The San Francisco call., 1905-03-13
Police Strike Fresh
CleW in Stanford
Case.
WOman'S Admissions Starts
Detectives Out on a
New Scent.

Eliza beth Richmond, the former maid
of the late Mrs Stanford, has made a
startling admission to the police that
has suddenly heightened the interest
of the city's sleuths in the mystery sur
rounding the death of the philanthropic
lady and started the authorities on a
fresh hunt for clews that may result
in the arrest of the person or persons
guilty of the cowardly murder.
Under the terrible strain of cross
questioning to which she has been sub
jected by the head of the city's de-
tective force, Miss Richmond had adj
mitted that she has been using strych
nine tablets for the purpose, so she
claims, of stimulating a weak heart.
She made the admission in the pres
enee of several officers detailed on the
strange case, but later, when she APP
parently realized the Importance OF the
statement, she suddenly added another
to the effect that she had ]1eenEaccus-'
toned to the use of the strychnine tab
let's ever since she came to this coun-
try, but had not used them since she
entered Mrs. Stanfords employ Her
exact words were to the effect that she
had a box of strychnine tablets only
a short time before she was introduced
to Mrs. Stanford by Butler Beverly.
but destroyed them just before enter
ing upon her duties as maid.
DOUBT HER EXPLANATIONS.
Why Miss Richmond should have so
suddenly abandoned the use of the
drug, which she says had helped to
sustain her weak heart, she has not
fully explained to the police officials.
But, as matter of fact the police
claim that they are in possession of
Richmond did not abandon her strych-
nine tablets upon becoming a member
of the Stanford household. On the con-
trary, it is claimed By the police that
if the circumstances necessitate it
they will be able to prove that Miss
Richmond used. or at least had in her
possession, after beginning service with
Mrs. Stanford. box of strychnine tab
lets.
What became of this partially
emptied box of tablets? is one ques-
tion over which the police are ponder
ing and are displa ying a great deal Of
physical energy to determine. And
While working on this matter they are
trying to conceive some theory that
may eventually connect Miss Rich
monds stryehnine tablets with the
death of her former mistress.
Each additional days investigation
of Mrs. Stanfords death seems to re-
veal some new and strange eircum-
stance relating to Miss Richmonds s
connection with the Stanford house
hold but the more the investigation
proceeds the more frequently the de-
tectives have to admit that they have
vet to gain a direct clew that will war;
rant them in any way involving the
maid
STILL UNDER SUSPICION.
<-~x &1,o .,o1ioo 49,
working only on the bare facts that
Miss Richmond was one of several
members of the household that
could easily gain entrance to the
apartments of her mistress and that
she has made many contradictory
statements during her examinations
before the chief of detectives.
The latest development, the use by
Miss Richmond of strychnine tablets,
might prove a valuable piece of cir
cumstantia1 evidence were the maid on
trial for the poisoning of Mrs. Stanford,
but under present circumstances it does
not carry the weight that it would
had other and stronger evidence been
found against her. The stryehnine dis
covered in the bottle of Poland water
was of a crystallized form, while the
strychnine in tablets is in powdered
condition and so infinitesimal in guam
tity that 1t would require a number of
the tablets to constitute a sufficient
poisoning desc to be administered in a
quart bottle of water
SEARCHING DRUG STORES.
Nevertheless, the police deem it their
duty to thoroughly investigate the cir
cumstance, and with that purpose in
view Detectives Wren and Dinan are
now making the rounds of the city
drug stores and other places where
strychnine is sold carefully looking
back over the registers for clews to
purchasers of strychnine tablets. They
have already found many purchasers.
but an investigation has satisfied them
that the persons had no connections
with any member of the Stanford
household or with any one who is re-
lated in any way with those who are
under the shadow of police suspicion.
1t became known yesterday that the
visit of Charles Lathrop, Attorney Will
son and representatives Of the regular
police and the Morse Detective Agency