The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1905-03-08
TESTIMONY Of
DOCTOR WOOD
Mrs. Stanford Cave Every In.
dication Of Being
Poisoned

The San Francisco Call publishes dis
patch from Honolulu which says that the
reason for the failure of the chemists to
make their report last night of the analy-
sis of Mrs Stanford's stomach was the
startling discovery that the cascara cap
sules, one of which Mrs Stanford took
at the same time she took the bicarbon-
ate Of soda on the night of her death.
also contained strychnine
cable dispatch of March 9Th from
Honolulu says:
Bertha Herner. private secretary of
Mrs. Stanford. told to a Coroner's jury
today the full story of the tragic scenes
OF the night of February 2Sth She re-
peated the words of the dying woman.
described the agonzng spasms that
racked the aged body. The secretary S
testimony left it plain that Mrs. Stan
ford was certain she had been poisoned.
Apparently Miss Berner was and is of
that opinion herself Moreover she re-
fused absolutely TO entertain the theory
OF suicide. No one but herself, May
Hunt and Nora Hopkins knew that it
was Mrs Stanfovl's practice to take oc-
casional doses of bicarbonate of soda.
According to the secretary, Mrs. Stan
ford had not taken any of the contents
of the bicarbonate bottle since the week
after New Years This bottle they took
with them to San Jose. after the poison
ing attempt of January 18th. Tney car
ried 1t back with them to San Francisco
where ~ was Inpacked and kept In a
room to which servants had access only
In the daytime. the door being locked az
night Miss Berner herself repacked the
bottle for the steamer trip. putting it
into telescope basket which was kept
in Mrs. stanford's stateroom.
DIR. C. b. Wood. one Of the physicians
who conducted the autopsy. testified that
the symptoms found by him and the 9TH
er physicians were indicative of strych-
nine poisoning, which was. In his opinion.
the cause of death. The body had the
appearance OF that of a woman of e5
years of age, one who enjoyed good
health No other cause of deatn except
that indicated could be discovered by
the physicians.
amined for external causes of death, but
without result and then for external ap-
pearances. for the reason that the ply
sicians had been informed that there was
suspicion OF poisoning by the administra-
tion of strychnine. One symptom OF
such poisoning. DIR. Wood said. was un-
usual rigidity. Mrs. Stanfords mouth
was rigid and the teeth were locked. The
neck was not rigid and the muscles of
the upper arm were relaxed This would
not be expected in case resulting from
strychnine poisoning; but the doctors
were inforemd that that the undertaken
had broken the rigidty of the body so
as to put gown on It. The forearms.
DR. Wood said, We're rigid to ma. ked
degree. and also the thighs and the legs.
The appearance of the feet. according
to the witness. would indicate strychnine
poisoning. The instep was arcned, the
feet turned in and drawn up at the totes.
Mrs. Stanfords body. DR.. Wood said
was of the color of violet or purple. He
said that he had examined all the organs
and had turned over to DR.. =. A. Duncan.
Food Commissioner and Chemical Anal
yst of the Board of Health. the contents
OF the stomach The left side of the
heart he found to be contracted, while
the right side was relaxed. On the left
side he found one and half teaspoon
fuls of dark blood, while the right side
of the heart was nearly empty and wit.l-
out clots.
The post-mortem appearances In known
cases of strychnine poisoning. the witness
said, correspond with those found in the
autopsy. The examination of the differ
ent organs failed to show any sufficient
cause of death due to disease.
In reply TO a question by Deputy High
Sheriff Rawins, DIR. Wood said that the
post-mortem appearances, as far as post
mortem signs go, indicated strychnine
poisoning.