The San Francisco call., 1908-09-18
CLUbMAN WHO
SHOT HIMSELF
WAS D[RANG[D
Coroner's Jury Finds Unani-
NOUS Verdict in the Case of
Erskine Richardson
Widow and Nurse Tell of the
Many Queer Acts of the
Dead Man
Mingled Declarations of Love
for His Wife With
Threats to SIay

ne COIOncI ) JURY WHICH ulVCSu-
gated the death of Erskine Richard
son, the wealthy business and club
man, brought in a verdict of suicide
during temporary insanity, yesterday,
the verdict coming at the conclusion
of testimony given by Mrs. Richard
son, in which she accused her husband
of striking her and otherwise treat
ing her in an inhuman and cruel man
ner.
Whatever doubts there may have
been regarding the strange death were
cleared away by her testimony 1t
laid bare a condition of affairs at
which not even their nearest friends
guessed. No effort was made to keep
secret the family skeleton. Mrs.
Richardson went into the case fully
and told tale OF cruelty and physical
i'll treatment which. starting shortly
after their marriage two years ago.
eliminated In her terrified fight to
the shelter of her mothers home in
Santa Barbara
koAC ~ dS 0HdO1c lo appeal III pCASOl
at the inquest, but gave her testimony
TO Coroner Leland at her apartments
at the ST. Xavier, 1886 Pacific avenue.
I'VE were married two years ago."
she said, and quite soon after our
marriage his i'll treatment of me COM
menced. He struck me frequently and
threatened me- After the birth of my
child, when / was in a very weak con-
dition. his cruelty was excessive.
Ever since ]. knew him he was a
moody man. He often spoke of sui
eide, but up to the last two weeks be-
fore his death / paid no particular at
tention to his remarks. So peculiar
was his conduct at this stage, and so
bad his treatment of me, that 1 be-
came terrified and feared he would
take my life. He continually spoke
of there being poison in the house.
and that he would commit suicide.
made a point Of never quarreling with
him. 1 kept as still as possible. I was
afraid that 1 would be killed by him
if / antagonized him.
II held out as long as possible, but
the constant horror made life unbear-
able for me. 1 dreaded to eat or drink
anything, for fear it might be pois-
oned. 1 did not know when he might
attempt to kill me. 1t was too horri-
BILE; and then, in desperation, 1 wrote
to my mother, saying I was going back
home. My original intention was to
first write to her and then go to Santa
Barbara the next day, but after 1 had
lswritten the letter / could bear the sus-
pense no longer and left Immediately.
The letter L tore up, knowing that 1
would reach home as soon as it did.
1t was found after my husband killed
himself"
Miss E. Rainey. who has acted as
nurse for Mrs. Richardson since last
January, corroborated her employers
testimony.
Richardson was very moody" said
She There was a great deal of fric-
ton between him and his WIFE On
one occasion while at dinner he re-
marked. L believe 1 will kill you some
day. She never replied to him when
he acted and talked in this way, and
absolutely refused to be drawn into
rows with him.
Henry ]. Ralston, Richardson's part
ner in the Ralston iron foundry. testi-
fed to missing the dead man Satur-
day and of the discovery of the body
In his apartments.
about two weeks before his death. /"
said Ralston, 'he appeared exceedingly
detected and told me he, had been re-
jected by an insurance company on ac-
count of a weak heart. His words
at that time were. don't want to
make myself TOO Fdiu 10 the DuSl-
ness, as 1 may drop out at any time 1
then thought he meant he would have
to drop out of business, but in the
face of subsequent events have come
to believe that he had suicidal inten-
tions."
The other witnesses who testified at
the inquest were Policeman Lowenberg.
Thomas Nelson, an employe at the st.
Xaxier apartments, and Ed J. Vogel
of the anarfnaanfS
Petition that the will of Richardson
be admitted to probate was filed yes
terday by H. ]. Ralston, with a request
that letters testamentary be issued to
him. Ralston was named in the will
as co-executor with Floyd W. Mundy
of 20 Broadway, New York The petit
tion states that Richardson was 80
years of age at the time of his death
and was of sound and disposing mind.