[BURNSIDE, FRANK]
Record-Union (Sacramento, California), Friday, October 6, 1899, p. 8
Tragedy at Los Angeles
Frank Burnsides Makes an Attempt to Murder His Wife Then Ends His Own Existence by Swallowing a Dose of Deadly Poison
Induced His Wife to Drink Some Beer in Which He Had Placed Strychnine, But Her Life Was Saved by the Timely Aid of a Physician—Jealousy the Cause of the Deed
Los Angeles, Oct. 5. – Cold in death, a victim of the green-eyed monster, a wife murderer at heart and only by accident not so in deed, Frank Burnside occupies a slab at the Morgue.
This morning Burnsides and his wife arose with no ill feeling between them. By sundown Burnsides was dead, while his wife occupied a cot in the Receiving Hospital.
It was not the husband's fault that his wife does not occupy a slab adjoining his own in the Morgue. His diabolical work was methodical and meant murder and only because the poison worked too quickly, and Mrs. Burnsides suspected foul play the dose did not prove fatal. The woman was taken to the Receiving Hospital where Dr. Hagel relieved her stomach of the strychnine and saved her life.
Burnsides was insanely jealous of his wife and today determined to kill her. He purchased a small amount of beer, in which he placed strychnine. He induced his wife to drink it and she immediately went into convulsions. She was hurried to the Receiving Hospital where the stomach pump saved her life.
While his wife was on the way to the hospital Burnsides put the remainder of the poison into a glass of milk and drank the contents. When the police called to arrest him, he was dead.

[BURNSIDE, FRANK]
Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), Friday, October 6, 1899, p. 16
Strychnine For Two
Frank Burnside Dead But His Wife Will Recover
Husband Took a Dose of Poison and His Widow Claims He Inveigled Her into Taking Some of the Same Bad Stuff
One dead and the other saved only by the attention of skilled physicians, tells the story of a tragedy in domestic life which occurred yesterday. Shortly before noon the patrol wagon was hastily called to the Santa Fe House at No. 630 ½ Stephenson avenue, kept by Mrs. Fetch. The officers found a woman writhing in the agonies of strychnine poisoning. She gave her name as Mrs. Ethel Burnside and wanted to be taken to the Receiving Hospital.
A few minutes after 11 a. m. yesterday, Frank Burnside, husband of the woman, went into N. B. Thompson's drug store at the corner of Stephenson and Third street and asked for some strychnine. Fred C. McKinnie, who is employed in the store, asked him what he wanted it for. After some hesitation, Burnside said that he intended to kill some mice.
During this time he appeared perfectly calm but when asked his name he became excited. He wanted to know how it should be prepared. The druggist told him to pulverize it. Burnside purchased 10 cents worth, about fifteen grains and left.
Going directly to the saloon at the corner of Alameda and East Seventh streets, he bought 5 cents worth of beer. This was placed in a quart fruit jar. He then went to his room and according to Mrs. Burnside's statement, induced her to drink some of the beer. She was shortly taken with violent pains.
About 11:15 o'clock Mrs. Burnside rushed into the restaurant on the ground floor of the Santa Fe House and exclaimed: "Give me some milk or black coffee, my husband has poisoned me." Everything possible was done for the woman but she continued to grow worse. About this time Burnside came in and throwing himself at his wife's feet, begged her to go upstairs where the couple have occupied rooms for the past week.
The agonized woman asked those near to summon medical assistance. Her muscles were twitching, and she stated that she was going to die. Coming up close to his wife, Burnside almost yelled: "Don't you say that I have murdered you." This he repeated three times, asking her" "Do you hear?" The woman warned him not to touch her and said: "You have, and you know it."
For over two hours at the Receiving Hospital Dr. Hagan administered emetics and used the stomach pump. Finally, Mrs. Burnside was pronounced out of danger and will recover.
Burnside left the restaurant before his wife was taken away and for six hours his whereabouts were unknown to the authorities. Every effort to locate the missing man proved fruitless. About 5 o'clock in the afternoon John Calvert came up to the residence of Mrs. Nannie Baker at No. 718 Santa Fe avenue and told her that Burnside was dead. Detectives Flammer and Steele happened to be near and had Calvert show them where the body could be found.
In the rear of an old unused winery at No. 344 South Alameda street, Calvert and a man named August Gustafson sleep in a small cottage. It has been the habit of Burnside to hang around the place. At 12:15 o'clock yesterday, Gustafson came to the room and found Burnside lying on the bed and asked him what was the matter. Burnside replied that he was drunk and asked to have the door closed. Nothing was thought about the matter by Gustafson until he returned at 5 o'clock. His friend still remained on the bed and was dead. The position of the body, which was still warm, indicated that Burnside had died from poisoning. Appearances showed that he had struggled in his dying agony.
In the room occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Burnside two glass jars were found. One had evidently contained milk and the other beer. In the bottom of each was strychnine. A chemical test by F. C. McKinnie proved this. It was probably the same poison Burnside had purchased at the drug store. Mrs. Burnside says that her dead husband drank the milk and induced her to drink the beer.
Mrs. Burnside spent Wednesday night with Mrs. C. Sheppard at No. 600 South Santa Fe avenue and intimated a desire to board with Mrs. Sheppard. The Burnsides had been married five years, the woman having been married once before. Three weeks ago, they returned from a visit to San Francisco. Burnside has been out of work for some time but had the promise of a job.
Mrs. Burnside was taken to the home of Mrs. Sheppard at No. 828 Stephenson avenue last evening. She is still very sick and will require further medical attention.
The dead man has a brother in this city, who works in the street cleaning department. He feels the situation very keenly but said the saddest part was to tell his mother.
The Coroner's inquest will be held this morning at 11 o'clock in Howry's undertaking rooms.

[BURNSIDE, FRANK]
Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), Saturday, October 7, 1899, p. 6
The Burnside Inquest
At the Coroner's inquest yesterday morning to inquire into the death of Frank Burnside who tried to kill his wife with strychnine Thursday and took a fatal dose of the drug himself, no new facts were brought out and a verdict of strychnine poisoning was returned by the jury.
Mrs. Burnside was not present, but relatives of the dead man have arranged to have the remains sent to his old home at Bedford, Iowa, for interment. Mrs. Burnside is still weak from the effects of the poison and is being cared for by friends.