Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-03-21
POLICE IN ERROR
TO ALLOW STANFORD CASE
TO DROP FROM ATTENTION
WAS HAWAips CASE - SHOULD
NOT HAVE ALLOWED BOTTLE
AND EVIDENCE TO BE
TAKEN AWAY.

Editor Evening Bulletin:-There are
many citizens Of the Hawaiian Islands
who have minds Of their own and OBJ.
serve and think for themselves. To
men and women Of this class, among
whom venture to include myself. the
present situation Of the investigation
into the death Of Mrs. Jane Lathrop
Stanford is wholly unsatisfactory and
will not rebound to the credit Of the
Territory.
1. Notwithstanding the expressed
opinion Of DIR. Jordan and Timothy
Hopkins, It is evident. on the facts
thus far established, that Mrs. Stan.
ford died from the effects of strych.
nine. The healthy appearance of her
internal organs. her sound digestion,
her condition on the day Of her death.
the circumstances surrounding the
tragedy. the spasms Of which there
is abundant evidence, her own declara.
tons. the posture Of her limbs, feet
and lower jaw when she expired, and
the discovery of traces of strychnine
in the contents Of her stomach and Of
the poison in the bottle Of bicarbonate
Of soda. apparently place this fact be-
yond peradventure. There does not
seem to have been single element Of
the ordinary results Of strychnine poi.
soning absent and the autopsy practi.
cally disproved the presence OF any dis.
ease. The testimony of Miss Berner
OF DR.. f. Howard Humphris. Of DIR. c,
b. Wood. Of DR.. II. V. Murray. Of DR..
F. X. Day, and Of the chemists, in the
absence Of contradiction under oath,
ia conclusive on this point, and 1t may
be observed that Honolulu is favored
beyond most communities in the abili
ty. knowledge and experience Of her
resident physicians and surgeons, es-
pecially by DIR. Jordan and MIR. Hop.
kins themselves.
2. The theory of suicide is secuted
In every quarter. II is inconsistent
with Mrs. Stanford's whole life, with
her strong and acute intellect. in full
action until the day she died. with her
religious convictions, with her love Of
life, as manifested in many ways, even
In her arrangements for the day fol.
lowing her demise. and especially with
! her declarations after the fatal dose
had been taken. 1t was actually cruel
to put forward this theory, not only
to the memory Of a noble woman and
philanthropist, but to the feelings of
her surviving relatives and friends.
3. But. whatever the opinions Of
private individuals, there was an off,
cial and formal inquest over the body.
and the unanimous and approved YER
dict Of the Coroner's Jury, composed
| of intelligent and honest men, was that
Mrs. Stanford came to her death from
strychnine poisoning-said strychnine
having been introduced into a bottle
intent by some person or persons to
this jury unknown and of the contents
of which said Jane Lathrop Stanford
had partaken."
4. This verdict. under oath. had the
formal legal effect OF turning the mat
ter over to the police authorities OF
the Territory. The murder, thus charg.
ed, was prima facie committed and was
surely consummated In Honolulu, and
further investigation and the discov'
cry. II possible, Of the murderer, be,
came the official duty Of those authori'
ties. This is simple matter Of law.
II the poison was introduced into the
bicarbonate Of soda In California and
fulfilled its deadly work here. then,
II the perpetrator should be discovered.
the jurisdiction might attach In either
place. But there is no evidence, moth
ing except more or less plausible con
lecture, to prove that 1t was placed In