The "Old Money" Murder Mystery That Built Northern California: The Stanfords

Jane Stanford, sole owner of Stanford University and widow of railroad baron Leland Stanford, was murdered by strychnine poisoning at the Moana Hotel in Honolulu on February 28, 1905. University president David Starr Jordan orchestrated a coverup to protect the institution's $20 million endowment built on railroad money and Chinese labor exploitation. -------------------- Gain FREE access to secret full-length documentaries on wealthy families "too scandalous for YouTube" by joining our newsletter: https://www.substack.com/@oldmoneyluxury -------------------- TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 1:49 Chapter One: The Empire at Its Apex 5:10 Chapter Two: Colonial Roots and Frontier Ambition 8:24 Chapter Three: The Octopus Spreads Its Tentacles 11:31 Chapter Four: The Poison and the Cover-Up 15:48 Chapter Five: The Secretary and the Truth 18:40 Chapter Six: The Coverup and the Killer ---------------------------------------- On February 28, 1905, 76-year-old Jane Stanford mixed a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a glass of water at the Moana Hotel in Honolulu and drank it before bed. Minutes later, her screams pierced the tropical night as she experienced full-body tetanic spasms—the signature of strychnine poisoning. At 11:30 PM, Jane Stanford died while remaining fully conscious throughout her ordeal. A coroner's jury took two minutes to reach their unanimous verdict: murder by strychnine poisoning, administered with felonious intent by persons unknown. It was the second attempt on her life in two months. Jane Stanford was the sole owner of one of America's most prestigious universities, and the man who would lead the coverup was the university's own president—a leading eugenicist whose theories would later inspire certain European movements. Leland Stanford had transformed government bonds and land grants worth over $100 million into a private fortune through the Central Pacific Railroad. When he died in 1893, he was worth at least $30 million—equivalent to approximately $1.8 billion today. The Stanford properties included the Nob Hill mansion with basalt and granite walls, the 8,000-acre Palo Alto Stock Farm, and the 55,000-acre Vina Ranch that produced more wine than any other vineyard in the world. The university was founded with a $20 million endowment in 1885 as a memorial to their 15-year-old son Leland Stanford Jr., who died of typhoid fever in Athens in 1884. Jane Stanford spent six years fighting a $15 million federal lawsuit against the estate while personally paying faculty salaries from her household budget. She commissioned Stanford Memorial Church, dedicated in January 1903, with 28 inspirational sayings from her own spiritualist writings carved into the sandstone walls. The breaking point with university president David Starr Jordan came in 1900 over Professor Edward Alsworth Ross, whom Jane wanted dismissed for his controversial speeches. Seven professors resigned in solidarity, and the scandal helped catalyze the formation of the American Association of University Professors to protect academic freedom. By late 1904, Jane Stanford had resolved to fire Jordan upon her return from an extended trip abroad. On January 14, 1905, Jane took a sip of Poland Spring mineral water at her Nob Hill mansion and immediately detected an intensely bitter taste. She forced herself to vomit, and analysis at Wakelee's drug store revealed the water contained enough strychnine to kill an elephant. Jane quickly planned an escape to Hawaii, departing San Francisco four days before news of the poisoning broke. Six weeks later in Honolulu, she drank bicarbonate of soda that had been poisoned with strychnine. Dr. C.B. Wood performed the autopsy and testified that symptoms were unmistakably consistent with strychnine poisoning, with chemical analysis confirming the poison's presence. On March 4, Jordan boarded a steamship for Hawaii and immediately began questioning the coroner's findings, suggesting Honolulu physicians had added strychnine after death to extort fees. Bertha Berner, Jane's secretary of 21 years, was the only person present at both poisoning attempts and had purchased the bicarbonate of soda in San Francisco. She stood to inherit $15,000 from Jane's will—equivalent to nearly $400,000 today. In his 2022 book "Who Killed Jane Stanford?", Stanford historian Richard White concluded that Bertha Berner murdered Jane Stanford. Jordan served as president until 1913, then as chancellor until 1916, his role in the coverup never publicly acknowledged. Stanford University removed Jordan's name from campus buildings in 2020 for his eugenics advocacy. Jane Stanford's murder remains officially unsolved.