The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-02
~ the Associated Press. }

Honolulu, March Mrs. Jane
Lathrop Stanford. of San Francisco,
widow of the United States Senator
Leland Stanford, died at 11:40 o'clock
last night at the Moana Hotel here.
Suspicious circumstances surround the
death of Mrs, stanford She was
taken i'll at IL o'clock and said:
II have been poisoned"
Her last words were:
This S a horrible death TO die
Mrs. Stanford came here from San
Francisco on the Korea. February
21. In conversation with Mrs. Henry
HiGhton of San Francisco, who is
now here, Mrs. Stanford said that an
attempt had bees made-to poison her
in that city and that this was her
reason for sailing ON the Korea. 1t
was Mrs. Stanford'S belief. according
to Mrs. Highton. that enough poison
had been used to kill twenty persous
Before retiring last night Mrs. Stan
ford took dose of bicarbonate Of
soda, which she purchased at San
Francisco. 1t is reported that the
soda contained strychininC, but this
report cannot be verified. DIR. +. II.
Humphris who attended Mrs. Stan
ford is making an examination of the
contents of the bottle, which had not
been touched since Mrs. Stanford left
San Francisco.
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Stanford
Went TO a picnic. She, ate heartily
ON returning to the hotel she took no
dinner and retired shortly after ten
O'Clock.
AT II O'Clock Il guest ofthe hotel
l1n
heard Mrs. Stanford groaning, and
running to the room, found her lying
on the floor She had evidently tried
to summon help. At the time of Mrs.
Stanfords death there were present
Miss Berner, her secretary, and her
maid. May Wilson. Both are pros
trated.
In accordance with local law, a
coroner's jury was Immediately sum-
moned and viewed the remains which
were later taken to an undertakerS TO
await an autopsy
Mrs. Henry HiShton told the AS
sociatcd Press correspondent that Mrs.
Stanford said to her shortly after ar
irving here:
The reason | left San Francisco
was because an attempt had been
made on my lifo-an attempt to pois-
on me and enough poison was used
to kill twenty persons
Mrs. Stanford seemed to greatly
affected said Mrs. Highton, Il
sought to disabuse her mind Of the
idea as | feared it might be only
u delusion but Mrs. Stanford talked
so nationally about the attempt on
her life that I do now hold the be-
lief that it was a mere fancy of hers
was very uneasy after this talk
with Mrs Stanford and wrote 10
mutual friends in san Francisco about
the matter They told me they feared
such attempts had been made. no
names. however, being mentioned"
DIR. HumpAris made the following
statement to the Associated Press:
''When 7 was called in ! found Mrs
Stanford in conyulsions. and applied
the quickest remedies but it was not
possible to save her life. Mrs. Stan
ford said to me:
Doctor / have been poisoned
Mrs. Stanfords condition seemed
to indicate Stryehnine poisoning. Be-
tween commissions. her mind was un-
usually active, and she said This is
the second time they have tried it.
They tried il last January and / came
here to avoid another attempt.
81 tasted the contents of the bottle"
continued DR.. HRmpnris Before maxi
ing an analysis / am unable to swear
that it contained strychnine, but /
am perfectly positive that it does con-
tain StrychninC.