Amador ledger., 1904-11-11
THE STAPLES CASE.
Coroner's Jury ! inds that Mrs Staples
Death was taused by Arsenic Poisoning.

The coroners jury impanelled to in
vestigate the circumstances of the
death of Mrs. Edna May Staples. as
sembled in Sutter Creek on Wednes-
day last. Mrs. Staples, as has already
been stated in these columns, died in
Amador City on August 81, and was
buried two days thereafter, no sus
picion at the time being aroused that
death was due to other than natural
causes. The DOCTORS certificate gave
internal hemorrhage as the cause of
death. When the husband, DR.. F. N.
Staples, left Amador, after hurriedly
closing his business affairs, and also
Mrs. Hoxie, the following week, ugly
rumors became rife that the death was
perhaps caused by criminal means.
The body was exhumed, and the
stomach sent to Thomas Price, the
well known analy ytical chemist, for
analysis. The jury consisting of the
following persons, Jack Simons. G. E.
Richards, w. H. Hancock, E. E. Riehl,
w. S. Smith, Fl. r. Higgins, V. Brig
noli, l.. Nixon and l.. Katz, was sworn
and viewed the body, but the inquest
was adjourned to enable the chemist to
make a report of his analysis. This
report was received from San Francisco
early this week, so the inquest was
held Wednesday, district attorney
Vicini being present in behalf of the
people
The report of the result of the chem
icaI analysis was not submitted to the
Jury, but the district attorney stated
that it was to the effect that arsenic
had been found in the stomach. In
what quantity was not stated, nor
whether the amount revealed by the
ANALYSIS was sufficient to cause death;
the simple fact that arsenic was present,
and that the drug veratrum viride was
not detected. The report was deemed
incomplete, and hence the district at
torney before taking further action
awaits more ight on important points
from the chemist.
Four witnesses were examined. Miss
Minnie Hinkson, who waited on the
sick woman at the time of dissolution,
stated the circumstances of the death.
She was not present at the moment of
death. She was sent almost as soon as
the breath left the body to notify the
undertaken to come over from Sutter
Greek aud embalm the body.
j. Daueri, the undertak ker, testified
that he injected the embalming fluid
into the femoral artery as soon as he
arrived, which was not more than an
hour or SO after death. DR.. Staples
told him that he had given the corpse
good cleaning out before bis arrival.
DR.. A. NJ. Gall testified that the en-
balming process would not account for
the presence of arsenic in the stomach,
unless blood vessel had been ruptured
by the injection of the fluid. There
was no indications of this revealed by
the autopsy; no signs OF internal hem
orrhage. The vital organs were
healthy.
L. B. Hoxie, the husband of the
woman with whom Dr. Staples is
thought to have eloped, testified to
certain circumstances bearing on the
case.
The jury brought in verdict that
Mrs. Edna May Staples died from the
effects of arsenic administered by some
unknown person.
1t has been ascertained that DR.
Staples did not go to New York as he
announced his intention of doing. He
and Mrs. Hoxie went to San Francisco,
and were passing there as man
and wife. He started to practice medi-
cine in the city. The pair appear to
have been wholly ignorant that sus-
picions were entertained as to the cause
of Mrs. Staples death, and the action
of the authorities here to prove OF dis
prove these suspicious. After an item
appeared In the San Francisco Chroni-
Gle, stating that the body of Mrs.
Staples had been exhumed, and the
stomach forwarded to chemist for
analysis, DR.. Staples and his companion
fed from the city. They left in an un-
cermonious manner. The DOCTORS
sign was not taken down, and one
trunk was left in the apartments oe-
cupied by the pair. Efforts have been
made t9 locate their whereabouts, but
so far they have proved unavailing.