The San Francisco call., 1906-10-22
POISON FOUND IN
WOMAN s BODY.
Chemical Analysis Develops
Further Mystery in Death
Of Mrs. Erna Davis
BANANA GIVES CLEW


The mystery surrounding the death
OF Mrs. Erna Davis the 22-vear-old
woman, whose lifeless body was found
saturday afternoon in a room at 1887
lurk street, was intensified last night
by the report OF City Chemist A c.
2olLle' VINO examined the stomach and
round that death was due to acetfc acid
poisoning His finding was at once
communicated 10 the office OF the C,hie+
OF Police and an investigation was i'm
meoiateiy begun by the department to
determine IN what manner the noison
was procured and how it had been ad-
ministered.
When Mrs. Davis body was found
at O'Clock Saturday afternoon bv
Mrs. Fannie Martin, the landlady of the
house IN which the unfortunate young
woman had made her home for the
past three months. there was, nothins~
IN the room TO indicate the manner in
which death occurred. The body was
iylng on the floor in the front room
paruafly under q. piano, while a few
feet away by. the open window was
the chair in which the woman had evi-
gently been sitting just prior to death.
Mrs Martin had left the house at 2
O'Clock, after chatting for several min
utes with her roomer, and eating a
banana from sack of the fruit which
Mrs Davis had purchased at a stand
few doors from the house.
FRUIT SUGGESTS METHOD.
On the piano under which the body
was found three hours afterward was
small portion Of one of these bananas
which Mrs. Davis had been eating as
she sat by the widnow overlooking the
street. No vial or box in which poison
could have been contained was to be
round anywhere in the room, IN Mrs
Davis own room or under the windows
outside the house. and the conclusion
mas been reached by the police, as we'll
as by DR.. kucich, the autopsy sur
geon' who first examined the body yes
terday morning. that the acid which
caused the death must have been eaten
with the fruit
But while this small piece of banana
might have furnised the only clew lead
Ing TO a correct solution of the poison
ing mystery, IL was learned by the
police last night that it had not been
saved, but had been thrown out when
the room was cleaned up after the
Investigation by the deputy Coroner
who first had charge Of the case. One
uneaten banana and the skins of sew
eral others were found in the sack in
Mrs Davis room and were saved, but
little Importance is attached to them. as
the one eaten by Mrs. Martin had no
evil effects on her, and it is believed
that II the poison was taken in the
banana il was placed there after ii was
taken from the sack.
AUTOPSY is PERFORMED.
Mrs. Davis body was removed late
Saturday night from the morgue to the
undertaking rooms Of N Gray &
CO. at Geary and Devisadero streets,
where an autopsy was performed yes
terday morning by DR.. Kucich. The
strong odOr Of acetic acid in the stom-
ach caused him TO send the organ to
DR. Bottle. with the result that the
presence Of a considerable quantity of
nnfcnn found Mrs DaViGf
heart was also found to have been in
an extremely weak condition, and this
may have contributed TO the sudden
ness Of her death.
The police learned last night that
Mrs. Davis had been employed until
Tuesday Of last week as a waitress in
a restaurant owned by A. Gfroerer az
1852 McAllister street She has lived
with her husband. Martie Davis, at the
.Turk-street house for about three
months but Davis has spent only por-
tiOn Of his time there, staying at least
half the time with his parents. who re-
side at 1913 O'Farrell street He was
found at the latter place after the dis
covery Of his wifes death, and Satur-
day night collected all her belongings
at the Turk-street house and removed
them.
NO DOMESTIC TROUBLE.
Despite the fact that Davis spent
a.
wife other roomers in the house de-
clare that they seemed to be happy and
showed no evidence Of any domestic
trouble. Davis left the house early
Saturday morning and did not return
unffl after he had received the news
Of his wife's death She spent the day
in the house except for the short time
when she was out to purchase the
bananas. and it is not known where
she could have procured the acetic acid.
No motive for suicide has been dis
covered Mrs Davis had complained
Of feeling i'll for several days, declar-
ing that she had severe pains In her
chest but she seemed cheerful and at
no time appeared respondent in the
presence Of the other roomers. After
Mrs Martin left the house Saturday
afternoon Mrs. Davis sat for an hour
on the porch, talking to some children
who were playing on the walk Albert
C. McCarty a carpenter, who rooms at
the house, returned shortly before
o'clock but left again after hasty
visit 10 his room. He declares that he
noticed at the time that Mrs. Davis ap-
appeared to be i'll. She went into the
house Immediately after his departure
and was not seen again
Mrs Davis was formerly Erna Chris
tan. the daughter OF William Chris
tfan. who lived at Iowa Hill, and was
later a cook at a local hotel He died
about seven months ago Of heart dis
ease Mrs Davis younger sister sue
cunbed TO the same trouble few
years ago.
The funeral of Mrs. Davis will be
held today, and interment will take
place at Mount Olivet cemetery.
TR1TU0IIhKCc IND.