The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-04-04
N 'GRATH INQUEST ENDED !
The Philadelphia Tragedy Still Dark
Mystery.
lANGDON HELD FOR GRAND JURY.
Physicians Who Examined the Body De-
clare That Miss McGrath Was in
Perfect Health and They Can Give
no Reason for Her Death.

at the conclusion of the testimony the
jury found verdict recommending that
Samuel p. Langdon whose mistress the
girl had been, be held to await the action
Of the grand jury. He was committed
without bail
The most important witness was Bertha
Stewart, the colored servant girl. She re-
peated her original story without varia-
tion. The last she saw her mistress alive
was at o'clock on Sunday afternoon,
when she gave her instructions to have
the dinner ready at 4:3O When the wit
ness rang for dinner she heard scream
and ran up stairs She knocked on the
door and Langdon responded. He was in
his night clothes, and when the witness
asked what the matter was Langdon told
her that Annie had a bilious attack,
Bertha asked If she could get a doctor,
and Langdon said that it was not neces-
sary, but told her to get him pitcher of
water. She heard no more of either Lang
don or Annie that evening She waited
dinner until 8 o'clock. Two hours later
she listened at the door and heard loud
breathing At IL o'clock she went to the
door again, and heard the loud breathing
Then she went to bed. On the following
day she did not see anything of either one
until o'clock in the afternoon.
At that time Langdon came down stairs
and asked for something to eat. She asked
how the family was" " and Langdon said
that he was i'll and that Mrs. Langdon
was poorly" The witness wanted to take
some poached eggs and toast up st lirs, but
Langdon said that it was not necessary, as
"his wife did not want anything" He got
NINf 4g,A rfgir
Subsequently he came down again ready
to go out.
He spoke to her about her wages, and
gave her $3.50, and started out, saying
that he was going away He went as far
as the door and returned and handed the
key to Bertha, telling her that she could
use it in case she wanted to go out. 1t
was the first time that Langdon had ever
gone out without Annie in the evening.
Prior to that Monday night Langdon
had never mentioned the subject of money
to the witness, and never before paid her
She was engaged by Annie, and always
received the pay from her. After Lang
don went out she concluded to go up stairs
and see if MRS. Langdon" would not have
something to eat.
She knocked at the door, but received no
answer, and the knocking was repeated
without any effect. Then she went in.
The room was dark, and she heard no
sound. She struck match and lighted the
gas. Annie was lying on the bed in pre-
cisely the same position as on Sunday
when she peered through the open door
way, while handing Langdon the pitcher
of water.
She thought that Annie was dead, and
ran down stairs. TO assure herself, how
ever, she called, but received no answer
Then she left the house and went home,
where she informed her brother of what
she had seen, and they returned to the
neighborhood. There they found Police
man Keck, and notified him of the case.
Another important witness was Drug
gist Howard A. Sausser, who said that
the girl, a personal friend, had bought
chloroform from him on the Wednesday
preceding her death. She said she wanted
the drug to kill canary bird. She seemed
to be downcast and questioned him as to
which poison would end life with the least
pain.
Relatives of the girl discredit the testi-
mony of this last witness. They point
Significantly to the fact that he has main
tanned silence until the inquest and as
sert that on Thursday last he was in con-
sultation with Langdon's lawyers. While
they admit that the girl may have pur-
chased chloroform from him, they deny
the intimation that she contemplated sui
eide. 1T was shown in Sausser's examina-
tion that the record of the sale of the chlor-
oform had been made since the tragedy.
Dr. Leffmann, who made II chemical
ANALYSIS of the girls stomach, said he had
found no trace of any kind of poison
Neither he nor Coroner's Physician Mat
tern could say what caused death. Ap-
parently the body was in the condition of
woman enjoying perfect health. There
were no signs of disease, no marks of vio-
lence and no evidences Of poison in the
stomach.
number of witnesses testified TO the
doubtful relations which existed between
Langdon and the girl, and the coroner, in
instructing the jury said that while moth
ing of positive character had been proved
against Langdon, they should take into
consideration the fact that he kept silent,
probably fearing something If they
thought him in any degree responsible for
her death they should incorporate it in their
verdict The jury deliberated eighteen
minutes.
Whatever Langdon knows about the
1eath of his inamorata he has not told.
The only statement he made regarding
that fateful Sunday and Monday was in
explanation of the entry in his memoran-
dunn book: "A died at 10 p. m" He nc
knowledged to the coroner that while he
did not actually know it, he believed that
Annie died at that time, and gave it as
his reason for sleeping upon the floor all
night.
1t was shown at the inquest that Lang
don registered at prominent hotel on
Monday night as John Jones, of san Fran
cisco. He did not explain why he went
there instead of returning TO the Girard
avenue house. if, as he said ON the day OF
his arrest, he did mot know that Annie was
dead but only illl when he LETT her Nor