The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 15, 1898, Page 1

—— AR (4 HE BOTKINS BEFORE TROUBL T £ BEGAN A7 4 \ POI:;ON | ONITS | THIS EVIDENCE MRS. BOTKIN WILL BE TRIEDY OR many days Chief Lees has thrown about the Botkin case all the mystery possible. When people have ventured to wonder on what he based the assumption that the pris- oner was guilty he has intimated that all would be made in when the affidavits he had been securing were made public. These i now given out. It can rdly be said, although, of course the court is the proper tribunal for deciding the matter, that the affidavits are convincing. On the contrary, some of them are irrelevant, others vague. The statements of the girls supposed to be concerned in the sale of the candy.are wavering and uncertain, and neither of the “salesladies’” makes more than a di tant approach to an attempt at identifi- cation. The statement of Dunning him- self is brief and indefinite, setting forth some facts about Mrs. Botkin, but not affirming, as expected, that she wrote the superscription on the box containing the poisoned sweets. There is a showing that Mrs. Botkin bought arsenic at an earlier date then the purchase of the drug at the Owl Drug Store, but this could be construed in her favor rather than against her, tending a it does to establish that she had a habit of purchasing this pofson. Chief Lees puts in a lengthy affidavit of his own tending to make clear the relations be- tween Dunning and Mrs. Botkin, concern- ing which there has been no contention. Altogether, considering what had been promised, the aflidavits will be regarded as a disappointment. To the lay mind, at Jeast, they do not seem to have mad€ clear the guilt of Mrs. Botkin or even to have so strongly suggested it as to explain why she should be held a prisoner. The most explicit in the lot is the affidavit of Mrs. Botkin in which she accounts for her ery movement during the time the po- lice ‘suppose her to have been carrying out the plan of murder. However, the va- rious affidavits or the substance of them may be found in print, and in each reader there Inheres the right to weigh them ac- cording to unbiased judgment. To an unprejudiced mind the most dam- aging evidence ag <. Botkin is the simiflarity in the plars of her known ndwriting with that of the anenymous ters anc superscriptions on the box. ytka has attained remarkable in preparing for the prosecution the many photographic exhibits that the e has required. ST THE REQUEST FOR EXTRADITION The Formal Demand on Gov- ernor Budd for Mrs. Botkin. The papers from the Delaware officials asking for the extradition of Mrs. Botkin are as follows: State of Delaware—Executive Department. Ebe W. Tunnell, Governor of the State of Delaware, to his Excellency the Governor of ate’ of California: \Whereas, It appears by the annexed affidm- Warrant and certificate duly authenticated ccordance with the laws of this State, that de C. Botkin, allas Ada_ Botkin, alias Botkin, stands charged with the crime of murder of Ida J. Deane, committed in’ the County of Kent, in this State. And it hgving been represented to me that she has fled from the justice of this State and has taken réfuge within the State of California; v Now, therefore, pursuant to the provisjons of the constitution of the United States i such case made and provided, I do hereby request that the said Adelaide C. Botkin, alias Ada Botkin, alias Cordelia_Botkin, be delivered up to Bernard McVey, who is-duly_authorized to Teceive and convey her to the State,of Dela- ware, there to be dealt with according to law. Tn ‘witness whereof 1 have hereunfo set my hand and caused the great seal of the State of Delaware to be affixed at Dovef, this 29th day of August, In the year of out Lord, 183§, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-second. (Seal) EBE W. TUNNELL. By_the G 3. H. HU . Secretar- of State. State of Delaware, Kent County—To any con- stable of sald county. Whereas, John B. Pennington of Dover, Del., in behalf of the State of Delaware, hath this day before mée, Peter L. Cooper Efq., one of the Justices assigned to keep the peace in and for the county aforesald, made oath in due form of law that a certain Adelaide C, Botkin, alias Cordella Botkin, at the county aforesaid, on the 9th day of August, A. D. 1868, did mur- der one Tda J. Deane by the use of poisoned candy and agalnst the law, peace and dignity of the said State, Wherefore the said Jobn B. Pennington prays that the said Adelaide C. Botkin, alias Ada Botkin, allas Cordelia Bot- kin, may be forthwith apprehended and held to answer this complaint, and to be further dealt with as the law directs. Sworn and subscribed the 29th day of Augist, A. D. 1898, before Peter L. Cooper, Justice of the Peace. JOHN B. PENNINGTON. Forasmuch as the foregoing complaint has been made before me in the manner aforesald, + these are therefore in the name of the State of Dlaware to require and command you forth- ‘with to apprehend the sald Adelaide C. Botkin, gllas Ada Botkin, alias Cordelia Botkin, and bring her before me, or some other Justice of the Peace, for the county aforesald that she may be examined touching the premises and to be further dealt with as to law and justice shall appertain. And you are likewlise required to summon the complainant, John B. Penning- ton, to appear and give evidence relative to the subject-matter of said complaint, and when and where you have the said Adelaide C. Bot- kin, allas Ada Botkin, allas Cordelia Botkin. Given under my hand and seal at Dover, the day and year aforesaid (Seal) PETER L. COOPER, J. P. To His Excellency the Governor of the State of_California: 1, Robert ‘€. White. Attorney General of the State of Delaware, do hereby certify that the following facts are true to the best of my knowledge -and_belief: Extradition Is asked for Adelaide C. Botkin, otherwise called Ada Botkin, otherwise called Cordelia Botkin, and the proposed agent for this State {s Bernard J. McVey. In my opinion the ends of public justice re- uire that the alleged criminal be brought to §s State for trial at the public expense. T believe we have sufficient evidence to se- cure the conviction of the fugitive. The person named as agent is the proper per- l son and has no private Interest in the arrest of the fugitive. The fugitive i8 now under criminal arrest in the State of California and City of San Fran- cisco. This application is not made for the purpose of enforeing the collection of a debt or for any privater purpose whatever, and if the requisi- tion applied for be granted the criminal pro- seedings shall not ‘be used for gny-of said ob- ects. The crime with which she is charged as hav- | ing_here committed is murder of Ida J. Deane, and our statutes fixing the punishment of the sam~ |s chapter 127, page 923, revised code of the State of Delaware. - Punishment death. The crime charged to have been committed in this State was on_the 9th day_of August A. D. 1898. ROBERT C. WHITE, Attorney General of Delaware. STATE OF DELAWARE EXECUTIVE DE- PARTMENT. Ebe W. Tuinell, Governor of the State of Deiaware, to His Excellency, the Governor of the State of California: Know you, that we have constituted and ap- pointed, and by these presents do constitute and appoint Bernard J. McVey of Newcastle County. In the State of Delaware, our agent to serve the requisiiion for Adelaide C. Botkin, \ \~. \ / N MRS.BOTKIN LEAVES - HO M Now, therefore, pursuant to the provisions of the constitution and laws of the United States, in such case made and provided, I do hereby request that the said ‘Adelaide C. Botkin, alias Ada Botkin, alias Cordella Bot- idn, be delivered up to Bernard J. McVey who is duly authorized to receive and con vey her to the State of Delaware, there to be dealt with according to law. By the Governor: EBE W. TUNNELL. (Seal) J. H. HUGHES; Secretary of State. STATE OF DELAWARE, KENT COUNTY. Be it remembered that on the 27th.of August, in the year of our Lord 1895, personally ap- peared before me, one of the Justices of the Peace of the State of Delaware, in and for the said County of Kent, Thomas M. Gooden, who, belng by me sworn in due form of law, deposes and says, that he js Postmaster in the town of Dover, County and State afore- sald, and has been for four years last past; that on the 9th day of August, A. D. 188, there came to said Postoffice at 6 o'clock p. m., through the mall, a package addressed to Mrs. John P. Dunning, Dover, Delaware, which package was placed in the Postoffice box of John B. Pennington, Esq., where Mrs. péssed the box around and he took a pepper- mint, little Mary E. Dunning took a chocolate tablét and Leila Deane took a piece of some kind. Mrs. Dunning also took some and ate it,. Very soon thereafter Mrs. Ida H. Deane came out on the porch and Mrs. Dunning handed the box of candy to her and she took some and ate it. Soon after that Miss Jose- phine Bateman and Miss Ethel Millington came to where they were sitting and Mrs. Dunning passed the box to them, and they each took some of the candy and ate it. We afterward separated and At the usual hour the family retired. The next morning he awoke with the headache, and when he got downstafrs he felt nausea in the stomach. After breakfast he saw the same box of candy lying on the top of the secretary in the back parlor with the wrapper. He very soon went to his room and lay on_his bed most of the day, and when he returhed downstairs the box and wrapper had been removed from off the secretary and he has seen them only once since, when a day or two after the death of his two aunts he saw them in the hands of his grandfather, John B. | Pennington. HARRY C. PENNINGTOX Subscribed and sworn to before me the day and year aforesald. PETER L. COOPER, | Justice of the Peace. | Attestation of WILLIAM T. HUDSON, Pro- | thonotary. The Request of the Delaware Authorities for Mrs. Botkin. ERTCUTIVE < - 9/ Yhe Tkt f Ylevecaie Photos by Bushnell and Kytka. T s Cooellsngy e Givesnov of the St of G Forma. Ahereas 7 gperstyl phr e annexed. il 22 rrent el pcajed i ofia/dmte with e Lons 9%7 e HiAdehide C %oThin d&%dd Botkin, alias Cordelta BotAIR s St andit has canmliedn the (ounly of Leen represented el 9 /2 R e e osfled from e jushice of ThisTtleandosiohen rgemtie Sk of Tow Thevelore, s o eprovisinsof the rsiilutonandlows of e Uinted Siares insuch (dxmaabafldp@wdd/dofiem&y@wjz%flkx/d&ig{a_ rdeCBot be deliveredup/o et of Delwire, Hiereto be dealf witsoccordind 7o Address on Anonymous Letter. ho 153y aa&farx?d/bmxrbfim{mkzér_ Dibe allas Ada Botkin, allas Cordelia Botkin, who stands charged with the crime of murder of Elizabeth Dunning, committed in the county of Kent, in said State, and who it ls repre- sented has fled from the justice of this State and taken refuge in the State of California, and the said Bernard J. McVey is hereby au’ thorized and empowered to receive and convey such fugitive to the State of Delaware, there to be dealt with according to law. And we do hereby request that protection, aid and assist- ance may be given and granted to the said Bernard J. McVey in the discharge of his duty in this behalf. FBE W. TUNNELL, Governor. J. H. HUGHES, Secretary of State. STATE OF DELAWARE, . EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. Ebe W. Tunnell, Governor of the State of Delaware, to his Excellency, the Governor of the: State of California. ‘Whereas, 1t appears by the annexed affi- davits, warrants and certificate, duly authen- ticated in accordance with the laws of this State, that Adelaide C.. Botkin, alfas Ada Botkin, alias Cordella Botkin, stands chari:d with the crime of murder of Elizabeth Dun- ning, committed . in the County of Keat, in this State, and it having been represented to me that she has fled from the justice of this State and has taken refuge within the Stats of California, OWL PRUG CO Jow. Mrs. Botkin’s Known Handwriting. John P. Dunning’s mail was usually placed. THOMAS M. GOODEN. Subscribed and sworn to before me, the day and year aforesald. PETER L. COOPER, Justice of the Peace. State of Delaware, Kent County. Harry C. Pennington deposes and says: That he is 15 years old and is the grandson of John B. Pennington, who is now a resident of Dover, Del., and is temporarily residing with his family in the said town of Dover, and has been since June 30, 1898; and that on the even- ing of August 9, 189, he went to the postotfice in the town of Dover for the family's mail and took from the postoffice box of John B. Pennington a package addressed to Mrs. John P. Dunning, Dover, Del.; he returned to the home and handed the package to his aunt, Mrs. John P. Dunning, to whom it was ad- dressed, and whom he found sitting on the front porch of the family residence, together with Lella_Deane and Mrs. Dunning’s little daughter, Mary E. Dunning. Mrs. Dunning opened the package in his presence and it con- tained chocolate candies of different shapes and handkerchief and a note con. i “With lo to yourself and baby. Mrs, As soon as the package was opened by Mrs. Dunning she | A State of Delawars, Kent County. Leila Deane deposes and says: That she is 14 years old and lives with her fathdr, Joshua D. Deane, and her grandfather, John B. Pen- nington, in Dover, Del.; that on the evening of August 9, 189, her aunt, Mrs. John P. Dun- ning, her little cousin, Mary E. Dunning, and she were sitting and standing on the porch of thelr residence when Harry C. Pennington re- turned from the postoffice and handed to my aunt, Mrs, John P. Dunning, a package. Her aunt opened tne package and it contained chiocolate candy of different flavors and forms, a lady’s handkerchief and a plece of paper with_the inscription, *‘With love to yourself and baby. Mrs. C.’" They endeavored to as- certain whence it came, and upon the wrapper she saw the address, Mrs. John P. Dunning, Dover, Del., and they endeavored to Tead the pastmark where it was mailed, but they could not make it out to their satisfaction. Her aunt, Mrs. Dunning, afterward passed the candy around and they all took some and ate it, and also her mother, Mrs. Ida H. Deane, who in the meantime had joined them, took .and ate some. She then léft her home and spent the evening out, and returned home about 9:30 o'clock the same evening. About 10:30 o'clock she retired and awoke next morn- ing. quite sick with a headache and sick stom- ach and she was compelled to keep her bed She did not see the box of candy for two days. LETTER FROM HIM and wrapper again until after the death of her mother, Mrs. Deane, and her aunt, Mrs. Dun- ning, when she saw her grandfather, Mr. John B. Pennington, take It out of the bureau drawer. Her mother, Mrs. Deane, died on Au- gust 11, and her aunt, Mrs. Dunning, died on August 12. The box and wrapper which I saw my grandfather take was the same box and wrapper which was handed to my aunt, Mrs. Dunning, by Harry C. Pennington on the even- ing of August 9, 8, and from which we took and ate the candy. LEILA DEANE. State of Delaware, Sussex County. Josephine Bateman deposes and says: That she is now and has been a resident of the town of Dover, Kent County, for forty years: that she was well acquainted with Mrs. Ida H. Deane and Mrs. Mary A. Dunning during their lifetime; that on August §, 189, at about half past 6 o'clock p. m., she called or stopped at the home of the said Ida H. Deane and Mary A. Dunning, in the sald town of Dover, and found Mary A. Dunning sitting on a porch with a box of chocolate-covered candy In her lap, and she said to her that some one had sent her a box of candy, and that she did not know who it was. She (Mrs. Dunning) then handed her the box of candy and that she (the afflant) took a plece and ate it: that Mrs. Dunning aiso handed her the note with the in- scription, ‘‘With love for vourself and baby— Mrs. C.”” and asked her whether she thought it was Mr. C. or Mrs. C.; that she also handed her the wrapper which came on the box of candy for her (this affiant) to determine where it was mailed; that she showed her the hand- kerchief; that when she was eating the candy she threw from her mouth on three occasions and before the candy was entirely consumed a foreign subsance which resembled crystals; that Mrs. Dunning asked her to take more: that she declined to do so, and that she very soon thereafter left the home of Mrs. Dun- ning. At about half past § p. m. she arrived at_her home, and feeling something on her gum she removed it with her finger and found that it also resembled crystals, and that her gums and lips afterward beeame and were sore and irritated; that about 10 o'clock p. m. she felt a headache and upon rising from her bed next morning she suffered with a severe pain in the stomach at about 8 o'clock, and was also troubled with bowels, which continued all day of the 10th of August until late in the day she began to recover; that her lips were sore for a week thereafter. JOSEPHINE BATEMAN. State of Delaware, Kent County. John B. Pennington deposes and _says: That he s a resident of the town of Dover, county and State aforesaid, and has been for 4% years. That his family formerly consisted of himselt and wife, Joshua D. Deane and Ida H. Deane, his wife, and Lella Deane, their daugh- ter, and for two vears last past Mrs. John P. Dunning and her daughter, Mary E. Dunning, and since June 30, 1838, Harry C. Pennington, his grandson. -That on the evening of August 9, 1898, about 6:30 o'clock, as he was passing out the front door of his dwelling, his two daughters, Mrs, Joshua D. Deane and Mrs. John P. Dunning, -were sitting on_the front porch with Lejla Deane, Harry C. Pennington and little Mary E. Dunning with some others Whom he_d1d not particulatly notice. standing around. = Mrs. Dunning had 1n her hand a box of candy Gpen and said to him, ““Oh, papa, see what a present T have got and I don't know who it came from,” at the same time asking him to take a plece of the candy, which for some cause, he does not now remember. he-de- clined. He nassed over to the county building and did not return until about 9 o'clock,. and saw nor heard no more in reference to the candy up to that time. The family all re- tired and some time between 12 and 2 o'clock in the night he heard his daughter, Mrs. Joshua D. Deane, in the hall way ~near his _bedroom wretching and vomiting and her husband, Joshua D. Deane, talking to her. He went to sleep and heard no_more until next morning. He arose about 7 o'clock and learned from his wife that Mrs. John P. Dunning had also been wretching and vomiting the latter part of the night. He then visited his daughters' rooms and found both of them very sick. In the meantime Mr. Deane had called in the family physician, Dr. Bishop. The physician remained in attendance upon both of them almost continually, but they continued to grow worse and at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon of the 1ith of August Mrs. Deane died, and on the evening of the 12th of August Mrs. Dunning also died. Some time in the morning of the 12th of August he inquired of Mrs. Dunning where the box of candy and the wrapper which she had received from Harry were and from information ob- tained from her he went to the secretary in the back parlor and took the box and wrapper from off the secretary. Upon seeing the ad- dress on wrapper he thought he recognized it as being similar to the address on a letter addressed to Mrs. John P. Dunning. Dover, Delaware, and postmarked San Francisco, which he had in his office, and which he had taken from his private box in_the Postofflce about one year ago, and which he had not de- livered to Mrs. Dunning because of her special request, she having recefved anonymous let- ters addressed to her and postmarked San Franeisco, which she had shown and read to him, and requested that if others came that to her, but do with hence it was that he had this letter In his office. The address on the wrapper around the box of candy made such an impression on his mind of its simil- arity to the address on the letter In his office that he folded up the wrapper and went with it immediately to his office and compared it with the address on the letter. He was sat- isfied that both addresses were written by the same person. He took the wrapper back to his house and wrapped it around the box contain- ing the candy and locked it in the bureau drawer, from which place they were not taken exceptiss permit Dr. Bishop to take therefrom a few pleces to take to the State chemist, Dr. Wolf, at Newark, Delaware, for analysis, and again while the jury of inquisition was consid- ering the case the Coroner and Walter Morris, one of the jurors of inquest, received from him the box and contents and wrapper, which they returned in about one hour thereafter, when he locked them up again in the bureau drawer, where they remained until he took them out on the 224 day of August and handed them to Bernard J. McVey, State detective. JOHN B. PENNINGTON. State of Delaware, Kent County. Temuel A, H. Bishop deposes and says: That he 18 & practicing phvsician, 45 years of age, and has practiced medicine in the town of Do+ Ter and State of Delaware for 22 years past; that on the morning of the 10th of August last about § o'clock he was called by Joshua D. Deane to see his wife, Ida H. Deane, and her daughter, Lella Deane, Mrs. John P. Dunning and Harry Pennington, all of them residing in the same house: when he arrived he found the aforesaid parties all ill; he learned that Mrs. Deane had been {ll all night vomiting and purging, and with slight pains though not se- Yere ones in the stomach; Lefla Deane and Harry C. Pennington were not taken {ll_till the early morning; he was informed by Mrs. Dunning and Mrs. Deane that they had eaten corn fritters and fish for their supper the pre- Vious evening, which made them sick; he treated them for cholera morbus for several , B hours, using the usual remedies for cholera morbus, but they did not vield to the treat- ment; just before noon of the same day he was informed that they had all eaten candy from a box which was received by Mrs. Dun- ning the previous evening: he also learned by inquiry that all those who ate of the candy OoN THE BATTLE GROUND !