Coroner's inquest in re: Death of Jane L. Stanford (photocopy), 1905

A. Yes, immediately.

Q. Was it her ordinary tone, or did it seem to be a tone of anguish or tone of distress?

A. I think it was a tone of distress.

Q. A tone of distress?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And did she use the word "May" alone, or were there any other words accompanyinf it?

A. That is all I heard, "May."

Q. What did you do then, Miss Berner, or Miss Hunt?

A. I rushed out of my room and found her standing in the dorway [sic] od her room.

Q. Did she say anything?

A. She was hanging on to the casing of the door.

Q. Yes?

A. And she said she was so sick and to ---

Q. What were her words, if you remember?

A. She said, "I am so sick, get the doctor." And then she said that she had had a fit that had thrown her out of her bed.

Q. What next happened?

A. Well, Miss Berner ran for the doctor, and I held on to her, and tried to get her to the bed. But she clung to the door, to the door casing, and Miss Berner returned, and we got her over to the wash stand, and she began --- we gave her hot water to see if she chould not vomit.

Q. How much warm water did you give Mrs. Stanford?

A. Oh, she had several glasses of it.

Q. Are you able to state how many?

A. No, I could not state how many.

Q. Now, what was the purpose of giving Mrs. Stanford this hot water or warm water?

A. To make her vomit.

Q. Did she vomit?

A. No, she didn't vomit. The doctor afterwards brought mustard and gave her mustard and water.

Q. Did Mrs. Stanford make any statements after you got her to the wash stand?

A. Yes.

Q. What did she say?

A. I don't remember all that she said?

Q. As far as you can remember what she said?

A. I remember of her telling Miss Berner to tell the doctor what had happened at home, and then about her last words I remember.

Q. Did se make any further statement about "Oh I am so sick?"

A. Yes. And she asled for a stomach pump, for a stomach pump to be brought her.

Q. Did she make any statement which indicated that she know [sic] what was the matter or thouhgt she knew what was the matter with her?

A. I don't know whether she did or not, it seemsed to me that there was something said about poison, but whether she said it, I don't know, I have heard so much about it.

Q. Did she make any statement as to having taken any medicine?

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A. Yes, Something was said about the soda she had taken, and the doctor wanted to know at what time; I told him at nine o'clock. Mrs. Stanford said "No," that she had forgotten to take it when I went to bed, and got up later and had taken it.

Q. Now, Dr. Humphris arrived and gave Mrs. Stanford some mustard and water did you say?

A. He brought mustard and water.

Q. When did anybody else come?

A. Yes, let's see --- there was another doctor that came later.

Q. Do you know his name?

A. I heard afterwards that his name was Doctor Murray.

Q. Now, what else was done, if anything, ro relieve Mrs. Stanford?

A. We put her feet in hot water and rubbed her legs with alcohol, and put her hands in hot water adnd rubbed her and rubbed her head. I think that was about all that was done.

Q. Did Mrs. Stanford have another spasm?

A. Yes.

Q. And how long did that last, if you know?

A. I don't know how long it lasted.

Q. Did Mrs. Stanford come out of that spasm?

A. No, she didn't come ot [sic] of that spasm.

Q. And passed away in that spasm?

A. In the spasm, Yes.

Q. Now, did anybody take the --- do you know if Mrs. Stanford any other medicine that night besides this bicarbonate of soda?

A. Yes, she took a little capsul.

Q. What kind of capsul?

A. I think it was cascara.

Q. Cascara. Now was the bottle with cascara capsules in it and the bottle of bicarbonate of soda in her room when the doctors were there?

A. I think they were.

Q. Did you see the doctor or anybody take them?

A. Yes, I saw Doctor ---

Q. Who took them?

A. Dr. Humphris

Q. Humphris. And did anything else happen after that; after Mrs. Stanford had gone in this spasm and passed away, what next was done?

A. They laid her on the bed.

Q. Do you wish to make any further statement, Miss Hunt?

A. No.

Q. You have known Mrs. Stanford several years, had you not?

A. I had. I had known Mrs. Stanford since '97. Since '97, Yes.

Q. During the time that you were at Honolulu did Mrs. Stanford complain of any illness at all?

A. Yes, not illness exactly. She complained a little bit of her stomach.

Q. But on this particular day you sent to the Pali you say that se didn't complain of her stomach?

A. No, no, not that day.

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Q. What seemed to be her spirits while you were preparing her for her night's rest on the 28th day of February? A. Very good. Q. Very good? A. Very good. Q. Did she converse freely with you that evening? A. She did. Q. And what were they, general topics? A. About our trip, yes. Q Had she any plans for the future while in Honolulu? A. Yes, we were going to Japan --Q. Q. Well? --- "And"? Yes, I interrupted you, finish it. A. We were going to Japan and on our return home she thought of going abroad. Q. Well, had she planned any further pleasure trips, or what was she going to do during the time that she remained in Honolulu? A. Yes, sir, we were going to some little hotel, I think it was somewhere near a large sugar plantation, that is the impression I had, somewhere near --- the "Iwa." Q. Wahiawa, Haleiwa? A. I cannot remember the name. Q. Down on the railroad? A. Some little hotel somewhere that we were going to spend a couple of days, I think. Q. And she talked with please did she of these trips, about these trips? A. Seemed to enjoy the trips immensely. [(sgd) Eva May Hunt]

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Honolulu, March 9th. , 1905.

Miss Hunt, Sworn:

Q. Miss Hunt, do you remember carrying an umbrella [sic] up on Sunday, the 26th. day of February?

A. I do.

Q. What was on the inside of the umbrella, what was inside it?

A. I saw MIss Berner drop the glove into it.

Q. Was there anything else there?

A. Noting.

Q. Was there anythig else in the parasol? A. No.

Q. How was the glove dropped in or how were they placed in the parasol?

A. Why, Miss Berner just dropped them in.

Q. Did she roll them or anything?

A. I did not pay attention to how she dropped them in, I carried the parasol up to her room.

Q. With the glove inside?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Then you are positive there was nothing else inside the parasol?

A. Yes, sir.

(Signed) Eva May Hunt.

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March 6, 1905

Dr. H.V. Murray, Sworn:

I am duly licensed physician, practicing medicine. I have practiced my profession since 1894 with exception of three years when I was away.

On February 28., 1905, I had occasion to visit Mrs. Stanford about 11:30 or 20 minutes to 12 M. Was called in a room at the Moana Hotel. When I got to the room I saw Mrs. Stanford sitting near wash stand, Dr. Humphris was along side of her hands accross on her lap. Her position, she was sitting up straight with her head thrown back. I took hold her hand and felt her pulse. I noticed her body was quite hot, felt her head as well and felt was quiet hot. When I took hold of her wrist I noticed the position she was sitting distinctly. The hands were firmly clinched with her thumbs bent inwards. Her kneed were apart, the sole of her feet were turned up and the arch was marked. I looked at her eyes with pupils dilated, the eye buldging, I don't know in life whether she had very full eyes or not. I looked at Dr. Humphris and he asked me if it was any use to disguise any longer. Her condition (from Miss Berner) while I was examining her, Doctor was telling me how he had been called and why he told he had send for Dr. Day and ina few minutes he arrived. She was not breathing, but was in a spasm and live was distinct or practially so, then we picked her up and put her on the bed.

From the position of the hands and feets (sic) werer unchanged, and the jaw dropped open and I tied it with a handkerchief. I enquired Dr. Humphris where the soda and the capsules were and he showed, it was in his pocket. Drs. Day, Humphris and I returned to Dr. Humphris' sitting room, 2nd. Floor Dr. Humphris had capsules and soda in this pocket, he carried the spoon and I had contents of the vomit in a container. Dr. Day accompanied us.

Dr. Humphris lef t to notify the authorities. During his absence we have possession of the articles carried up to Dr. Humphris' room.

From Drs. Day and Murray these articles were turned over to the Deputy High Sheriff Rawlins, no one ever handled these articles, before delivering them to you. We tasted contents of bi-carbonate soda and found it quiet bitter, There was some foreign substance in the soda, I did not form any opinion as to what it was, but it was bitter enough to be Strychnine. That's all that occurred that night. I was present at the morgue when the autopsy was performed on Mrs. Stanford. It was the same body I saw at the Moana Hotel the night before. Drs. Wood, Humphris, Day, Sawyer, Pratt, (Taylor for a short time) and myself also, a natice assistant, Mr. Duncan Government chemist.

The body was hat of a female which appeared to be of age of sixty-five rather than that of 77 as reported by the papers. It was ell [sic] nourished.

Purplish red sports over the posterior parts of the body, ears and cheeks as well. The hands were still clinched, feet still retained the position of the sole turned in, instep strongly marked, toes extended.

There were no external wounds on the body. I made a careful examination fo the body of the external wounds and found none. Open the abdomen first, found the large intestines rather distanded [sic] with gas, small intestines normal, the bolood vessel along the stomach and small intestines particularly were injected. The chest was next opened, the lungs were normal as to size and no appearance as to disease, dark black blood flowed freely, We next examined the heart, the left side heart firmly contracted, the right

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