The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-07
NJ. MclnernN. Ltd
Corner Fort and Merchant Streets.

SO1 AC4 L
Tasted of the bicarbonate and found
it quite bitter-bitter enough to be
strychnine.
ON March 1, I attended the autopsy.
There were purplish spots on the cheeks,
ears and most of the body. The hands
We're still clenched. The organs of the
body We're in normal state, The
stomach had very little water in it.
From the absence of food liquid would
have been quickly absorbed and even if
stomach pump had been available it
would have done no good. Indeed, it
might have brought on spasms earlier.
Mrs. Stanford died i'll a spasm and my
opinion is that the cause was strych-
nine poisoning. If L had been called
without anyone telling me about the
case 1 should have suspected strych-
nine poisoning"
DIR. HUMPHREYS.
DR.. Humphris was the next witness.
He described how he was called to Mrs.
Stanfords room. She was standing
near wash basin and said
Doctor, L have been poisoned Get
u stomach pump She was then
SldlluliS ny d WASH DdSlll ufIHhiiiS NOT
water.
How do you know you have been
poisoned?'' 1 asked.
Il have been poisoned before" she
said.
Il turned around to Miss Berner and
asked what she meant. Mrs Stanford
said to her: Tell him what has happeu-
ed TO us Miss Berner told me how
H.
soned in San Francisco. Mrs. stanford
told me she had been thrown from bed
at that time by a spasm. Dr. Hum
phris questioned the maid about the
medicine taken and inspected it. All
this time Mrs. Stanford was drinking
hot water TO induce vomiting. l went
out of the room to get some mustard
and to telephone DR.. Day for a stomach
pump. On my return Mrs. Stanford
said several times she was going to
die. and said she hoped she was ut to
meet her family.
I was mixing various remedies in
order to produce further vomiting. AS
I started to give her a mixture Of
choral and bromides, and had put il
to her lips she said:
My jaws are stiff
1 felt them and they were so. She
then said:
1T is a horrible death to die" and
Immediately became totally rigid, the
respiration stopped and she never
breathed again. The spasm lasted
about three minutes.
When she ceased breathing the soles
of the feet turned inwards, the insteps
We're very much arched and the toes
pointed strongly upward. The knees
separated and her head fell slightly
back. Her eyeballs We're very promi-
rent, ana the pupils dilated. Her jaws
We're fixed The thumbs We're dug into
the palms, the fingers We're contracted,
and the jaws were fixed.
Ten minutes elapsed between the
time 1 entered the room and the final
spasm. DR.. Murray came in and
later DR.. Day. The condition of spasm
was still there.
1 then took possession Of the vessel
in which she had vomited, and the
tunlbler and spoon with which the
mixture had been mixed and took them
TO my room accompanied by Drs. Muir
ray and Day. Then I ordered a car
riage and went down to town to notify
the authorities
DR. Humphris declared that there
All signs We're consistent with strych-
nine poisoning.
rs it your opinion that Mrs. Stanford
did not die of natural causes" queried
the coroner.
Absolutely" was DR.. Humphris's
reply. "She died of strychnine poison
ing
THE MAIDS TESTIMONY.
Mis- May Hunt, Mrs. Stanford's maid,
made a pleasing impression. Speaking
of the packing of Mrs. Stanford's
wardrobe. previous to coming here, the
following colloquy was had:
Did you pack the medicine chest?'
II did
Did you recolIect that you packed a
bottle of bicarbonate of soda in the
chest?"
Yes. sir
From where did you take to"
From a table in the sitting room
where We were doing the packing
There were a number of bottles there,
all of which I packed in the medicine
chest
who selected the bottles?''
Mrs Stanford"
How many days dfd this bottle of
bicarbonate of soda remain on the