The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-02
POISON KILLED MRS. STANF FORD Wife of Famous WeStefner Dies
 in Honolulu STRYCHNINE IN HER SODA Attempt Was Made on Her Life sev- eraI Weeks Ago By Placing
 Poison In Mineral
 Water.
STRYcHNINE IN HER SODA

A%@4A%-~<->-~-><<->> < Honolulu. March 2.-It is reported -> < tonight that R. A. Duncan, food < @ commissioner and chemical an < < alyist, has found strychnine in the < <. bottle of bicarbonate of soda NO < < report of such finding has yet been < x made and other chemists have < ~ been called in in consultation. It is < -@ probable that the inquest Will be -> -@ delayed several days, awaiting the Y < complete analysis of the contents Y . of the stomach. 
 Honolulu. March Mrs. Jane Latin rope Stanford of San Francisco, widow of United States Senator Leland stanford died at 11:40 o'clock last night, forty minutes after she was taken ill at the Moana hotel under suspicious circum- stances, pointing, in the opinion of the physicians who attended her in her dy- ing hour. and seemingly in that Of others to poisoning by the administration or strichnine contained in a vial of bicar- bonate of soda. Mrs. Stanford was found by a. guest of the hotel who had heard her grooming In her suffering and agony from convusions and declared, T have been poisoned" and her last words were this is a horrible death to die"
 The physicians say that between con- vulsions Mrs Stanford repeated the as- sertion that she had been poisoned ana said if was the second time the attempt had been made, the first time being Tn January, at her San Francisco home, and that it was this attempt that caused ner to come to Honolulu
 An autopsy on the remains showed the cause of death was tetanus of the res niratorv oreans, but how this was brought about will not be known until after an examination of the contents or fhe stomach, the result of which will probably be known tomorrow.
 Took Dose of Soda.
 Before retiring last night, Mrs. Stan ford took dose of bi-carbonate Of soda, which she purchased at San Francisco. It Is said the soda contained strychnine, but this report cannot be verified. Dr. F. II. Humphreys. who attended Mrs. Stanford is now making sn examination of the con tents of the bottle, which had not been touched since Mrs Stanford left San Francisco.
 Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Stanford went to a picnic She ate heartily. On return ing to the hotel she took no dinner and retired shortly after 10 o'clock.
 At Il o'clock MT. Flemish, guest of the hotel, who occupied an adjoining room heard Mrs. tSanford groaning and running to the room found her lying on the floor. She had evidently tried to sum- mon help. At the time of Mrs. Sanford's death there were present Miss Berner, her secretary, and her maid, May Wilson. Both are prostrated. No statement has been issued by Dr. Humphreys or by Dr. aa11 itato sultation.
 The remains were taken to an under taking establishment. where they are awaiting an autopsy.
 Police Have No Evidence.
 The investigations of the police have so far failed to find any evidence of poi soning, but the authorities decline to ex- press any opinion pending the result of the autopsy and the analysis of the bottle of bicarbonate of soda. box of cap sules was also found in the room, and these are being analysed. The guest of the hotel who occupied an adjoining suit and who. hearing Mrs. Stanford grooming, ran to her assistance, is A. H. Heunish of San Francisco. Miss Berner has been Mrs. Stanford's secretary for twenty years. Former Judge w. T. Stanley rep resents the Stanford estates here.
 Mrs. Stanford took a drive over the Pali road yesterday, accompanied by her secretary and her maid. When she re- turned to the hotel she seemed very cheer ful and went immediately to the dining room, where she ordered only soup say ing that she was not hungry, as she had eaten a hearty luncheon She spent the evening on the verandas of the hotel ap- parently In good spirits.
 Heard Groans In Next Room.
 Mir Heunish, who as already told was the first to see Mrs. Stanford after she was taken i'll, said to correspondent of the Associated Press:
 q retired shortly before Il o'clock and soon fell asleep My room is next to that occupied by Mrs Stanford> I had not been asleep long when I was awak- ened by hearing groan, and then an- other I opened my door and saw Mrs. Stanford standing in the doorway of her room She threw up her arms as if suf- fering great pain, and said: Oh, I'm so ill Get me doctor; get m doctor "I ran to the elevator and summoned Dr. Humphreys, who was a guest of the hotel. Mrs. Stanford at that time did not seem to be very weak
 Dr. Humphreys and his wife today took very small portions of the contents of the suspected bottle of bcarbonate of soda, and said 1t tasted very bitter and they believed 1t contained strychnine.
 The doctor says there were indications of strychnine, but he declined to express a positive opinion before making an analysis.
 Autopsy Is Performed.
 An autopsy on the body of Mrs. Stan ford was performed this afternoon. The physician who conducted the autopsy said that the cause of death was tetanus of the respiratory organs, but that ne could not say how the tetanus was arnug ht about, until after an examination Uf the contents of the stomach. No inquest will be held until High Sheriff Henry re- ceives the report of the chemists. The report will probably be received tomor- row. The House of Representatives of the territorial legislature adopted a resolution of sympathy and adjourned out of respect for the memory of Mrs Stan ford
 The bottle containing the bi-carbonate of soda b3trs the label of firm at Adelaide. Australia. but 1t is believed --~-- ------- ->--.--------'-'-----