The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-04


water was and all the circumstance
that had transpired. Miss Berner put
on her wrapper and came down stairs
She put her finger into the water, tast-
ed it and then cried: Why. yes; ii is
bitter-it tastes like salts
She thought perhaps that the bottle
was in the same condition that it was
when it was taken from the case, but
1 remembered seeing the same sort of
a bottle on the drinking stand between
and IL of that same morning. Abou,
a glass of the contents had been drawn
from it. 1t occurred to me that she
might have drank something from that
bottle. but she declared that the water
she tasted in the morning mad been all
right.
After talking it over Mrs. Stanford
suggested that it would be we'll TO ask
a chemist what the water contained.
| asked Miss Berner what drug store
to take it 10 and she said Wakeley's.
Mrs. Stanford thought that one of the
BOYS could take it down town, but L
decided to take it myself rather than
trust it 10 any one else. Mr.. STAN
ford had an idea that they could tell
what was in the water right away but
they told me at the drug store that an
analysis would take from twelve hours
to a week. 1 went back to the house
day morning to the store TO have the
water analyzed and a report sent in at
once. as MRS. Stanford was curious to
know what cSuld have been in it.
Tuesday I telephoned again to ask
about the matter, but the report was
not ready. After that I telephoned
again, but could not understand what
was said over the phone. L asked that
they let Mrs. Stanford know immedi-
ately. Tuesday Wakeley's rang me up
and said that they had the report and
my mistress.
However, they did not send the re- |
port until Saturday morning. hand |
ed the mail to Miss Berner, and no |
ticing a letter from Wakeleys, Mrs. |
Stanford asked Miss Berner to read !
it. Miss Berner read the report, which
stated that the water had contained i
Mrs. Stanford threw up !
her hands and exclaimed:
"OH, GOD! DID NOT THINK |
ANY ONE WISHED TO HURT ME. !
WHAT WOULD IT BENEFIT ANY !
ONE?"
Then she grew calm, but seemed |
very much troubled. She declared that
We were to say nothing about it to
any 'one. Then L left the room, for L |
thought that Mrs. Stanford, Miss Ber-
ner and Mrs. Lathrop, who was there
After a little 1 went back and sug-
gested TO Mrs. Stanford that she ought
TO have the affair Investigated. Mrs.
Stanford replied:
YES. WE INTEND TO INvEsTI-
GATE IT. L AM GOING TO HAVE
THE PINKERTON MEN ENGAGED
RIGHT AWAY"
1 said that I was very glad and left
the room. Mr. Lathrop was in the
house at the time and he was inform
ed. AS Mrs. Stanford had not been
well for a week, presumably suffering |
from a cold, Mr.. Lathrop had already
telephoned for DR.. Boericke.
He came and saw Mrs. Stanford
though 1 do not know what was said
at the time. l thought that they might
have told me, as they knew that was
Interested but they did not. The doc
tor came both Saturday morning and
Saturday evening.
During the week past I had told Mrs |
Stanford that 1 wanted to leave on
account of my health, but if I had
known of the poison would certainly
have said nothing. None of US sus-
pected that.
The first feeling I had of suspicion
directed toward myself was when Mrs.
Stanford had a housemaid sleep in my
room instead of myself. I was rather
put out by having others doing my
duty toward Mrs. Stanford.
The remainder of the story is about
the way Elizabeth Richmond was dog
ged by detectives and ends with the
personal statement II think that the
poisoned water was undoubtedly part
of an attempt to murder Mrs. STAN
ford