The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-03

rop stanford, of San Francisco, widow
of United States Senator Leland STAN
ford, died at 11:4O o'clock last night at
the Moana Hotel here. Suspicious cir
cumstances surround the death Of Mrs.
Stanford She was taken i'll at IL
clock and said: II have been poison
ed" Her last words were: This is a
horrible death to die
Mrs stanford came here from San
Francisco on the Korea, February 21st.
IN conversation with Mrs. Henry High
ton of san Francisco who is now here.
Mrs. Stanford said that an attempt
had been made to poison her in that
city and that this was her reason for
sailing on the Korea.
1t was MRS. Stanford's belief accord
ing to Mrs. GIighton, that enough pois-
on had been used to kill twenty per-
sons.
Before retiring last night Mrs. Stan
ford took a dose of Ibicarbonate of soda,
which she purchased at san Francisco.
1t is reported that the soda contained
strychnine, but this report cannot be
verified. DR.. F. H. Humphries, who
attended Mrs. Stanford. 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 10
o'clock.
At II o'clock guest of the hotel
who occupied an adjoining room heard
Mrs. Stanford groaning, and running
to the room, found her lying on the
floor. She had evidently tried to sum-
mon help. AT the time Of Mrs. Stan
ford's death there were present Miss
IRerner, her secretary and her maid,
May Wilson. Both are Frustrated.
! In accordance with local law, a coro-
rer's jury was Immediately summoned
and viewed the remains which were
| 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
| irving here:
The reason left San Francisco
| was because an attempt had been made
| on my -hfe-an attempt to poison me-
| and enough poison was used to kill q
| persons"
! Mrs. Stanford seemed to be greatly
| Effected said Mrs. Highton. u
sought to disabuse her mind of the
| iGea as / feared it might be only 1t de-
| I--c hut toJ CT
nationally about the attempt on her
| ':fe that do not hold the belief that il
was mere fancy of hers. I was very
| uneasy after this talk with Mrs. stan
| ford 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"
DR. Humphries made the following
statement to the Associated Press:
| When / was called in I found Mrs
! Stanford in convulsions, and applied
the quickest remedies. but il was not
possible to save her life. Mrs. Stanford
said to me: Doctor, have been pois-
cned'
Mrs. Stanford's condition seemed tt
| indicate strychnine poisoning. Betweer
commissions her mind was very active
and she said this is the second time
| they have tried it. They tried it las
January and I came here to avcic
them
ST tasted the contents of the bottle,
continued DR.. Humphries. Before max
ing an analysis and I am unable Il
swear that it contained strychnine, bu
I am perfectly positive that it doe
contain strychnine-"
San Francisco, March lon the ISL
iof last month it was reported that ar
attempt had been made to murder Mrs
stanford by means of poison placed i.
q bottle of mineral water at her horne
on California street in this city. /
was stated that she had taken three
drinks Of the deadly mixture but tfs
poison had been used in such arg
quantities that it served as its owT
ernetic Mrs. Stanford was taken vio
lently Ill and medical aid was summon
ed. The contents OF her stomach ane