Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-03-25
CRIME IN THE VIRTUOUS EAST
Murder Of Il Woman in PiOus Phila-
delphia with Shocking and Sick
ening Accessories.
WORK FOR The MISSIONARY SOCIETIES
A Bostonian Chokes His Wife to Death
Because She Entertained Her
Neighbors with Liquid
Refreshments.

Philadelphia, March 25.-There is little
doubt to-day that Annie McGrath, the
girl found dead at 1926 Girard avenue on
Monday night, was either killed as re-
suit of a plan for double suicide with
Samuel Langdon, wealthy coal operator,
whose mistress she was, or that she alone
committed suicide.
The evidence thus far adduced points
almost couclusively to the theory that
Langdon took her life, then attempted
suicide, but forsook this purpose and
fled.
The most discriminating fact is that the
girls lips and almost the entire interior
of her mouth were burned and discolored
as if by aoid poison, while Langdon's
tongue. from tip to palate, is Il series of
ulcers and mucous patches, which, accord
ing to his own statement, we're not there
before Monday.
The condition is almost exactly similar
to that existing in the girls mouth, ex
cept that in the latter it is more aggra-
waited.
THE STATEMENTS OF CoLoRED SERVANT.
The statements made by Stella Stewart,
the colored servant employed by the cou-
pie, clearly show important facts. She
was the last person, with the exception
of Langdon, who saw the girl alive.
This was about $3.50 on Saturday after
noon. Mrs. Langdon, as she was known,
came down stairs and told the servant to
prepare dinner. She then returned to
the bedroom where her supposed hus-
band had been with her all day.
There was no further sign from the
upper part of the house until 4:3O, when
she heard piercing scream.
She hurried up stairs and knocked at
the door. Langdon, clad only In night
shirt, opened the door and told her her
mistress was suffering from bilious at
tack, to which she was subject.
Through an aperture, the servant saw
her mistress lying on the bed, with
towel on her face. She was motionless
and may have been dead then.
Langdon had evidently been lying on
alone to dinner and told the girl not to
disturb her mistress, who was not well.
LANaDoN LEFT FOR NEW YORK.
He gave her the keys of the house and
left, saying he was going to New York.
That night the body was discovered.
The girls relatives deny that she was
ever subject to bilious attacks.
On Tuesday morning the Stewart girl
received postal card from Langdon.
He instructed her that if her mistress was
no better by Tuesday to notify her father,
Henry McGrath.
When arrested yesterday Langdon COM
planned Of being i'll and vomited CO.
piously. He told Police Surgeon An
drews that his tongue and throat were ul-
cerated from excessive smoking. but that
he had not before been troubled with
such an affection.
The surgeon found his throat in good
condition, ard says that smoking does
not produce such liberation as in this
case. His mouth looked as If it had been
burned by an irritant, such as ether or
chloroform.
The condition might have been pro-
duced by mineral acid in small guam
tity.
AN uNsUspECTING PAPA.
The father Of the dead girl told Coroner
Ashbridge to-day that his daughter had
deceived him. Her excuse for absence of
three or four days at a time was that she
had been visiting friends and this was
accepted without question.
CRIME IN PIoUs, GOLDBERG BOSTON.
Boston.-Hiram H. Morrison, arrested
on Monday night after his wife had been
found dead at home, with finger marks
upon her throat, has confessed that he
choked the woman to death in fit of
jealous rage at her action in having a
crowd of neighbors in the house drink
ing.