Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-02
DOUBT POISON STORY
Brother and Attorney Believe Death
Was Due to Natural Causes

Was Due to Natural Causes
BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 1.-THE
news of the death of Mrs. Jane L.
Stanford at Honolulu last night was
received here today with surprise and
sorrow, to which was added horror
when it was learned that probably she
had been poisoned. Her brother,
Charles G. Lathrop, who is treasurer OF
the Leland Stanford, jr., university,
refused to believe that her death was
due to other than natural causes, and
her attorney, Mountford S. Wilson,
positively declined to discuss the report
that a previous attempt to poison her
had been made in this city. Mr.. Will
son is awaiting advices from the Homo
lulu officials before taking any action
regarding the business affairs Of Mrs.
Stanford, which are intimately con-
nected with those of the great univer-
sity which she and her husband
founded at Palo Alto This institu-
ton has already been endowed with
$3S, 100000 in property and coin, to
which may be added about $10,000,0OO
from Mrs. Stanford's personal estate
She took deep personal interest in the
university and to her wisdom and busi-
ness sagacity is due much of its sue
cess. a fact which Is testified to by its
president, as we'll as the students,
nearly all of whom knew and loved her.
The university was closed today and
is not expected to reopen until after
Mrs. Stanfords remains have been
placed beside those of her husband and
son in their mausoleum near the col
lege campus.
In respect to her memory the state
legislature adjourned today 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 it was declared that strychnlne
had been found in a bottle of mineral
water, of which she had taken several
drinks. She was made i'll and an
alysis showed the presence of the dead
ly drug in the water. To DR.. VIM.
Boericke, who attended her, Mrs. Stan
ford told 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 country.
Returning later apparently in improved
health, she sailed for China and
Japan, by way of Honolulu February
IS, arriving at Hawaiian port five days
later.
The alleged attempt to poison her
was investigated by detective agency,
but no results were obtained and the
matter apparently was dropped.
In her California street residence, the
first of the handsome mansions erected
on Mob hill, there were eighteen per-
sons at the time of her illness, which
began while drinking the water on
January IA. There were, besides Mrs.
Stanford: All Wing, the Chinese fac
totum, who had been in Mrs STAN
ford's employ for twenty-five years;
cook; All Lee, the second cook; Wong,
the second butler; Nora Hopkins, the
housemaid; Elizabeth Richmond, the
ladys maid; VIM. McWhinney, the
butler, and Miss Bertha Berner Mrs.
Stanford's secretary, who accompanied
her on her voyage to Honolulu.
Mrs. Jane Lathrop Stanford was born
in Albany, N. Y, in 1926. She married
Leland Stanford, who later became one
of the builders of the Central Pacific
railroad and accumulated an immense
fortune. AS the wife of Governor
and later Senator Stanford, Mrs. STAN
ford for many years took a prominent
part in social affairs. She co-operated
with her husband in the founding OF
Leland Stanford jr., university and
after Senator Stanford's death devoted
herself almost entirely to the interests
OF the university, Although the inn
mense endowment of nearly $2O,OOO0 0O(
made by Senator and Mrs. Stanford tC
the university was placed in the hands
of trustees, Mrs, Stanford until the
time OF her death exercised control OF
the funds and appointment of trustees
Almost all OF the entire Stanford fort
une now goes to the university Mrs
Stanford had but one child, son, who
died at an early age, and in memory
of whom the Leland Stanford university
was founded.