The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-03-02
MYSTERIOUS
POISONING
Foul Play Suspected in Death
OF Mrs. Stanford.
FOUNDER OF UNIVERSITY
Autopsy Shows Case of Tetanus
of the Respiratory
Organs

SAN FRANCISCO, March IA spe-
clal dispatch from Honolulu says that
an autopsy Oh the remains of Mrs.
Stanford has been performed there.
The physician who conducted the au-
topsy said that the cause of death was
tetanus of the respiratory organs, but
that he cannot state how the tetanus
was brought about until after an ex-
animation of the contents Of the stom-
ach.
No inquest will be held until High
Sheriff Henry receives the report of
the chemists. This report will proba-
bly, be received today.
DR.. HUMPHREYS made the following
statement:
when / was called in | found Mrs.
Stanford in commissions and applied
the quickest remedies, but ii was not
possible TO save her life. Mrs. Stan
ford said to me;
Doctor, have been poisoned
Mrs. Stanford's condition seemed
to Indicate strychnine poisoning. Be
tween commissions her mind was I'M
usually active and she said This is
the second time they have tried it.
They tried II last January, and came
here to avoid them
"Where there is n suspicion Of pol.
soning in a death caused by tetanus
Tor paralysis of the respiratory Or
gans ii may be regarded as almost n
certainty that death was due to strych-
nine. The administration Of strych-
nine in fatal doses is always followed
by tentaus of the respiratory organs"
The house of representatives Of the
territorial legislature at Honolulu has
adopted a resolution Of sympathy and
adjourned out of respect to the mem
DRY of Mrs. Stanford
The news Of the death Of Mrs Stan
ford was received with surprise and
sorrow, to which was added horror
when ii was learned that probably she
had been poisoned. Her brother,
Charles G. Lathrop, who is treasurer
of the Stanford university, refused TO
believe that her death was due to other
than natural causes, and her attorney,
Mountford s. Wilson, positively declin-
ed to discuss the report that a previous
attempt to poison her had been made
in this city. Mr.. Wilson is awaiting
advices from Honolulu officials before
taking any action regarding the bust
ness affairs of Mrs. Stanford, which
are intimately connected with those
of the great university which she and
her husband founded at Palo Alto
This institution has already been en-
dowed with $3S,000000 in property and
money to which may he added about
| $10,000000 from Mrs. Stanford's per-
sonal estate. She took deep personal
interest in the university, and to her
wisdom and business Sagacity Is due
much Of its success. a fact that Is tes-
titled to by its president as well as
the students, nearly all of whom knew
and loved her.
The university is closed out Of re-
spect to her memory and Is not ex-
pected to reopen until after Mrs. Stan
ford's remains have been placed be-
side those Of her husband and son in
their mausoleum on the university
campus.
In respect to her memory the Cali
fornia legislature adjourned for the
day, 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 1t was declared that strychnine
had been found In bottle of mineral
water Of which she had taken several
drinks. She became Ill, and an analysis
showed the presence Of the deadly drug
In the water. To Or. William Boericke,
who attended her, Mrs. Stanford 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 coun.
try. Returning here, apparently in i'm
proved health, she sailed for China and
Japan by way Of Honolulu on the
steamer Korea Feb. IL, arriving at the
Hawaiian port five days later
The alleged attempt to poison her
! was invpstipa tod hv a 1atactiva a uancy