The San Francisco call., 1905-03-23
Task Is Assigned to
Detectives AND
Lawyers.
Investigations Are Under
Suspension for
Cause.

Mountford Wilson is awaiting the full
report of Captain Callundan of the
Morse agency as to the death of Mrs.
stanford at Honolulu. Meantime the
work OF the detectives in unrayeling
the Poland water mystery was tenn
porarily interrupted yesterday. Cap
tain Callundan is to write full re-
view or the evidence gathered in the
island metropolis for perusal by the
Stanford Representatives, and the task
requires some time.
AT the office of the Police Depart
ment it was said that the detectives
were inactive during the day SO far
as the Stanford case was concerned.
Yes, we have about come to the
conclusion that Mrs. Stanford died
from natural causes said Captain
Burnett. The report made to him by
Detective Reynolds is the basis for this
conclusion, and it means the discredit-
ing of the Honolulu authorities, who
continue to assert that Mrs. Stanford
was poisoned
The Honolulu case disposed of, 1T re-
mains for the detectives TO solve the
Poland water-poisoning in this city on
January IA Burnett sought to make
it appear yesterday that he left it to
the Morse agency to work out the mys-
investigations in January, having a
start of several weeks before the Po-
lice Department was apprised of the
case, and has therefore been enabled
to cover the field much more thor
oughly.
1t is known. however, that the de-
tectives think they have the Poland
water case well in hand and feel they
have the evidence in shape to justify
making formal charges at any time.
Mountford Wilson holds the reins,
however, and what course will be pur-
sued must be decided by the attorney
for the Stanford representatives.
Two persons are under suspicion and
one or the other, it is expected, will be
charged with the poisoning within a
short time.
The news published exclusively in
The Call shortly after the death of
Mrs. Stanford that Miss Berner had
pointed the finger of suspicion at All
Wing, the Chinese cook, who also
served as factotum in the Stanford
household, is verified by the statement
that Miss Berner made to the detec-
tives. While she refuses to say that
she regards him as suspect, her
statement as to probabilities placed
the Chinese strongly in the light of
suspicion and caused the detectives to
lHdIHtdlH WdlCns over MIN. -
THE BERNER STATEMENT.
The following is the part of Miss
Berner's statement in point:
had no conversation with Wing. the Chi
nese housekeeper, as to who's might possibly
have done this thing. He never accused me
Of doing it, On the day before we left San
Il my ooii. L did because Mrs Stan ford
told me to. On the previous afternoon Mrs
Stanford had an engagement to meet Mr..
Lathrop and Mr.. Sloss on business and told me
to go on before her to the house. About dusk
Mrs. Stanford arrived. l said to her, oh
why did you come SO late? / was just coming
down" She said. Il have been walking for
some time. 1 did not come straight to the
hotel. I won't take off my things, but we will
90 back to the hotel" When we left the
much frightened by Wing when came in. He
met me in the lower hall and he was very
state. He thinks you are not his friend. I
don't like it. Bertha. and you had better see
Wing and lnd out what it means"
So the next day 1 called Wing into my
room. | said to him, Wing, you frightened
Mrs. Stanford last night. You were very
much. excited and talked very loud. What
do you mean?" sWing replied We'll Bertha,
you are very cross about coffee" I told him
/ understood all about 1t; that he must think
no more re-. Of the matter Wing replied You
l said to him. II don't know why you say
SO. / am your friend now, just much as
ever was. and whatever you do don't go
about frightening Mrs. Stanford" Wing did
not at that time say Bertha, think you
did this" He did not say. Bertha, L didn't
see you do 1t. but I think you did, and you
know If you did or not No conversation Of
that kind occurred. Mrs. Stanford never told
her l know that If Wing had ever made an
accusation Mrs Stanford would have told
me. Mrs. Stanford never told that she
thought Wing had done the thing. She never
made the statement that Richmond had done
It, She never said to me, Bertha, do you
think Richmond did it?
Mrs. Stanford beginning with the cook. said
to her, Now, Mrs. Stanford there is so and
so in the house. There is the cook. don't
Objectionable 1 don't know his helper
don't know the butler. I don't know the
buffers helper 1 know very little about the
Chinese boy who works upstairs 1 do know
Wing I have known him for many years. In
my mind he could not do so terrible a thing.
capable Of such an act, nor could I believe
it of Nora" In this way went through
the whole list.
ONLY ONE HAVING MOTIVE.
At the time OF the death of Henry I.athrop
Wing told Mrs Stanford that he had promised
him $1,000 No information to this effect had
been given to Mrs Stanford by Mr. Lathrop
but she promised Wing he should have the
you you, VIII viii remain with me while I live. you
get his $1,000 before leaving. He received it
all right and Mrs. Stanford again urged him to
pc cure ana como back to her and promise to
remain with her while she lived She said
to him. If you do you will not be the poorer
for it. l relate this only in the seapch for
the motive. not because wish to imply any
connection with Wing and the poison affair
from anything saw In the mans action That
! do not wish to imply. cannot from my
knowledge OF the servants Of sthe house. and
from what I know what any of them might
do I cannot in my mind implicate any one.
cannot say that prior to leaving San Fran
cisco l felt that IL anybody in the house did
the poisoning 1t was likely Wing L cannot
say that L ever at any time had suspicion
that Wing did 1t. 1 don't think that I ever
made such statement I could find motive
only in Wing OF all the servants but from
my knowledge Of the boy and his actions do
not think that he did it. All mean is that
from thinking over the matter the only one
in the house that could have a possible motive
for poisoning Mrs. Stanford Is Wing That
possible motive. Of course would be q financial
one. No one else in the house I know OF
would have been benefited by MrH. Stanford .
death have carefully considered everything.
have no opinion OF who did the poisoning.
Everything points to the supposition that It
must have been done by some in the house.
but I have really opinion as to who 1t
was. i repeat that IL anybody in the house
among the help who had motive Ii was Wing.
- 4.
lessly proving how strong the net was
woven about Kid" Geucher, the father