The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-26

girl was never in l.angdnn : employ
as Il stenographer as has been stated,
How the couple became acquainted Is
not known.
THEORY OF SUICIDE.
The theory is now strongly enter
tanned by the police that IaiSdon muir
,lrrcd the girl, and they also believe
that Langdon afterward cndeaVored 10
end his own life.
The suuuosition is that Langdon sat
urated the towel now in the possession
ut Detective Grier with ether or chlnro-
form. and after placing the towel over
the girls face. he druggcd himself
Police surgeon Andrews eyamina-
tiun of Langdon shows that he had in
hailed the fumes of some soporilerous
drug. probably ether The prisoner
tongue aud lips are covered with ulcers
similar tO those found on tn" HpS OF the
dead girl Just what drug caused these
cruptiVns has not yet been decided.
10 IA reporter today Dr. Andrews said:
II found that the whole of Langdon' $
tongue was series of mucus patches.
From the tip of the tongue To the root
there is considerable irritation. with
small red indentures. surrounded by
white circles. t'lcerationS of this char
acter might bc caused by mineral acids.
but i'm this case mineral acids were
scarcely used. as the Inflammation ana
ulcerations would be greater. ON Lang
don's tongue they are not severe. but
merely superficial and quite recent. The
lips are also irritatcd.
BERTHA STEWARDS STORY.
The colored servant, Bertha Stewart,
says she heard her mistress scream out
on Sunday afternoon at about 40. She
went upstairs and knocked at the bed
room door. which was opened by Lang
don. She saw Annie McGrath lying on
the bed with the towel over her face
Langdon explained that she had one of
her bilious attacks. DR.. Andrews was
asked if Il person under ether would
be likely to cry out or scream.
"Oh, yes.' he replied. that Is a com
mon effect Of the drug. Ether and
chloroform act different. Ether Is a
stimulant, and a person suffering from
its effects might scream. That is the
primary state
The doctor also said that persons un-
der ether were subject to hallucinations.
and there was no accounting, for their
actions.
Professor Lehman is still at work
analyiZing the contents of the stomach
of the dead girl.
In answer to the questions of a re-
porter, he said: "'rhus far I have
found that the stomach shows no signs
of bilious troubles. The girls death
might have been caused by morphine or
ether. There are no indications that
she swallowed laudanum In the region
of the heart there were several blood
clots. but | cannot say at present
whether these could cause death"
Deputy Coroner Dugan secuted the
idea of suicide ON the girls part
she had $lO0 in her pocket when
the body was found" he said she
Wore good clothes and had diamonds.
In addition to this she was too young
To want to end her life"
Shortly after noon Langdon sent for
his counsel. When the lawyer arrived
the prisoner requested him to send for
II physician. Langdon is said to be
quite i'll. but the nature of his illness is
not known.
Coroner Ashbridgc visited Langdon i'm
his cell at the central station this af-
ternoon and held Il long interview with
him.
LANGDON'S RELATIVES SHY.
A Leader representative called today
the coal operator. iOw under arrest i'm
Philadelphia charged with the murder
of Miss Annie McGrath.
Mrs. I.angdon was located at the cot
tage home of her father. James Hart
rey. and her brOtherin-law. Mr.. Fink,
at Springdale. sixteen miles from the
city. Mrs. Langdon positively refused
tn make her appearance or tn furnish
any statement whatever concerning
her husbands escapade i'm Philadelphia.
Mr. Fink stated that no action would
be taken or statement made until they
had received letters from certain
friends Of the family now in Philadel-
phia. Mr.. Fink said his sister was al
most prostrated. Mr.. Fink declined to
locate either son or daughter of Mrs
Langdon. further than saying that the
son was in the east and the daughter
was in Allegheny county.
MOTION REVEALED.
What heretofore has been lacking has
seemingly developed, and that is the
motive for n great crime. If Langdon
killed the woman his motive was one
of the strongest passions in the world
jealousy. A renort that the girl was
about to be married to a young man
seemed to be well founded.
1t Is said that on the Sunday after
noon she was last seen alive she told
Langdon that she intended to leave
him. as she was about to be married
If Iangdon loved the girl then a mo-
tive for murder IL at once supplied by
this fact.
The police have q bundle of letters
OF the girls that they secured at the