The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-04
STAMFORD MURDER SUSPECTS.
MISS BERNER. the SECRETARY,
AND CHINESE COOK MENTIONED.
Former Vas With the Woman IN Honolulu
Little Evidence Against Any Ope
san Francisco Police Believe Former
Attempt Was Made by the Murderer,

SAN FRANCISCO March 3-Another day
has simply added TO the mystery In the
death Of Ms. Jane L. Stanford. II was
expected that tho report OF the examination
on the internal organs " ould be completed
to-day, but the chemists who are making
the analysis Of the contents OF the stomach
are proceeding slowly They say that their
report will not be ready to-day and they
give no idea Of the time when they can
make known the results.
Meanwhile detectives here and In Palo
Alto have narrowed the Investigation down
to two or three persons who we're directly
In association with Mrs Stanford. The
suspects are Miss Berner, Mrs. Stanfords
secretary. who was in Honolulu and
Chinese cook. who IL virtually prisoner
in the California street mansion The
weakness OF the case, even In regard to
these persons, Is the lack OF an adequate
motive for so grave a crime
The present plan Of the detectives Is to
have several officers go down TO Honolulu
on the steamer Alameda which sails to-
morrow and make thorough investigation
OF all the facts In regard toMrs. Stanford's
death They will be accompanied by
Timothy Hopkins representing the trustees
OF the university, and President Jordan,
acting For the faculty. They expect to
reach Honolulu on March 10 and TO start
back with Mrs Stanfords body on the
18th, reaching hero on March 81.
Meanwhile the Stanford mansion, at
Powell and California streets, is guarded
and barred. No one will be all owed to enter
IL or to leaveit. Three Chinese and one white
woman Miss Mary GaGney, are prisoners
within ts walls. Waterman IL stationed
at the gate. Only Attorney hountford S.
Wilson has entered the house since the
discovery that Mn. Stanford was the victim
Of poison at Honolulu.
1t is the positive belief Of persons en-
gagged in running down the murderer or
muniercrs that the strychnine which finally
killed Mrs Stanford was placed in the
bottle containing Dicarbonate of soda by
the same person who put 1t into the bottle
of water from which she drank on Jan. II,
and which then nearly caused her death.
Banled in the previous attempt to poison
Mrs. Stanford because the victim became
nauseated, the poisoner exercised cunning
in the second effort poison was chosen
that would not readily strike the eye. no
matter how swiftly and surely II took life.
In the case OF the mineral water, which
was chosen as the death medium in the
January attempt crystals were found after
Mrs Stanford had partaken OF the stun
and they were analysed as strychnine,
sufficient To kill n number OF persons. Bu.
bicarhonato % soda and strychnine nave
tho same crystalline appearance and can
eusily be mixed without being detected
by an unframed person.
This establishes the fact beyond all
doubt that the person or persons who were
guilty of the first poisoning certainly were
guilty Of the second The poison used
was the same. but IN the second attempt
the mixture was safer because it had no
suspicious appearance and was solid and
not liquid Tho authorities believe the
poison was put into the bicarbonate Of
soda about the same time that II was
dropped secretly into the mineral water.
This would apparently insure death, for
il was customary for Mrs Stanford TO take
bicarbonate 81 soda rather frequently.
Many clues have been run down by re-
porters and an enormous mass OF theories
is printed here in the newspapers. but out
of il all no one can get any coherent theory,
The latest news from Honolulu tonight
IL that iumor Ia current that the delay
OF the chemists in reporting is due 10 the
fact that they have been unable 10 find
any trace Of poison in Mrs Stanford's or
gsns President Jordan has declared all
along that he did not believe in the murder
theory and that IL death resulted from
poison it was AN accident due to the care
less handling Of drugs