True Case · 1898

The Dover Candy Box

Dover, Delaware, August 1898. A box of sweets arrives by post for Mrs. John P. Dunning at her father’s house. Inside lies a penciled note signed with a stranger’s initial. After the candy is eaten, sickness follows, and by August 12 the matter is murder. The trail points west: a San Francisco candy store, a doubtful counter identification, writings compared by experts, and a household tie between John P. Dunning and a married woman not living with her husband. Before the trial, sort the statements and name the sender.