Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-02
FOUL PLAY
Stanford University Founder Dies Suddenly at Honolulu.
DYING, SAID SHE HAD BEEN POISOyEC

Autopsy on Mrs. Jane Stanford Re.
 vealea That She Had succumbed
 tO Tetanus Of the Respira- tory Orsans.
 SAN FRANCISCO. March 2.--A Hon. olulu dispatch says that Mrs. Jane Lathrop Stanford of San Francisco widow of United States Senator Le. land Stanford, died at twenty minutes to 12 o'clock Tuesday night, forty min. utes after she was taken i'll at the Moana hotel under suspicious circum. stances. pointing, in the opinion of Dr. Humphries, the physician who attended her. and seemingly in that of the oth- CTS. to poisoning by the administration of strychnine in vial of hicarbonate of soda.
 Mrs. Stanford when found by a pa- tron of the hotel, who had heard her groaning in her agony. declared, q have been poisoned" and her last words were, This is horrible death to die.'
 The physician who conducted an au- topsy said that the cause of death was tetanus of the respiratory organs. but that he cannot state how the tetanus was brought about until after an ex- animation of the contents of the stom- nch.
 No inquest will be held until High Sheriff Henry receives the report of the chemists. This report will proba- bly, be received today.
 Dr. Humphries made the following statement:
 When I was called in found Mrs. Stanford in convulsions and applied the quickest remedies. but it was not possible to save her life. Mrs. Stan ford said to me:
 Doctor, have been poisoned.'
 Mrs. Stanford's condition seemed to indicate strychnine poisoning. Be tween convulsions her mind was un- usually active, and she said: This is the second time they have tried it. They tried it last January. and I came here to avoid them
 "I tasted the contents of d bottle of bicarbonate of soda which Mrs. Stan ford said she had taken" continued Dr. Humphries. Before making an analysis am unable to swear that 1t contained strychnine, but am perfect ly positive that it does contain strych- nine"
 "Where there is suspicion of poi soning in death caused by tetanus tor paralysisl of the respiratory or gans it may be regarded AS almost a certainty that death was due to strych- nine. The administration of strych- nine in fatal doses is always followed by tentaus of the respiratory organs"
 The house of representatives of the territorial legislature at Honolulu has adopted resolution of sympathy and adjourned out of respect to the mem- ory of Mrs. Stanford.
 The news of the death of Mrs. Stan. ford was received with surprise and sorrow, to which was added horror when it was learned that probably she had been poisoned. Her brother. Charles c. Lathrop. who is treasurer of the Stanford university. refused to believe that her death was due to other than natural causes, and her attorney. Mountford s. Wilson. positively declin. ed. to discuss the report that a previous attempt to poison her had been made in this city. Mir. Wilson is awaiting advices from Honolulu officials before taking any action regarding the busi- ness affairs of Mrs. Stanford. which are intimately connected with those of the great university which she and her husband founded at Pnlo Alto. This institution has already been en- dowed with $3SOOO.0 900 in property and money. to which may be added about S1O.O00.00O from Mrs. Stanford's per. sonal estate. She took deep personal interest in the university. and to her wisdom and business sagacity is due much of its success, fact that is tes- tifcd to by its president as we'll as the students, nearly all of whom knew and loved her.
 The university is closed out of re- spect to her memory and is not ex- pected to reopen until after Mrs. Stan ford's remains have been placed be- side those of her husband and son iu their mausoleum on the university campus.
 In respect to her memory the Cali fornia legislature adjourned for the day. and flags were placed at half mast throughout the city and state.
 The story of an attempt to poison Mrs. Stanford in this city was first made public on the 18th of last month. when 1t was declared that stryehnine had been found in bottle of mineral water of which she had taken several drinks. She became i'll. and an analysis showed the presence of the deadly drug in the water. To Dr. William Boericke. who attended her. Mrs. Stanford tole the story of what she believed to have been an attempt upon her life. She suspected no one and on the physi- clans advice soon went to the coun- try. Returning here. apparently in i'm proved health. she sailed for China and Japan by way of Honolulu on the steamer Korea Feb. Is arriving at the Hawaiian port i've days later.
 The alleged attempt to poison her was investigated by detective agency. but no results were obtained. and the matter apparently was dropped