Evening star., 1945-10-08
Doctor Whose Wife
Admits Killing Nurse
Is Found Dead in Car
By the Associated Press.


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. S.-Dr.
John H. Msnsfeldt, 48. has joined
in death the nurse his wife has
been charged with numbering in
tragic climax to supposed love
triangle.
The body of the prominent San
Francisco physician was found yes
terday morning Slumped in the front
seat of his car, parked at the top
of cliff in remote ocean-front
picnic ground 19 miles south of here.
Deputy Coroner Ida M. LaSswell
said he had been dead for three
days. Evidence showed he had taken
his own life with a powerful poison
within a few hours of the time his
wife, Annie Irene, As, had been
charged with the murder of Mrs.
Vada Martin, 36, the woman she
believed was the rival for her hus-
bands affections.
Mrs. Mansfield Collapses.
Mrs. Mansfeldt collapsed in the
city Jail when she was told Of her
husbands death.
Il killed him. 7 killed my hus-
band! Nothing can help me now.
I killed him and wasn't even right.
He's gone and I loved him so.' she
screamed incoherently.
oh, what will happen to my poor
babies? (Her three teen-age chill
dren) My whole life is gone-I'm
dead inside"
At first the stricken woman re-
fused treatment, but late she was
transferred by court order to psy-
chopathic ward in the county hos
pital for observation"
Discovery of DR.. Mansfeldt's body
ended a Statewide search for the
physician after his disappearance
Thursday. He had appeared for a
few moments at the Central Emer-
gency Hospital to identify his wife,
stared briefly and silently at her and
then drove away.
Poison Walls Found.
George Lewis, proprietor of the
shelter cove resort found the doc
tors body. A stethoScope dangled
from the pocket of his coat. Near
him lay an empty vial OF poison and
in the glove compartment OF the
car were two drained bottles OF
liquid morphine sulphate, a power
full pain-killing narcotic. Also in
the compartment was glass
barreled hypodermic which ap-
peared to bear traces of the drug.
There was no suicide note in the
car.
Mr.. Lewis told authorities he saw
the doctor drive up to the isolated
spot Thursday, get out and stand
for a few moments with his back to
the ocean, seemingly in deep
thought and then get back in the
car.
Il dismissed the incident from my
mind, because I assumed the man
was going fishing. Then this morn
ing my son Bob returned from
Santa Cruz and said the sedan,
apparently unoccupied, was still
there. I thought this was strange,
so the two of US went up the hill to
investigate" Mr.. Lewis said.
All duUODSy W uCbCItll SiIS ~ ~
of poison taken by the physician
was performed yesterday by DR..
Stuart Lindsay of the University
of California, who said results were
inconclusive. Viscera samples were
turned over for analysis to tox-
icologist here.
Confirms Wife's Fears.
DR.. Mansfeldt's death confirmed
the fears of his wife, who repeated
necessarily after her imprisonment
that she was certain he had killed
himself or he would have come to
her side.
The authenticated society matron
will appear in Municipal Court Oc-
tober 10 for a hearing on the murder
charge. Her physical condition was
so poor at her arraignment last
Friday that Judge Edward Molken-
buhr ordered postponement.
The three Mansfeldt children,
Irene, Is; John. IA, and Terry, II,
are being cared for at the home
of Otto Sonnenberg, a brother in
law of DR.. Mansfeldt.
Mrs. Martin, wife of Navy war
rant officer now overseas, was shot
while sitting with Mrs. Mansfeldt
in the latter's car on a downtown
San Francisco street last Thursday.
Assistant District Attorney Hard
Ing Mcclure said Mrs. Mansfeldt
told him afterward she had fired
what she thought was a blank
cartridge at the nurse in an effort
to frighten her into admitting in
timacies with the physician. Mrs.
Martin, as she was dying, denied