The San Francisco call., 1905-03-03

the hands of Attorney Mountford Will
son, says that 1.-The Poland water eX-
anained by. me shows preceptible trac-
ings of strychnine.
1t was later discovered that Mrs.
Stanford had been in the habit of or
dering the mineral water two cases at
a time and the contents of several
bottles found in her home were an
alyzed without revealing any poison.
The water had been purchased from
a local grocery firm, whose stock of
the water was also examined without
any better results. e.s
DETECTIVE AT BERNER HOME.
Acting Chief spillane.. Detective
Captain Burnett and Captain Callun-
dan of Morse's Detective Agency,
which was the first to. be employed on
the Stanford poisoning mystery. were
in conference at the Hall of Justice
for several hours yesterday, but just
what plans. they discussed is a mat
ter they are keeping secret.
Captain Callundan was also in con-
ference with Charles Lathrop, brother
pl CldHlOIu, 1DI SOIilt lilIIS QdIlIlS
the day, but later refused to make any
statement.
When Charles Lathrop was asked if
there was anything new in the case he
politely referred his interviewer to At
torney Wilson, and the latter then
shrewdly sent his visitor to Callundan,
who promptly excused himself with the
explanation that whatever information
he had belonged to those who had en-
gagged his services, and the privilege of
making il public devolved wholly upon
them. He was again appealed to last
night, but refused to give out any in
formation further.
From other sources, however, it was
learned that one of Morse's agents had
been sent to Palo Alto in the afternoon
to talk with Mrs. Berner, mother of
Miss Bertha Berner Mrs Stanford's
private secretary. Earlier in the day
when Mrs. Berner was asked if her
daughter, before going to the Orient,
had expressed to her any suspicion as
to who might have placed poison in
the mineral water. taken by Mrs. Stan
ford, she admitted that Miss Bertha
had strongly intimated that she and
suspected that the crime might be
traced to All Wing.
Later yesterday, however, after Mrs
Berner had received a call from the
representative of. the Morse detective
agency, she grew extremely reticent
and refused to make any statement re-
garding the case or even reiterate the
statement made earlier.
According to advices received last
evening from Palo Alto the detective
was still at the Berher home. which
was built for its mistress by Mrs.
Stanford, and was. assisting Mrs: Ber-
ner IN avoiding interviewers. Another
report that reached this city late yes
terday was to the effect that man,
supposed to be a San Francisco. de-
tective. was shadowing Elizabeth Rich
mond and Albert Beverly the former
maid. and butler of the Stanford home,
who are living at Beverly's house on
San Mateo Heights:
In the early reports of the death of
Mrs. Stanford In Honolulu her maid,
May Hunt, who accompanied her mis-
tress to the islands; was described as
a newly employed servant. AS mat
ter of fact Miss Hunt was in the en-
ploy Of Mrs. Stanford for many years.
but about four years ago she received
financial assistance from the kind wo-
man and opened lodging-house in
this city. Recently she abandoned that
business and returned to the employ of
Mrs. Stanford, who had always shown
kindly interest in her welfare