Mysterious death of Jane Stanford is MPHA topic on October 22

Menlo Park Historical Association historian Bo Crane will the discuss the mysterious death of Jane Stanford on Sunday, October 22, at 2:00 pm at the Menlo Park Library (800 Alma St.).

Although no one alive knows the answer to who killed her, he will discuss the murder and point out the most likely suspect(s).

Although there were many who had reasons to kill Mrs. Stanford, why was the investigation covered up and eventually dropped?

Jane Stanford took her entourage to Egypt in 1903 that included three of her employees — Elizabeth Richmond (her maid), Albert Beverly (her man servant) and Bertha Berner (her secretary).

The three were not the only suspects. Another was Ah Wing, a Chincese servant and another was David Star Jordan, the university’s first and only president at the time, who traveled to Honolulu and provided an alternative story of her death by natural causes.

In Egypt, 1904, Jane Stanford (seated center), Elizabeth Richmond, her maid (at left), with her secretary, Bertha Berner, and her butler, Albert Beverly, on camels. Stanford University Special Collections and University Archives