The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-25
.LANCDON'S
VILLAINY.
The Millionaire Murderer of
Annie McGrath
Is Locked Up in a Cell at Phila-
delphia-
A MYSTERIOUS CASE.
A II Il
MYSTERIOUS CASE.
Apparently He First Poisoned
the Girl,
Then Attempted to Commit Sui
eide, But Weakened.

PHILADELPHIA, March 25.-There is
little doubt today that Annie McGrath,
the beautiful 1S-year-old girl, who WI
found dead at 1896 Girard avenue on
Monday night was murdered by Samuel
P. Langdon, the wealthy coal operator
whose mistress she was.
The evidence thus far adduced, points
almost conclusively to the theory that
Langdon killed her and then attempted
to commit suicide but weakened in this
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
of the girls stomach is COM
pleted.
The wet towel which lay over the
girls face when the body was found in
the possession of the detective department
but its condition was kept a profound
secret. The most incrimina ting fact
however, is that the girls lips and al
most the entire interior of the mouth
were burned and discolored as if by acid
poison, while Langdon's tongue from tip
to palate is series of ulcers and mucous
patches which according to his own
statement were not there before Mon
day.
This condition is almost exactly sim
liar to that existing in the girls mouth,
except that in the latter it is more aggra-
waited
The statements made by Bertha Stew
art, the colored servant employed by the
couple, clearly show 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 then re-
posed husband had been with her
all day. There was no further
sign from the upper part of the house
until 4:30 when she heard a piercing
scream. She hurried up stairs and
knocked at the door Langdon, clad only
in II nigh shirt, opened the door slightly
and told her that her mistress was suf-
fering from 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 motionless and may have been dead
at that time. Langdon 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 we'll. He gave
her the keys of the house and left, say
ing he was going to New York. That
night the body was discovered. The
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 if
her mistress was no better by Tuesday,
to notify her father. Henry McGrath,
201S Gratz street.
When arrested yesterday Langdon
complained of being i'll and shortly af-
forwards he vomited copiously. He told
Police Surgeon Andrews that his tongue
and throat were liberated from exces-
sive smoking, but that he had not before
been troubled by such an affection. The
surgeon found the throat in good condi-
tion and says that smoking does not pro-
duce 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 con-
dition might have been produced
by mineral acid in a small quantity. 1t
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 may be ex-
planned by the fact that both ether and
chIoroform evaporate rapidly. and after
the lapse of some hours would leave no
odor.
One of the first results of ether, said
the doctor, is stimulation A person just
put under the influence might become
excited and Ecream loudly.
1t is almost certain that the common
wealth holds this theory of the case
Detective Frank P. Geyer, who unraveled
the Holmes murders is on the case and
when asked for his opinion said: "Peo-
pie don't scream unless placed in per-
iIous position. Only one theory can be
held: The girl is dead and the man is
alive and locked up"
Bertha Stewart made the further
statement today that on Monday morn
ing she went up to awaken Langdon, but
could not arouse him. She heard him
breathing stentoriously-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 time today,
The father of the dead girl told Coro-
ner Ashbridge today that his daughter
had deceived him. Her excuse for alb
sences of three or four days at a time
was that she had been visiting friends
and this was accepted without question.
No time has been set for the inquest.
The girls body has been removed to her
fathers home and will be quietly buried
in day or two.
Detective Geyer positively contradicts
the statement that Langdon is divorced
from his wife.
The police say that Langdon's time
was mainly taken Qp by trims to New