Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-13
NOTE MAY HAVE
HIDDEN MEANING
APPEARS TO BE REQUEST TO
FRIEND
Or. Burners Death Due 10 Natural
Causes, Says Physician, but
Indications Point TO
Suicide

The finding Of a message to a friend
yesterday afternoon may be the cause
of reopening the investigation into the
death of DR.. Russell Burner today.
DR.. Burner was found dying at his
sanltarium, 2033 LIST Fourth street,
with a bottle Of chloroform beside him
yesterday morning, but CorOner's Ply
sician Russell decided. after an au-
topsy, that death was due to embolism
of the heart.
The scrap Of paper which may throw
an entirely different light on the case,
was a message to DR.. g. 6. Gleaves,
DR. Burners associate I'm his sanitar-
ium enterprises. II conveyed to him
the doctors Masonic watch charm
which was wrapped in 1t, with the
words, written in pencil ITO my dear
friend, DR. Gleaves." The charm was
found by Roy Cole, son of DR.. Burn
er's niece, Mrs. II. 3. Cole, and Deputy
Coroner Williams was told Of It before
DR.. Russell had signed the death GER
tiicate. The signing Of the certificate
was deferred until today, when the in
Nestlgation will be continued.
Telegram Is Mystery
Another element of the case not en-
tirely explained was a telegram lying
on the dresser Of the room in which
the doctor was found, bearing the
single word, Come"
DIR. Burner was the head of the
British-American Medical institute at
2033 East Fourth street, where his
death occurred. He has been known
in Southern California for years as
the proprietor of milk and rest cure"
sanitariums, and was widely adver-
tised as an expert in radium cures.
He established resorts in Long Beach
and Los Angeles and has been iden-
tilted with a number of different med
ical enterprises since coming to Cali
fornia fourteen years ago.
His death yesterday left much to be
determined as to whether 1t was ac-
cidental or suicidal, and but little could
be learned from the management of
the sanitarium regarding it. 1t is
known that DIR. Burners business af-
fairs have been badly involved, and
1t is said that he has been caused
much distress by a failure to effect
a reconciliation with his second wife,
who recently secured a divorce in San
Diego. 1t also became generally known
for the first time yesterday that agents
of the state board of medical exam
liners have been working for weeks
looking up DR.. Burners record.
Charges of a serious nature are said
to have been made against him, among
them using fake pictures of persons
whom he claimed to have cured, and
that he received his diploma from an
institution Established for the express
purpose of issuing dip mas. None of
these charges has been proven, and
1t is thought that DR.. Burner knew
nothing of the investigation being made
into his record.
Was Constantly Watched
DR.. Burner had been dangerously i'll
for several weeks, and until a few
days ago was not left without a nurse.
A male nurse slept in a room above,
but when the doctor was found dying
yesterday morning he had slept alone
in the room. His groans were heard
by Mrs. NJ. NJ. Cole, a niece, who
assisted him in the work of the man
agement of the sanitarium, as she
passed the door. Entering she found
him close to death, an open bottle of
chloroform lying on the chair by the