The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-03-07

no pathological cause FOR death-that
is. there was no disease of any of the
organs to account for it. There was
no reason for death naturally.
EVENING SESSION.
The evening session convened at eight.
DR.. Harvey V. Murray was the first
witness called. He told of being re-
called by DIR. Humphris between II 80
and 11:40 to attend Mrs. Stanford. lie
found the patients head thrown back
and her body quite hot Her fingers
We're firmly clasped with the thumbs
pressed in upon the palms. The soles
of the feet We're turned up. instep arch
ed and eyes bulging. Life may have
been extinct or practically so. The
body was placed on the bed when the
| jaw dropped and had to be tied up with
handkerchief. With DR.. Day I re-
| tired to DR. Humphris's room, where
he had brought Mrs. Stanfords bicar-
Donate and capsules and the vessel con-
| tanning vomit, which we afterward
| turned over to the Deputy Sheriff.
| Tasted of the bicarbonate and found
it quite bitter-bitter enough to be
strychnine.
"On> March l, attended the autopsy.
There were purplish spots on the cheeks,
ears and most of the body. The hands
were still clenched. The organs of the
body were in a normal state. The
stomach had very little water in it.
From the absence of food liquid would
have been quickly absorbed and even II
a stomach pump had been available it
would have done no good. Indeed. 1t
might have brought on spasms earlier.
| Mrs. Stanford died in spasm and my
opinion is that the cause was strych-
nine poisoning. If l had been called
| without anyone telling me about the
case l should have suspected strych-
nine poisoning"
DIR. HUMPHREYS.
Dr. Humphris was the next witness.
He described how he was called to Mrs.
Stanford's room. She was standing
near a wash basin and said
Doctor l have been poisoned! Get
II stomach pump!" She was then
standing by wash basin drinking hot
water.
How do you know you have been
poisoned?" / asked.
II 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 happen
ed to us Miss Berner told ME how
near her mistress came to being poi
soned in san Francisco. Mrs. Stanford
told me she had been thrown from bed
at that time by Il spasm. Dr. Hum
phris questioned the maid about the
medicine taken and inspected ii. AL
this time Mrs. Stanford was drinking
hot water to induce vomiting. 1 went
out of the room to get some mustard
and to telephone DR.. Day for stomach
) pump. on my return Mrs. stanford
E said several times she was going t.
e die, and said she hoped she was fit tC
e meet her family.
= / was mixing various remedies IL
e order TO produce further vomiting. A:
! / started to give her a mixture o
e choral and bromides, and had put i
TO her lips she said:
e My jaws are stiff
felt them and they were so. sh'
= then said:
( 1T is a horrible death to die" ant
= Immediately became totally rigid, tn
n respiration stopped and she neve
: breathed again. The spasm laste
: about three minutes.
When she ceased breathing the sole
: OF the feet turned inwards the instep
l. were very much arched and the toe
n pointed strongly upward. The knee
% separated and her head fell slight
, back. Her eyeballs were very promi
n rent, ana the pupils dilated. Her jaw
~ We're fixed. The thumbs were dug int
p" the palms, the fingers were contracted
and the jaws We're fiXed.
Ten minutes elapsed between III
" time l entered the room and the fini
~ spasm. DR.. Murray came in an
re later DIR. Day. The condition of spasl
re was still there.
oi then took possession of the vess
lg in which she had vomited. and II
III tumbler and spoon with which II
er mixture had 0een mixed and took the
to my room accompanied by Drs, rtu