The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-22
M'ALLISTER ERRED.
The Inquest Upon the Body
of Mrs. Crossley.
The Son and Daughter and Family
Physician All ExOnerate the hus-
banda Verdict Postponed.

The inquest upon the body Of Mrs. Sarah
K. Crossey. who died at her residence,
2204h Fillmore street. on Monday night
last under alleged suspicious circumstances,
was begun by Coroner Garwood yesterday
afternoon. The woman had been an invalid
fGr several years, suffering from paralysis
and occasional attacks of epilepsy, and DR..
o. Ii. Pattison, who had been her ply sieian
for two years or more, and who was present
when the woman died. signed certificate
given the cause of death as paralysis of the
brain.
Notwithstanding this Hall McAliister,
who was Mrs. Crossley's attorney during
her lifetime, deemed the circumstances sur
rounding her death of suspicious ma
ture and demanded that an inquest upon
the remains be held. TIE body was taken
to the Morgue, al autopsy was held and
the stomach of the dead woman sent
TO a chemist for an analysis OF its con-
tents, the theory Of those demanding the
investigation being that Mrs. Crossley had
been poisoned and the intImatiou being
that II was her husband who administered
the fatal dose.
Pending the report Of the chemist the Cor
oner began the work of Investigating the out
side facts. The first witness examined was
Leonard q. Crossley, husband of the de-
ceased. He said that he was mining man,
that be had married the deceased when she
was Mrs. Anderson, widow with two
children. She had no property, but he had
$780, He succeeded in his business. ard in
course of time bought two lots al 2204 and
DOG Fillmore street, upon which he erected
flats. Three years ago he was working as
superintendent OF mine in Amador County,
which was very dangerous, and to- provide
for his wife and her children in case of
his death he decided to her his property,
with the understanding that it should be
decided back to him whenever he asked IL.
He returned safe, and shortly after Mrs.
Crossley reconyeyed to him the property.
About that time she was taken III, and
going to some electric doctor was given
treatment which resulted in partial paraly-
sis, with occasional epileptic fits aad loss OF
memory. She wanted him to redeed the
property to her, and upon his refusal TO do
so Mrs. Crossley went to Hall McAllister
and instituted suit against him TO have the
deed she had made reconyeying the prop
erty set aside. The suit was to come up on
Tuesday last, but on the Monday night pre-
vi0us she died.
He had given his wife no medicine for
days before her death. and did not blame
her for the suit because he believed she was
partly demented.
DIR. o. Ii. Pattsen was next examined
and not only secuted the poisoning theory,
but said he would stake his professional
reputation on the death certificate he had
signed.
Dolly Anderson, Mrs. Crossley's daugh-
ter, upon whose statements Hall McAliister
based his request for an inquest, completely
exonerated her stepfather and said, in brief,
that excitement and the talk Of neighbors
had led her to 60 to her mothers attorney.
She Ii was who gave her mother the last
dose of medicine she took. her stepfather
being asleep at the time.
Harry Anderson. son Of Mrs. Crossley,
bore ont his sisters testimony in ali re-
spects, and Hall MeAllister, the last wit
ness, admitted that he demanded the INQUEST
upon suspicious. The theory of those yho
suspected Mrs. Crossley had been poisoned
was that her husband had ''doetored'r
bottle of bromo-eaffeIn, non-poisonous
drug, dose OF which the deceased took
just before dying, the alleged motive being
that he did not want his wife to appear at
the trial OF her suit on Tuesday. but so far
there is not the slightest evidence TO sup
port such a theory. The inquest was adj
journed until such time as the chemist can
report upon the analysis of tho contents of
the dead weman's stomach.