Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-03
Death Was UndoubtedIy
Caused by Strychnine.
Motive For Such a Crime Bat
iies the Police.
Second Attempt On Her Life This Year
The Developments.

"i the attempt which bad been made to
l'"iSol her IN san i'raucisco. and that
she could not conceive why anyone
should Try 10 do 50. During Il dis
cusSion OF spiriiualiSm Mrs Stanford
SAD she believed III spirits ana in
tcntt.cd to establish "A DEPARTMENT at
Stanford University for the investisa
tioA of psychic phenomena. Miss
i'er!'tr' her secretary. says in regard
- me ali'%ed attempt al poisoning in
-.'n trancisc" that Mrs. Stanford
df"hk 4 glass % mineral watri' with
the ni-carhon:ite Of 50 IA. the Strvch-
nine OF which made hey Violently i'll
80 much Strychnime being ,bsrrhad
that the stomach rebelled ANA She
i'.Hl| recovered. Miss Berncr SAYS
Mrs. .-tanforH's maid. Nav Hunt.
"2 eeS with her in their Statements to
the police that the hottie containing tie
s;rNchuine WAS packed III san Fran
cisco five weeks ago prena:atorv "a
'"nlin" here and that il remained ,ln-
t"ucnei since then until il Was opcu"d.
last night. by Mrs. Stamford herself
hei""e taking the dose.
ON arriving her. from san Francis
60 on II" steamer Korea. Mrs. STAN
ford said that she had lrft san Fran
else" UNEXPECTEDLY and i'll Il great hur-
~
The police here will not express any
theory regarding the unfortunate oc-
cul enCe.
IN news received from Honolulu
That strychnnc had been discovered
in the bi-carbnnatr OF soda bnt,Ir Of
which Mrs. James Stamford took 4
dos" shortly before her dca,h. has con-
WINGED most of her friends here ina,
sac WAS tn" victim Of poison. though
many ar" reluctant 10 admit that such
could have been the ease The an
parent absence of IL motive for such a
Grim" battles her uc,uaintances ~
wei - the detectives. Revenge or
luminosity is not regarded as II DOS
Slhic fa";nr ANA nothing has bc.n
SHOWN - indicate Il desire To obtain
IN c:.pt rteh inheritance" could max.
prompted the deed
Mrs. Stamford aid no. leey. ca lam.
IN ":t'it. as wa; .up;r.;-d for ,iur;n~
mr. ilf"tiM" Sil- dctritd the properly
Sil" iih"rii"i icon her husband 10 The
r"i;' MS Of stamford i''iiv, rSily to b,.
.i"i" in trHst 1"r that Institution after
her death. The last transfer OF jmnor-
talicr ,r:lac by mr. was about th,aa
yr.i"S aga when she made over h,,.
nlaGnii'tnt residence in California
street and Al III" same time she pra"-
ti' ais gave 10 tht- regents of the uni
.rrSltE 4 truSt""Shp IL her j.wciry
Wiii'h she provided should be disposc i
81 Tor III" benefit Of Leland Stamford.
Jr. university. after her death.
~ tn"S" Who il is presumed are like
~ t" rr'civ" Il share, in The estate left
~ Mrs. stamford, il j.; generally be-
iir\"d that Miss Jennie iatnrop ana
her sister and brOthCr II. rmionc ana
Leland stanford I.athrnp. The children
al ''har!cs I-alh,op. VIII bc far the best.
''csid"S these relatives. Mrs. Stanford
is survived b. Il brother. Arol Ariol
l-athr"p of Albany. y. V two nie,es.
one in New York AMI the other in
':f""kiyn. the daughters of a late
hrothn. Daniel :. LG.lirnp and two
r'rces III Saratoga. Th:if they have all
been provided for is generally UNDER
stood. for Mrs Stanford had Frequently
y '''t' - "a tli'tt si!t' NpuIG remember
hem in her will.
Mou ltford Wilson. Mrs Stanfnr,l's
attorney ard her brother. Chas. Lath-
rop. have stated thq: Mrs. stamford
made will \ few munths ago but thew
nave announced tha: they are not
ready yet to make its contents known.
Theif are in Ii atiols today. that the
police If this city suspect Il member of
Mrs. Stanford's household of having
placed st!ycmnine in III" bottle of hi
','h"nate % soda "f which she took
t!">" b"for" retiring Tuesday night.
lligh Sh riff Henry SAYS that there
!.a"c been n" fu:ther developments ana
that there arc likely 20 be no more be-
for" tn" holding Of thu irquest tonight.
Dr. III. Y. Murray. ona Of the physi-
clans Who conducted tho autopsy. says
:hat death was due to strl chime poi
eoninC.
MI. Stanford had IN her possession
when she arrived in Honolulu. jewelry
valued ut about s,,.G00 This was found
apparently inta"'. ar'l was taken
charge Of by Mr.. Hackhcld.
Hi"h Sheriff Henry denies, a rumor in
= ll' Utit' ION lH:lJ -IES lT'ftnd IpprneT,
Mrs Stanford's secretary. and Miss
iiuit. ncr maid. are unlcf' surveillance.
A meeting Of natives of California
resident in Honolulu has been called |
fOr next Monday evening to take meas |
ur"s Ia show respect FOE the memory
Ct Mrs. Stanford. 1t is probable that |
special funeral scrvisci will be held. |
ana Tat 4 procession of r;ourners will |
accompany he body to the steamer !
that will hea" it To San Francisco.
\ medical expert today. said:
six hundred and sixty TWO grains Of |
strychinc easily would kill 6G2 per-
sons. The maximum dose administer
ID is ONLY onn-fiftccnth of q grain.
while the average is On"-foricth Of 4
srain.'
Louis Falkfnau. who made the an
IIvsis of the mineral water drunk by
Mrs. Stanford last January. and which
Was poisoned was strychninp today
said:
"St.ychninp and bi-carbonatn Of
;nia cannot be dctractcd easily. Soda
las n crystalline appearance and looks
something like strychnine. II would
equirc an expert to detect the ap- /,