The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-12-04
THE LETTER ADVISES HIM TO
TAKE POWDERS PRoMIs-
ING SURE CURE.
DETECTIVES ON THE SCENT
Powders Enclosed IN Missive in
Woman's Handwriting Are Taken
In Good Faith BY Unsuspecting
Man Who is Found Dying.

SAN fkkANNlSAOf DcC' ?. TUT
SON conveyed in a letter mailed in
this city yesterday i believed to have
caused the death Of Henry Boas,
salesman for the Pennant Electric
Company. who was discovered in
dying condition in his apartments at
2Sl6 Harrison street early today and
who expired a few moments later
without regaining consciousness.
A communication purporting to be
from physician, but which displayed
ignorance Of the primary principles
Of medicine, was sent to Boas yester-
day BY special delivery and all the
evidence in the possession Of the po-
lice indicates that the letter, penned
by woman, contained two powders,
which the recipient was urgently adj
vised to take as remedy for indi-
gestion, but which were in fact Of
poisonous character.
Acting upon cIews founda among
the dead mans papers, detective
was sent this morning to San Jose
to interview Mrs. C. G. Walker, Of
IS South Fifth street, that city, whose
daughter is said TO have been friend
of Boas. The police, basing their
calculations Jpn the fact that the
letter was dated 50 as to indicate that
II was written in San Jose, are posi-
tive that a clew to the sender will be
found through tracing all possible
friends and acquaintance Of the dead
man in that city, Boat is said to
have resided for some time at the
home of Mrs. Walker, and to have
formed during that time an attach
ment for her daughter.
While the envelope containing the
letter is missing, it is known that a
missive was mailed in this city yes
terday and delivered by messenger to
the elevator operator in the building
at Third and Mission streets, where
the Offices Of the electric company are
located. The elevator man signed
for the letter, in the absence Of Boasr
who returned later, and who IS sup.
posed to have taken it to hs home.
The signature to the letter is SC
illegible that instead Of McHower, 4
might be Flower or Wower. The
whole missive was undoubtedly writ
ten BY awoman who had but scant
acquaintance with the directions she
intended to give, and the police re
gard 1t as important that Boas wa'
urged not to delay taking the pow
ders enclosed
Boas, who was young man ant
unmarried, resided with his parents
Upon arriving home last night he in
formed his mother and sisters tina
he was going to take some powders
to relieve an attack of indigestion
with which he was afflicted, It wa
two or three hours after he retire'
that the women heard screams com
ing from his room, and they rushet
10 find him writhing in agony an'
complaining Of acute pains in hi
stomach.
DR.. c. F, Griffin, who was sum
moned almost Immediately, diagnoses
the case as one of poisoning, He ad
ministered entities without delay, bu
Boas had already sunk into uncor
scious, and died within few mir
utes. His badly was removed to tn
morgue, and the police, being not
fed, took charge Of all his persona
possessions and set on foot the II
J vestigatin which resulted in the d
parture of Detective Gallagher f
the Walker residence in San Jose
SAN JOSE, Call Dec 3.-Chicf
Police Haley after investigating Il
career Of Boas in this city, who die
at San Francisco today as resu
of taking two headache powde'
L which claimed he received throue
: the mails, stated he is satisfied tn
Boas committed suicide after writir