The San Francisco call., 1908-12-17
WILSON GUILTY
OF CRIME, SAYS
CORON[R'SJURY
Charges Prisoner With Having
Sent Strychnine by Mail to
Henry BOas
Handwriting Expert Testifies
That "POisOn Letter" Was
Written by Accused
Suspect Hears Verdict StOicaIiy
and Picks Weak Spots
in Case

we. the jury. find that the said
Harry BOas came TO his death on De-
cember 3. 1905, at his residence, 2S1t
Harrison street, from strychnine poi
soninE, and we further find that the
deceased came TO his death from strych-
nine sent through the mail by one
}. w. Wilson;
"And we further charge j. w. Wilson
with the crime of murder
After hearing the explicit testimon!
OF Theodore Kytka, the handwriting
expert, the coroner's jury in the case
OF Henry J. Boss. the young electrician
retired and shortly afterward returned
the above verdict settling the crime OF
murder upon John Walter Wilson, the
man befriended and employed by Boas
in his business. the Pennant electric
company. Coroner Leland indorsed the
verdict. Kvtka testified absolutely that
Wilson wrote the letter sent TO Boas
with the strychnine powders recon-
mended as a cure of indigestion.
To his attorney, Ernest B. d. Spag-
noli, Wilson made this significant
statement: They can never learn
where the strychnine was secured.
They have not proved where it was
bought"
That is gap in the case as made by
the police But it was learned last
evening that at one time Wilson had
employment where he had ready ac-
cess TO poisons and drugs of malig-
nant types
kNTKA-S TESTIMONY DAMAGING
Kytkas testimony yesterday made a
perfect case against the defendant so
far as expert testimony could go. In
addition TO demonstrating to the jury
that the poison" letter was in the
handwriting of Wilson he showed that
the paper on which the letter was writ
ten was identical with sheet OF paper
secured by the police from Mrs. Flor
ence Karl. d housemaid at the Hotel
Netherland, Wilson's lodgings, and
which was previously identified as g
sheet given Mrs Karl by Wilson. The
expert also proved that the papers in
which the powdered strychnine was
wrapped were similar to a small sheet
or paper found among Wilson's ef-
fects.
lively that Wilson initiated United
States postofice cancellation marks on
letters written by him in the name of
his mother and sent TO Miss Nina Mil
Ter, one of his numerous fancees. A
font of type with which the canceIla-
tion and date stamp We're printed and a
bit Of steel pipe used to trace the
stamps circle were produced from
among Wilson's effects.
HEARS VERDICT STOICALLY
Wilson took the verdict stoically.
While in the city prison he would
frequently break down into a fit OF
hysteria- but during Kytka's most dam
aging testimony he maintained a
studied self-control and did not remove
his eyes from the witness
At the conclusion of the inquest he
talked guardedly with the newspaper
men. They established no motive for
this crime" he said, acuteIy picking
the weakest point in the defense next
10 the point involving the purchase Of
the strychnine. My case was preju-
diced, too, by the assistant district at
torney referring TO me as the de
fendant' ] will be able to establish
that I was a partner in the concern. I
never had tablet with paper in if
as Mrs Karl testified. I don't remem-
Der that ] ever gave her any paper.
am innocent Of the murder, but I be-
heve there was murder committed"
On the advice OF his attorney Wilson
said little more.
Miss Nina Miller was recalled as a
witness yesterday morning to testify
regaI ding the letters written her bv
wilson, TO which he forged his mothers
name. Mrs Florence Karl and Miss
Iva Houston, housemaids at the Meth
erland. told Of paper found in viii
sons room and pens secured by him
from the former.
IDENTIFIES PAPERS
James A Buchanan. reporter on
The Call identified evidentiarv papers
and font of type among Wilson's
effects and turned over to Kvtka ne
tectives Robert +. Graham and LANES
T. Gallagher told OF their investiga-
tions in the case
IN the afternoon Policeman William
T. Flynn told of Wilson's threats
against Mrs. Wilson. his wife. James
2. Shubert, proprietor of the Neither
iand hotel. testified that Wilson ex-
hibited TO him a forged letter regard
ing his ability to pay back ROOM rent
Policeman Fred O'Neil told of his find
ings in the case
Frank T. Green. city toxicologis+
and Theodore Kytka concluded tbe lie,
OF witnesses. Green told of the strvcb-
nine found in Boas' stomach ana 80
the strychnine found on the powder
papers.
kytka had prepared samples of VIII
sons handwriting, magnified so times
he demonstrated from these charts
The inquest adjourned in honor .,
the memory of the late chief of nol;ca
Riggy. Assistant District Attor,,e,,
Robert Duke extolled the merits -
the deceased official
Attorney Spagnoli applied for writ
OF habeas corpus before Judge 0.,...-S
Yesterday. The order was ma5a -
turnable this afternoon and aIIa,oa
that Wilson was held without anr
charge A charge was sworn -
against the prisoner last evening and
the application for the writ was There
by nullihed-