Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1905 — WHO WAS IT DID THIS FOUL CRIME? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHO WAS IT DID THIS FOUL CRIME?

Widow of Leland Stanford Poisoned at Honolulu by Soma One Unknown.

SECOND ATTEMPT SUCCESBFUI

Sequel of the Effort to Kill Her Laat Month at San Franciaoo.

Her Lott Words Declare That She Died by Murder—Autopsy Corroborates Her Dying Statement.

Honolulu, March 2. —The report of a chemist removes the last doubt as to the cause of the tragic death of Mrs. Leland Stanford. An analysis of the contents of the bottle of carbonate of coda taken by her discloses the presence of a large quantity of strychnine.

San Francisco, March 3. A telegram received here from Honolulu •ays: “Mrs. Jane Latbrop Stanford, Of San Francisco, widow of United States Senator Leland Stanford, died At 11:40 o'clock Tuesday night at the Moana hotel here. Suspicious circumstances surround the death of Mrs. Stanford. She was taken 111 at 11 o’clock and said: T have been poisoned.’ Her last words were: ‘This Is a horrible death to die.’ ” Surprise and Horror at San Franclteo. The nows of the death of Mrs. Stanford was received here with surprise and sorrow, to which was added horror when it was learned that probably she had been poisoned. Her brother, Charles G. Lathrop, who Is treas-

MIES. I.KI.ANI) STANFORD, urer of the Stanford university, refused to believe that her death was due to other than natural causes, and her attorney. Mountford S. Wilson, positively declined to discuss the report that a previous attempt to poison her had been made In this city. Further Advice* Are Awaited. Wilson is awaiting advices from the Honolulu officials lrefore taking any action regarding the business affairs of Mrs. Stanford, which arc intimately connected with those of the great university which she and her husband founded nt Palo Alto. This institution has already been endowed with $38.000,000 in property and coin, to which may he added ntrout $10,000,000 from Mrs. Stanford's personal estate. Public Expression* of Sorrow. The university has been closed, and is not expected to reopen until after Mrs. Stanford’s remains have been placed beside those of her husband and son in their mausoleum near the college campus. In respect to her memory the statolegisiaturendjoiirned, and flags were placed at half-mast throughout the city and state. PREVIOUS ATTEMPT AT MURDER

Believed to Havfi Been Made La»t Month, Leaving No Clue. The story of an attempt to poison Mrs. Stanford in this city, was first made public on the 18th of last month, when it was declared that strychnine had been found in a bottle of mineral water of which site had taken several drinks and was made ill, and an analysis showed the presence of the deadly drug in the water. To Pr. William Boerieke, who attended her. Mrs. Stanford told the story of what she believed to have lieen an attempt upon her life. She suspected no one. and on the physician’s advice soon went to the country. Returning here, apparently in improved health, she sailed for China and Japan by way of Honolulu on the steamer Korea. Feb. 18, arriving at the Hawaiian port five days later. The alleged attempt to poison her was Investigated by a detective agency, but no results were obtained.

In her California street residence, the first of the handsome mansions erected on Nob hill, there were teh persons at the time of her illness, which began with her drinking the water. Four of these were Chinese and the others Caucasians, including Mrs. Stanford’s secretary. Miss Bertha Berner, who went with her to Honolulu.

A later dispatch from Honolulu says: “An autopsy on the remains of Mrs. Stanford was performed. The physician who conducted the autopsy •ays that the cause of death was tetanus of the respiratory organs, but that he cannot state bow the tetanus was brought abont until after an examination of the contents of the stomach.” Dr. J. F. Dillon, professor of materia medics at the College of Physicians

aud Surgeons, of Ibis c’tj. when Informed of the result of the autopsy, ■aid: “Where there Is a suspicion of poisoning in a death caused by tetanus (or paralysis) of the respiratory organs, It may be regarded as almost a certainty that death was due to strychnine.” Dr. Dillon added: “Tetanus •f the respiratory organs, however, may arise from causes other than poisoning by strychnine.” STORY FROM HONOLULU No Sign of the Approaching Tragedy Until It Wu Present. Honolulu, March 2. The death of Mrs. Jane Stanford was as unexpected as anything that ever happened. She was in the best of spirits when she retired to her room in the hot 1 afteT going to a picnic at which she was in good health and hearty appetite. At dinner at the hotel Bhe only took soup, because she was not hungry. She had told her friends that an attempt to poison her had been made at San Francisco. Miss Bertha Berner, Mrs. Stanford’s secretary, says that the previous attempt upon the life of her employ: r was made Jan. 4 last, at her home on Nob hill, San Francisco, when strychnine was found in a bottle of miner.il water. Miss Berner said to the correspondent of the Associated Press: “We went to a picnic yesterday and were planning to go today to Haleiwa, a suburltan resort. We returned to the hotel at 4 o’clock, and Mrs. Stanford retired to her room for a rest Later she dressed for dinner. When the soup was served she said that wouid be sufficient, as she was not hungry. “We then went to the veranda, where Mrs. Stanford planned the tv p to Haleiwa for today. She then said she would retire early, so as to be refreshed for the trip. At 8:40 Mrs. Stanford sent for her maid, May Hunt, whom she bad recently employed. She then said to me: ‘I shall retire and take my medicine; please get It for me.’ I got a tea spoonful of bl-ear-bonate of soda, one purgative tablet and a bottle of mineral water. Mrs. Stanford forgot to jEake the medicine and lay down and slept. As soon as she awoke she took the medicine and again retired. “Mrs Stanford soon thereafter was seized with convulsions which threw her out of bed. The maid and myself came in answer to her call, as did also a guest from a nearby room. She said: ‘I am poisoned.’ The convulsions continued in spite of the efforts of the physician.” Dr. Humphries says of the bi-car-bonate of soda, which was contained in a liottle: “I tasted the contents of the bottle. Before making an analysis I am unable to swear that it contained strychnine, but I am perfectly positive that It does contain strychnine.”