The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-26
ANNIE M'GRATH'S END
Lover Lanedon Now Supposed to Have
Murdered the Girl, with the Inten-
ton OF Committing Suicide.

PHILADELPHIA, March 25.-There is lit
tie doubt to-day that Annie McGrath, the
girl who was found dead at No. 1920 Girard
avenue on Monday night, was either killed
as the result of plan for double suicide
with Samuel 2. Langdon, the wealthy coal
operator, whose mistress she was, or that
she alone committed suicide. The evidence
thus for adducsd points almost conclusively
to the Observation-Disclosures took her life and
then attempted to commit suicide, but for
sock this purpose and fed from the house.
He is still a prisoner in the cell room of
the City Hall, where he will probably be kept
until the chemical analysis of the girls
stomach is completed. The wet towel which
lay over the girRsoface when the body was
found Is in the possession of the detective
department, but its condition is kept a pro-
found secret. The most discriminating fact,
however, Is that the girls lips and almost
the entire interior of the mouth were burned
and discolored as If by acid poison, while
Langdon's tongue from tip to palate is a
series of ulcers and mucous patches which,
according to his own statement, were not
there before Monday. This condition is al
most exactly similar to that existing in the
girls mouth, except that in the latter it is
more aggravated.
The statements made by Bertha Stewart,
Va tHC OVdDttg IlCQlll
contain important facts. She was the last
person, with the exception of Langdon, who
saw the girl alive. This was about half-past
3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Langdon,
as she was known came down stairs and
told the servant to prepare dinner. She them
returned to the bedroom, where her supposed
husband had been with her all day. There
was no further sign from the upper part of
the house until half-past 4 o'clock, when she
heard a piercing scream. She hurried up
stairs and knocked at the door. Langdon,
slightly and told her that her mistress was
suffering from a bilious attack, TO which she
was subject. Through. the aperture the
servant saw her mistress lying on the bed
with the towel ON her face. She was mo-
time. Langdon had evidently been lying on
the floor. At $50 o'clock he came down
turb her mistress y who w sas g not n we'll 70 q Hs
gave her the Keys OF the house and left. say
deny that she was ever subject to bilious
attacks. Tuesday morning the Stewart girl
received a postal card from Langdon. 1t had
been mailed after he left the house the night
before and instructed her, If her mistress
was no better by Tuesday. to notify her
street.
When arrested yesterday Langdon COM
planned of being i'll, and shortly afterward he
vomited copiously. He told Police Surgeon
Andrews that his tongue and. throat were
liberated from excessive smoking, but that
affection. The surgeon found the throat in
good condition.. and says that smoking does
not produce such an liberation as in this
case. The mouth looked as if it had been
burned by an irritant, such as ether or
chloroform. The condition might have been
produced by mineral acid in a small GUAM
tity. 1t was clearly recent.
The authorities refuse to say whether or
not the towel shows any spots: but they adj
NIT that there wassno odor of drugs in the
room, This may be explained by the fact
that both ether and chloroform evaporate
would leave no odor. One of the first re.
suits of ether, said the doctor, is stimulation.
A person just put under its influence might
most certain that the commonwealth holds
this theory of the case. Detective Frank p.
is on the case, and, when asked for his opin-
ion, said: People sdoa,t scream unless
PLACED pr1 eid in Ia a peri eTifioq tsp position sit, only one the,
man is alive and locked up"
Bertha Stewart made the further state
ment to-day that on Monday morning she
went UP to awaken Langdon, but could not
arouse him. She heard MIN breathing ster-
toriously-almos snoring. She made another
attempt later in the day with a similar re-
suit. Special murder investigator Barlow. of
the district attorneys office, was closeted
with the detectives for a time to-day. The
father of the dead girl told Coroner Ash
ceived him. Her excuse for absences of
three or four days at q time was that she
had been visiting friends, and this was ac-
s set for the inaue ase; Ts&s ssf hsDs B Rpas "a Has S Seen
G ns,ls3Iy hu 70 he n f s dsy g. h t%6 and will be
Detective Geyer positively contradicts the
statement that Langdon is divorced from
his wife. Mrs. Langdon has been living with
her parents at Springdale, Allegheny coun-
ty, ever since Langdon applied for a di-
vorce. The petition was filed in Blair coun-
ty. last July, and was for an absolute d.
vorce on the ground of cruel and barbarous
treatment. Mrs. Langdon made a complete
denial of the charges. The divorce case is
The police say that Langdon's time was
mainly taken up by by trips to New York.
contents of the stomach of Miss McGrath,
said: Thus far j have found that the stom-
ach shows no signs of bilious troubles. The
girls death might have been caused by NOR
phine or ether. There are no indications
of the heart there were several blood clots,
but | cannot say at present whether these
Grath's pocket. when her. body was found,
To-day Langdon sent for a physician. He
Is said to be quite Ill, but the nature of his
1t has come to light that Miss McGrath
was engaged to be married, and that she
had been wearing a solitaire diamond en-
gagement ring: This ring was found on
Langdon after his arrest. together with other
tenant Lyons has admitted that a bottle
nearly filled with, es1Ioroform has been found
in the room in whfch5the girl died. 1t came
from a drugstore near the house.
A kentucky Tragedy.
LAGRANGE, KY, March 25.-This
morning, at Pendleton. four miles east of
this place, sgd Smith shot and killed Robert
w. Vance. and then attempted to commit
suicide. The difficulty was the result of
long standing. Smith married Vance's Sis
ter some time ago--The wife sued for d.
vorce and succeeded in effecting legal sepa-
ration. Vance took an active part In behalf
Of his sister. since which time bad blood
has existed between the two men. Smith is
not seriously injured. Vance is one of the
largest landowners in Henry county, and
all parties are, prominently connected.
Robbed and Murdered.
DETROIT, March 25.-Matthew Weiden-
bach, proprietor of a saloon and grocery
store on Gratoit avenue. was found dead
in the rear of his place. this morning, with
a bullet wound in his head. An investigation
of the store showed that the money drawers
had been drawn out and dumped on the floor.
several boxes of cigars stood piled up on
the counter, with a bag close beside them.
Weidenbach has been acting strangely of
late, however, and his family believe that
he committed suicide.
Suicide of aaIReIired Manufactures.
NEW YORK, March 25.-Kearan Reed. a