The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-29
Annie McGrath's Death is Still
Unexplained.
THE CAUSE is UNKNOWN
Theory OF Mineral Poison Has
Been Wiped Out.
SHE PROBABLY KILLED HERSELF
Police Authorities Admit That They
Have Failed to Fasten the Crime
Langdon, Her Para
mour.

Philadelphia, Pa, March 20.-Furth-
er investigation into the death of
Annie McGrath by the coroner and
police officials has resulted so far in in
creasing rather than clearing up the
mystery.
Or. Mattern, who made the post
mortem examination, and who made a
critical examination for marks about
the girls body, says that there was
nothing found which would indicate
the cause of death.
The examination Of the yiscera by
Prof Lehman has not been concluded
but enough has been fcand to entirely
wipe cut tie 1neory of mineral poison
CT any character beipg present in the
body.
The Theory cf sgicide has been adj
yanced by young man who was an in
innate friend OF Annie McGrath for
several years. He said to-day that the
last time he met the girl she was very
Respondent. She told him she had
trouble that no one knew about and
that she would kill herself rather than
suffer longer as she had. Superinten-
dent Linden admitted to-day that his
men had failed to fasten the crime
upon Langdon but would not give any
intimation of his present opinion on
the case.
The defense Of Samuel r. Langdon,
the well-known business man, who Is
in custody because of his association
with Annie McGrath at the time of her
tragic death, will be, as at present in
dicated, that she aceidently inhaled or
swallowed too much chIorofoTm while
taking the drug to relieve herself from
pain. The defense viii be that both
drank heavily on Sunday, and that
Annie screamed because she had tooth
ache. Langdon was rubbing chloro-
form into her cheek. Later he spread
a towel with chloroform on it over
her face, and it was at this juncture
that the colored servant appeared.
Langdon, according to this line Of de-
fense, was under the influence OF too
many cocktails, as was Annie, He no.
ticed that she went off to sleep, but did
not disturb her, and finally dozed off
himself. When he awoke in the even
ing Annie was breathing heavily, and
his efforts to arouse her were futile
He threw open the windows and work
ed desperately until the hands on his
watch pointed to 1924, and then she
ceased to breathe.
He was almost as dead as the girl
at his side when the servant girl rap
ped for him, and ii is not to be wonder
ed at that he looked very much broken
up when he finally appeared at o'clock
in the afternoon. He went TO the Girard
House and registered in an almost
dazed condition.
1t is said that Langdon bought the
chloroform found in the bed room Of
the Girard avenue house from the drug
store at the corner of Twenty-ninth
street and Girard avenue
The police have been thinking very
darkly of discriminating evidence in
connection with the buying of the drug.
and it is not unlikely that this Is what
they refer to.
Among the letters and effects found
upon Langdon at the time of his arrest
was diary. There was not much OF
interest in the first part of it, but the
last entry, written in fresh ink, was
startling. 1t was this single line
Aided at 1924 p. M
Langdon wrote these words in his
diary some time on Sunday night or
Monday morning. The diary is in the
hands of the police. From the 1st of
January up to the time Of this last en-
try, it is filed with memoranda Of both
business and social nature, and the
McGrath girl is always referred to as
A.. The entry is made under the date
line of Monday, March 23, and is IN
Langdon's handwriting. Under the
Sunday date line four lines had been
written in with lead pencil and then
erased, but the police think that they
can restore them.
If Annie died at 1924 at night, as the
diary says, she must have been ilI for
at least six hours, and Langdon must
have been alone with her dead body
for at least nineteen hours.
Ii may be that Langdon stood over
her, watched her and cared for her
to the end, trying to save her life after
she had accidentally chloroformed her.
self 1t may that he stayed with her
10 keep the towel above her nustrils |
wet with poison. Either Of these
things is possible. Coroner Ashbridge
said: Annie McGrath did not commit |
suicide. That | know, and / have no
lesitancy in saying 1T. How she came
TO her death / am not prepared to say
now"
The remarkable silence of the ac-
cnsed man was not broken yesterday,
and not a word could be obtained from
his lawyers. They hold long confer
ences together, but beyond vague
rumor Of habeas corpus proceeding, |
nothing results from them, so far as |
the public is concerned.
OF all the theories now in circulation |
4hie defnnan aud tLn 4ln.....- .,a .....,.d -. |