The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-03-10
A MYSTERY.
Did Mrs. Stanford Die of Poison
ing in Honolulu Hotel?
IT LOOKS THAT WAY.
At Least Great Suspicion Surrounds
Her Sudden Death In Far Off Homo.
lulu. Il Hava Been Poisoned.
This Is Horrible
Death TO Die"
Death to DE-"

"A u'ophGou 1Iou dOIOlulu says MIS-
Jane Lathrop Stanford of San Fran.
cisco, widow of United States Senator
Leland Stanford, died at 11.3O
o'clock Wednesday night at the Moaua
MOTEL here. Suspicious circumstances
surround the death Of Mrs. Stamford
She was taken i'll at III O'Clock and
said:
L have been poisoned"
der last words were: "This Is a
horrible death to de-"
Mrs. Stanford came here from San
Francisco on the Korea, February 2l.
In conversation with Mrs. Henry
Highton Of San Francisco, who Is now
mere, Mrs. Stanford said that an at.
tempt had been made to poison her in
that city and that this was her reason
Tor sailing on the Korea. 1t was Mrs
Stanford's belief, according to Mrs.
Highton, that enough poison had
been used to kill 20 persons
before retiring that night Mrs. Stan
ford took a dose Of bi.carbonate of
soda. which she purchased at San
anciSco, 1t is reported that the
Hoda contained strychnine, but this
report cannot be verified. Dr.. F. 81.
HumphIies, who attended Mrs Stan.
ford, Is making an examination of the
contents or tue bottle which had not
been touched since Mrs. Stanford left
San Fraucsco.
Wedne day afternoon Mrs. Stanford
went to picnic. She ate heartily.
On returning to the hotel she took
only soup for dinner and retired short
iy after 10 o'clock
At IL O'Clock guest Of the hotel
Who occupied an adjoining room heard
Mrs. Stanford groanipg and running
o the room found her lying on the
flour. She had evidently tried to
summon help. At the time of Mrs
Staoford's death there we're present
Miss Berner, her secretary and her
maid, May Hunt. Both are prostrat-
ID.
In accordance with the local law, q
coroGer's jury was immedia sum.
moned and viewed the remains which
we're later taken to an undertaker's to
await an autopsy.
Mrs. Henry Highton told the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent that Mrs.
stanford said to her shortly after ar
rlving here:
The reason left San Francisco
was because an attempt had been
made on my life-an attempt to pois.
on me, and enough poison was used
10 kill 20 persons"
MRS. Stanford seemed to be great.
ly Affected" said MIS-. Highton, Il
ought to disabuse her mind of the
idea as 1 feared 1t might be only de-
usion, but Mrs. Stanford talked 80
nationally about the attempt on her
life that l do not now hold the belief
that 1t was mere fancy of hers.
was very uneasy after this talk with
Mrs. anford and wrote to mutual
friends IN San Francisco about the
matter. They told me they feared
such attempts had been made; no
names, however, being mentioned"
DIR. Humphries mai the following
statement to the Associated Press!
When L was called IN l found Mrs.
Stanford In conyulsions, and applied
the quickest remedies. but 1t was not
possible to save her life. Mrs. Stan
ford said to me: Doctor, have been
poisoned
Mrs. Stanford's condition seemed
to indicate strychnine poisoning. Be-
tween convulsions, her mind was un
usually active, and she said: This is
ne second time they have tried 1t.
hey tried 1t last January, and came
here to avoid them'
tasted the contents of the bot
tle." continued DR.. Humphries, 'b.-
lore making an analysis. am una
ole to swear that 1t contained strych-
nine, but am perfectly positive that
IL does ntain strychnins."
Au aut' psy On the remains Of Mrs.
Stanford was performed next after
noon. The physician who C nducted
he autopsy said that the cause of
heath was tetanus OF the reypirator,
organs, but that he cannot state hov
the tttanus was brought about un Il
after an Examination Of the contents
VI the tomach.
NO irqnest will be held until High
Sheriff HJnry receives the r. port of
the chemists. Tnis report will prob.
ab be received tomorrow.
1t is reported tonight that R. A.
Duncan, the territorial food commls-
sioner and lemict Il analyst has touud
sJrychnine in the ooLtle OF bic trbo
nate OF soda. No ,fflc,al rep lr5 OF
such finding has yet been made, and
other chemists have been called in
q, Insulation. 1t is PROBABLE that the
inquest will be delayed for several
days, awaiting the anal, sis of The
ntents OF the stomach.
High Sheriff Henry and Dsputy
Sheriff BAwlins are conducting the
investigation with the assistance of
the police officials.
AN ATTEMPT ON HER LIFE.
a dispatch IIom San F.anc SEQ says
on the 18Th OF last month 1t was re-.
p'rted that al attempt had been
made to murder Mrs Stanford by
means OF poison placed in a bottle OF
mineral water at her home on Cali.
fornia street in this city. II was
stated that she had taken three
drinks of the deadly mixture, but the
poison Lad been used in such large
quantities that 1t served as It's own
emetic. Mrs. Stanford was taken
violently Ill and medical'aid was sum
moned. The contents OF her stomach
and the water remaining IN the bot.
tile were analyZed and sufficient
strychnine to have killed three per.
sons was found. Mrs. Stanford ara,
drank pf the water on January .46t
and from that time her health de-