@ box of candy that dealers sell for fifty | police scrutiny. Her every movement | "o "(C o "che present before Police Judgs lence under the ‘f‘”‘;'fl;’ Sn'h»‘ }Uf a?fi““ oy felt that it was not safe 4g cents. | in association with Dunning is under | yoachimsen when the hearing of the case sation. She d e e for me to speak. | sa o v | Investigation, and the events of the | against her was called, and the great tion and terr at she suffered when'| O+ Now, 'i v $O L AL thipsie Vital Catinony Sn-R0 b days of this -month are being | crowd of morbid idlers that had gathered ; 3 2 g owever, my 4@ |case either for or against Mrs. Botkin. 4 with wful crime made her | Q4 B adied viith the, grim purpase to deter- | to see. tle..Botkin woman on ser first pae M p e g | friends, to, whom, Y hava 4o The a‘tornoys forthe deferseean prove 4 studi i , SHP - }puhllc agpearance since her arrest dis- 1enc . <.Ly; S O+ given a history of my life +0 beyond dispute that at 4 o’clock or the | gfln&‘;het&er the en; lhnnn:o lite or D ORie e Srittch: thoin . the srbark “not believe it to be safe to defend her- | for years past, advise me 4o | afternoon.of August 4 the accuseq death for the accused woman. When ihe haveas corpus proceedings sefore g » that I h | woman took the boat from this city on were called at 10 o’clock by Judge Cagrol! f:l,t,,(},:r r\\fi"“‘ mm:.rlz,l:] ?;,.:ur::fa plfi,uc];‘fis:fitom;t il:::f 40| her way to St. Helena. The woman| MAY BE TRIED Caok, Attorney George A. Knight"-ssl(ed prison register and a double charge of | O+ cenie. Mo those who knbw ‘g | who acted so strangely therefore at the IN THIS STATE (szrnbaerc%mlrx::n!chee oba;‘: rc:rsehl:nfi-equ:s; R R SR 3 - O+ 4© | ferry cou « not have been Mrs. Botkin. | I 2 murder against her she hastens to pro me and know that I am o se of this Fx . | Mr. Knight alleged courtesy and an anx- m publicly her innocence and to ask | Q4 SECaRaTN ok Proty +© | In consequence of this Fennessee's tes—| yrrg Botkin’s Atforneys Are Confi- | fety that the prosecution should have . : E2 . P! committing 4@ | {imony may be of the greatest value to 2 ample time in which to perfect its fight the consideration of a fair trial. ; | dent That the Prisoner Will 3 i In her assertion of ionocence Mrs. | any such crime as has g |the accused woman not only in estab- o for extradition. Chiet Lees acquicsced in Botkin is explicit. While at first shehad | been laid at my door, I g |lishing an alibi, but in throwing a mys- e s ViR ranted the continuance, . Later Judgs dstermined to suspend any attempt at| oY need say nothing. | They g | terious element into the case. m‘:;“f_‘&'fi'p"fihfj‘eB‘L“t‘;“:“ %hltele!:tesflxgg Joachimsen continued the ~preliminary difense until she could be heard in|9+ will ‘not believe a. word Lo Before Detective McVey arrived yes- | aiready had a complaint prepared charg- | Bentepiber 7. tpon the furcher request: of court, she says she féels now that the O+ against me. To strangers, ’o‘tr-rda,y Chief Lees was in consultation | ing her with murder and an effort will | Mr. Knight. public should know what her friends, | O+ who may think the news- o srneys and the Chief of Police | +0| S su el L RS peper reporters have made [o| 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000008 ghe has made a detailed statement to | g4 e whgt e L Yol g g the Chlef of Police accounting for every +9 Fovelient and moment ofiher dife;tor| 0T granted to every accused | o ° months past. Her attorneys know fully | O+ persoh—q suspensinfiof Lol o ° the story of her life and her relations | O+ opinion until I can be o o P with th o+ heard in court. ol o P M emphatically that | O+ I am a woman and al- Io‘ 2 4 she ever John P. Dunning | Q4 most defenseless. I am | S son to bear the dead |4 prostrated with grief and +9 © g woman fll-will. She declares that she | Q4 humiliation, I am ‘filled ,g‘ © o knew Dunning and felt for him alg, SRS of Fub oSty o friendship strong enough to aid him in | o [+] e [} his ne T che ever wrote any | @+ in which I am placed. Is it unreasonable under these circumstances to ask those who do not know *0 ° 1,:?.." . 3 ©+ me to await the hearing? If given an opportunity I shall prove my innocence, for I am innocent ‘0‘ g ° fof him a feeling stronger than friend- (@4 before God. +9| ship she emphatically denies. Unjustly | O4- I have told Chief of Police Lees everything. I have accounted for every s?oment of my ‘g . g accused of a horrifying crime she asks | Q4 Jife for months past. I have told one of my attorneys, Senator McGowan, the whole story of my ‘0 ° o the right of an impartial trial. The |04 ji¢s He believes me innocent and says I need have no fear that harm will come to me. I thank ol o ° woman's 5“”""“";", I.”:de "}f&r‘“y.‘an:r | ©4 heaven that at least one strong and resolute man is prepared to defend me with all his talent, in- 40 o ° she was charged with murde? 15 Un-lgy g,.5ce and power. The newspapers, which should always espouse the cause of the inmocent, and + o umalyidramade. - When the ofieatd 2 ey i his cit ho should ever sustain the weak and defenseless, seem leagued agai 49 © 9 the prison asked Mrs. Botkin for nerjoz the authorities of this city, who should e 3 gued against *0‘ & o age and nativity to be entered as items | me. } ‘ e in the charge of murder she refused to| @+ I do pot know the wife of John P. Dunning and have no feeling against her. I am not and 49| © o glve the information. She seemed to|O4 never was in love with Mr. Dunning. I befriended him when he was in trouble, and that is all. Ooj o o fear that even the slightest facts in her | @4 My gon was very fond of him and both of us believe that he is a true gentleman and that none of +2 © ° career would be twisted to her disud»‘ 1O+ the things he is reported to have told the Delaware officers against me are true. ¢g‘ o ° vantage, but upon the ass‘ff"_"f"l(nfdhc' | O+ I am incapable of committing any such crime as this. My relations with Mr. Dunning +°4 [ ° attorneys she did as she was Ve a|©4 were only those of a friend. I never wrote him love letters, nor has he written me such letters. +o! < A few minutes before B. J. McVey, a | o ol 2 ° detective from Delaware, had reached | 2% Chief Lees has all my letters, including those written by my husband for a year past, and they +o| o police headquarters. He came clothed | ©4 contain nothing which shows me in any other than a proper light. _’04 [ e in an atmosphere of mystery and was O+ ‘What more can I say? I deny everything. Can it be possible that I am to be convicted ¢°1‘ o o armed with the evidence that a crime |94 by the newspapers of a crime of which I am innocent, simply because I was so unfortunate as to #of o ° had been committed. Beyond that he Q4 enjoy the acquaintance of John P. Dunning and to help him in his financial troubles? *o b ° had nothing except the Information| Qg4 “What possible motive could I have for poisoning his wife? He has told me that she was a '40‘ o ° that the mupl? of Dove]: :n:lo 0; D:;:; { O+ lovely woman and that he thought more of her than he could tell. I respected him for that. I was *o‘ o o ware generally _“;’e "’:)C‘vei tEe zefflblé | O+ not responsible for his troubles. I only did for him what other friends did for him while he re- +5 ° o Dll_::“he ch” x:;rdulflne: ‘l"nn it midst. De.| O+ sided in San Francisco. I aided him in miy weak and humble way to retrieve his fortunes. +o o o -,c(.mw McVey says the people of Dela- O I have said ail this, not because I.expect to be believed, for I know that every hand is +o\ o o ware will have no peace until the poi- | @+ raised against a helpless woman im, my position, but because I can nc longer restrain my emotions, + o ° soner is brought to justice. He cume|°+ In due time I know I shall come out of this ordeal unscathed. I am confident that a just God +°\ o ° armed with two warrants, each charg- | @4 will not permit an innocent woman to suffer and I have faith in Him. 42 o o ing Mrs. Botkin with murder. I"’g‘}o* I have read about innocent persons having been convicted upon circumstantial evi- *0 o ° R sl ‘°Lb’;::(‘;’h;_ a’lg* dence which afterward turned out to be misleading and untrue, and the thought that I may become ¢g| I i i il 0 f;:lr;(‘:g:;nlh: ‘("::ume\ k;g Kent pDe'la_‘ + a victim of such a thing fills me with horror and dismay. But I shall try to bear up and meet + o HANORERCHIEF @ e hese worrants wit ‘mot be| O+ manfully whatever fate shall have in store for me, conscious in my heart that I am innocent and +o| © . served, as copies of them are Included | O+ that the truth will in the end vindicate me. *g ] L in the application for extradition which Oy Will you please publish this? You have given columns to my persecutors. Please give me +° o ° left Delaware yesterday and will ar- | ©4 5 word in reply. + 5] rive in this city before the end of the | Oy +° o o week. Oy +° o DETECTiVE (-] Detective McVey brought with him |4 s TG 2 o \ MEVEY o the box of poisoned candy that carried | @, b o o \ o death to Mrs. Dunning and Mrs. Deane. | gy \ # | o ° In the shadow of the crime of which | g% / Io ° ° this box of candy hgd been the instru- ) o e e e e e e o e T P PP TUT OO 91 o @ - ment it looked grewsome. Chief Lees| o4 + & + ++ 4+ s mgaris, Mtg the e 0000 OOC0O0C000000000000000000000000000000600006000000000 9 ° o and with cautious touch of a penknife | - tossing the deadly bonbons. The in-| jogely scrutinized. ‘It is an ordinary | Stockton suspected it might be. Writ- | candy shows plainly the devilish work | @ e spection, slowly and deliberately made, | honbon box, pale pink in color, withgthe | ten in duplicate on the wrapper is the [of the assassin. A casual observer [} ° had the uncanny aspect of a post-| gjjded letters, in script, “BonbOns” |address, “Mrs. John P. Dunning, Do- | might say that the surface of the o o mortem examination of the murderer’s | geross the glazed top. At each end is a | ver, Deleware,” the name of the State | chocolate creams had been broken in ) o victim. The chief lifted a small hand- | how of pink silk baby ribbon. The box, | being misspelled. There are five can- | the long journey across the continent o [~} kerchief from the table and spread out | telescopic in make, 18 seven and one- | celed stamps, four 6-cent stamps and |in the mail. A _closer examination P [} the folds of dainty lace. In one corner | half inches in length, three and three- | one 2-cent stamp. Across the latter is | shows that the, candies had been o was the dealer’s price mark—a small, | quarters inches in width and one and | plainly seen the postmark of San |drawn out to rece{ve the poison within, o o square, mucilaged bit of paper with the | seven-eighths inches in depth. It is | Francisco. and had then, by a slight pressure, o 5 & 8 figures 26 marked upon it. There are | the stock box of the confectioner, and | When the box was opened the allur-' | been- contracted to their original size. 00 countless thousands of such handker- | every candy seller in the country uses |ing note of death was seen. “With |In the operation thebguler Bu{fa.oe had 8 0000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000 chiefs in the stores and In the examina- | it as a model. It offers but faint sug- |love to yourself and baby. Mrs. C," | béen broken. fhe box s still almost X x 1 tion,_of Mrs. Botkin’s effects a similar | gestion as a clew. The wrapper in|it read. It may be the scrap of evi- [tun.08 I SrO 8 e o A ar: e l e 0 rs 0 ln s n one has not been found. which it was enclosed is buff colored | 1ence by which the poisoner will be !taken but sparingly of the deadly 4 x