The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1905-03-03
SUSPECTED SHE WAS POISONED.
The Woman Went Into Commissions
Soon After Taking a Dose of
BicarbOnate of Soda.
An Autopsy Was Conducted and the
Physician Said the Cause Of
Death Was Tetanus of the
Respiratory Organs.

land Stanford university, died in a
hotel in this city.
Mrs. Stanford returned to her hotei
from drive with her secretary and
maid and seemed cheerful. She went
Immediately to the dining room,
where she ordered only soup. She
spent the evening on the veranda Of
the hotel, apparently in good spirits.
Mrs. Stanford then planned a trip to
HaIeuva, a suburb, for the next day
with Miss Berner, her secretary. She
then said she would retire early so as
to be refreshed for the trip.
Miss Berner says: cat $3.50 Mrs.
Stanford sent for her maid, whom she
had recently employed. She then said
to me, shall retire and take my medi-
cine; please get it for me-.
Seized With Commissions.
81 got a teaspoonful of bicarbonate
of soda, one purgative tablet and a
bottle of mineral water. Mrs. Stan
ford forgot to take the medicine and
lay down and slept AS soon as she
awoke she took the medicine and
again retired.
Mrs. Stanford soon thereafter was
seized with .onvulsions which threw
her out of bed The maid and myself
went in answer to her call, as did also
guest from a nearby room. She
said:
az am poisoned The commissions
continued in spite of the effort of the
physician, and she died later. The
bottle of bicarbonate of soda was pur-
chased by me at Adelaide several
years ago, but think it had been re-
filled for Mrs. Stanford at San Fran
cisco, don't know by what druggist.
Dr. HUMPHREYS, who attended Mrs.
Stanford took a small portion Of the
contents of the suspected bottle of
bicarbonate of soda, and said it tasted
very bitter and that he believed it
contained strychnine- The doctor
says there were indications Of strych-
nine, but he declined to express a pos
tive opinion before making analysis.
Previous Attempt on Her Life.
Mrs. Stanford's secretary says that
previous attempt on the life Of her
employer was made on January IA at
her home in San Francisco, when
strychnine, she says, was found in
bottle of mineral water.
An autopsy on the body of Mrs
Stanford was performed. The physi-
clan who conducted the autopsy said
that the cause of death was tetanus
IF Tho rocnjrot tory OrOanc hlIt thof ho
could not say how the tetanus was
brought about until after an examina-
ton of the contents of the stomach
No inquest will be held until High
Sheriff Henry receives the report of
the chemists.
Mrs. Henry Highton said that Mrs.
Stanford said to her shortly after ar
irving in Honolulu: "The reason I
left San Francisco was because an at
tempt had been made on my life, an
attempt to poison me, and enough
poison was used to kill 20 persons"
The house of representatives of the
territorial legislature adopted a res
Olution of sympathy and adjourned
out of respect for the memory of Mrs.
Stanford.
Surprise and Sorrow in San Francisco
San Francisco, March News Of
the death of Mrs. Jane L. Stanford at
Honolulu was received with surprise
and sorrow, to which was added hor-
ror when it was learned that probably
she had been poisoned.
| Her brother, Charles G. Lathrop,
who is treasurer of Leland Stanford,
Junior, university, refused to believe
that her death was due to other than
natural causes, and her attorney,
| Montford S. Wilson, declined to dis
cuss the report that a previous at
tempt to poison her had been made
in San Francisco.
! Mr.. Wilson is awaiting advices from
Honolulu before taking any action re-
garding Mrs. Stanford's business af-
fairs, which are intimately connected
with those of the university which she
and her husband founded at Palo Alto,
Cal, in 1891, in memory of their son.
This institution has already been en-
dowed with $3S,000,000 in property
and money, to which may be added
about $1O,0O0OO0 from Mrs. Stanford's
personal estate.
The University Closed.
The university was closed and is
not expected to reopen until after
Mrs. Stanford's body has been placed
beside those of her husband and her
son, in their mausoleum on the col
lege campus.
Mr.. Wilson said Mrs. Stanford had
been in poor health for some time and
probably died of apoplexy or some
similar trouble Shortly before she
went to Honolulu, he added, she had
a severe bronchial cold, and ner ply
stefan, DR.. Hoericke. advised her TO
seek a warmer climate.
Sacramento, Cal, March Both
houses Of the legislature adjournez
early. as mark of respect to the men,