The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-25
Did Miss Annie MCGrath
Poison Herself?
Or Was the Fatal Drug Ad-
miniStered by LangdOn2
Strong Indications That a Double
Suicide Was Planned.


little doubt today that Annie McGrath,
the beautiful IS year old girl, who was
found dead at 226 Girard avenue, on
Monday night. was either killed as the
result Of plan for double suicide with
Samuel b. Langdon, the wealthy coal
operator, whose mistress she was, or
that she alone successfully attempted
suicide, The evidence this far adduced
points almost conclusively to the theory
that Langdon took her life and then at
tempted to commit suicide, but forsook
his purpose and fed from the house. He
is still 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
girls face when the BODY was found Is
In the possession of the detective DEPART
ment, 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 Ms III by acid poi
soning, 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 Mon
day. This condition is almost exactly
similar to that existing in the girls
mouth, except that In the latter 1t is
more aggravated.
The statements made by Pertha Stew
art, the colored sersvnt employed by the
couple, clearly show important facts. She
was the last person, with the exception of
Langoon. wbo saw the girl alive. This
was about half past 8 O'Clock Sunday
afternoon. Mrs. LaDgdon, as she was
known, came down stairs and told the SER
want to prepare dinner She then return
ed 10 the bedroom, where her SUI po sed
husband had been with her all day.
There wa no further sign from the upper
part OF the house until half past o'clock,
when che heard piercing scream. She
hurried upstairs and knocked at the door.
Langdon, clad only in a night shirt, open
ed the. doc slightly and told her that her
mistress was suffering from a bilious at
tack. 10 which she was subject. Through
the aperture the servant saw her mistress
lying n The bed with the towel on her
face. Sha was motionless ana may have
been dead at that time.
Langdop had evidently been lying on
the floor. At O'Clock he came down
alone to dinner and told the girl not to
disturb her mistress, who was not well.
He gave her the keys 10 the house and left
saying he was going to New York. That
night the body was discovered. 1he
girls relatives deny that she Was ever
subject to bilious attacks.
Tuesday morning the Stewart girl re-
ceived postal card from Langdon. 1t
had been mailed after he left the house
the night before, and instructed her. IL
Der mistress was no better by Tuesday, to
notify her father, Henry McGratb. 20lS
Gratz street.
When arrested yesterday Langdon COM
plined of being ill, and vomited copiously
shortly afterward. lie told the police
surgeon, Audrews, that his tongue and
MI I'D t.-n
smoking, but that he had not before been
troubled by such an affection. The
surge on found the throat in good condi-
tion and says that smoking does not pro-
duce such an u ceration as in this case.
The mouth looked as IL ii had been
burned by an irritant, such as ether or
chloroform. The condition might have
been produced by a mineral acid in a
small qcantitys II was clearly recent.
The authorities refuse to say whether or
not the towel shows any spots, but they
admit that there was no odor OF drugs in
the room. This NAV be explained by the
fact that both ether and chloroform evap-
crate rapidly and after the lapse of some
hours would leave no odor. One Of the
first results OF ether, said the doctor, is
st mutation. A person just put under
its- influence might-beeeme- excited and
scream loudly. II is almost certain that
the commonwealth holds this theory of
the case.
Detective Frank p. Geyer, who unrav-
eled the Holmes murders. is on the case.
and when asked for his opinion said:
People don u scream unless placed In
perilous position. Only one theory can be
held. The girl is dead and tn, man is
alive and locked up."
Bertha Stewart made the further state
ment today that ON Monday morning she
went up TO wake Langdon, hut could not
arouse him. She heard him breathing
sonorously-almost snoring. She made
another attempt later in the day with
similar result.
Special murder investigator Barlow of
the district attorneys office was closeted
with the detectives for a time today.
The father of the dead girl told Coroner
Asbridge today that his daughter had de-
ceived him. Her excuse for absences of
three or four days at n time was that she
had been visiting friends, and this was
accepted without a question. No time
has been fet for. the inquest. The girls
body has been removed to her fathers
home and will be quietly buried in a
day or two. Detective Geyer positively
contradicts the statement that Langdon
"a divorced from, hia xyffa