The San Francisco call., 1909-10-04
MYSTERIOUS IS
DEATH OF ROUGH
RIDERS MAJOR
Body of A. B. Stein Is Found
in Hallway of His Home
on Sunday Morning
His Wife iii of Strange MaIady
That May Have Ended
Life of Her Husband

An unsolVed mystery surrounds the
cause Of the death of A B. Stein, pro-
prietor Of the German American en-
ployment agency at 1877 Turk street
and ma jor Of the local Rough Riders
organization. whose IifeIess body was
found yesterday morning in the hall
way Of his home at 1910 McAllister
street. Evidence of serious stomach
trouble. supposedly resulting from pto-
maine poisoning. gives the only clew to
the cause or STEMS death. and the fact
that his wife was unconscious and suf-
fering from similar symptoms sustains
this theory.
STEMS body was found at $50 o'clock
yesterday morning by James CIeghorn.
q roomer at the Stein home. and few
minutes later Mrs. Stein was found un-
conscious in the bathroom of the dwell
ing. she was removed TO the central
emergency hospital and later to the
Lane hospital, but although she recov-
cred somewhat during the day she is
stiIi in a precarious condition, and could
say nothing yesterday to throw any
light upon the affair.
FINDS LIFELESS BODY
Cleghorn and his wife rented room
in Stems home three days ago and had
not become intimate with Stein or his
wife. Upon leaving his room yesterday
morning Cleghorn found STEMS body
stretched in the hail. Stein was dressed
only in his underclothing and pair of
slippers. CleghOrn rushed TO the rear of
the house. only 10 find Mrs. Stein on the
bathroom floor. clad in her night clothes
and unconscious. Cieghorn summoned
Policemen T. ]. Roble and J. J. Barry.
who hurried Mrs. Stein to the central
emergency hospital and called the cor
oner TO care for Stems body.
In the bedroom occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Stein was their month old baby.
The only other occupants Of the house
were Cleghorn and his wife and Ed
ward Mehrtens. farmer from Hount-
Vile who had taken the room next to
that occupied by Stein and his wife for
the night
Mehrtens said yesterday that Stein
had knocked on his door about 1890
o'clock the night before and said he
was going 10 bed. Some time during
the night Mehrtens heard groans from
Stems room, but did not investigate.
He arose at o'clock yesterday morn
ing and found STEMS body lying in the
hallway and his wife in the bathroom,
but did not recognize either of them
and saws he thought that both were
merely drunk. He dressed and left the
house Immediately and did not return
until about i o'clock, when he learned
of STEMS death and his wife's illness.
Nehrtens was examined closely by
the police. but gave q straightforward
account OF his own actions and no cir
cumstance was found TO direct any sus-
picion toward him. Mr.. and Mrs.
Adolph NOgt Of Ills Cough street called
II STEMS home Saturday night and
were there until after 9 o'clock. They
both declared that Stein and his VIE
seemed perfectly we'll and in the best
OF spirits They suggested that Stems g
death might possibly have been due TO
gas asphyxiation, as both noticed a
strong smell Of gas IN the kitchen and
commented upon II before leaving. The
police. however, secuted this theory.
On bathroom shelf, near where Mrs.
stein lay, were found two small bottles
which had contained carbolic acid and
also q bottle of vinegar and a bottle
Of ammonia. The finding of the for
mer at first gave rise TO a suiside
theory but all the circumstances of
the case were strongly against this. No
odor Of acid was noticeable about the
house and the mouth OF neither Stein
nor his wife was burned.
WOMAN'S STORY BATTLING
Mrs. Stein was unable to talk much
yesterday but declared that neither
she nor her husband had eaten or drank
anything during the evening. She
said that she had eaten nothing for
dinner, but that Stein had not been
home for dinner. She denied that there
had been any attempt at suicide, but
could not account for her illness or
even tell at what hour Of the night
IL began The theory accepted by the
police was that both Mr.. and Mrs. Stein
had become poisoned by something they
had eaten and that Stein fell dead
while attempting to reach the front of
the house to summon help.
On September u Stein was taken
seriously I'll in much the same manner
at about o'clock in the morning. He
was taken 10 the central emergency
hospital, but was discharged at about
II o'clock the same morning He said
~ that time that he thought the
trouble was caused by watermelon he
had eaten, but the doctors who at
tended him ascribed the trouble to a
chronic stomach complaint
Mrs. Stein was removed last night
from the central emergency to the Lane
hospital, where il was said that her
life was still in danger. Her baby
was taken to the Infants shelter. An
autopsy performed on STEMS body at
the morgue last night by Dr. J. r.
Clark showed that the heart was in
bad condition, but nothing positive
concerning the cause OF death was as
certained. The stomach was removed
and Will be sent to the city chemist
n