The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-26
POISONED HIS MISTRESS.
Horrible Crime of IA Rich Coal Operator
In PHILADELPHIA.

Philadelphia, March 25.-There is little
doubt today that Annie McGrath. found
dead at US Girard avenue Monday night.
Was either killed as the result of a plan
for double suicide with Samuel I.andgon.
the wealthy coal operator, whose mistress
she was. or she alone committed suicide.
The evidence thus far aiduoed points al
most concIusively TO the theory that
Lanscon took her life. then attempted to
commit suicide. but forsook his purpose
and fed. The most discriminating fact is
that the girls liTs and almost the entire
interior of her mouth were burned and
diseoiored. II by acid poison, while
I-angdon's tongue from tip 10 palate is a
series OF ulcers and mucous patches,
which, according to his own statement,
were not there before Monday This con-
dition is almost exactly similar TO that
existing In the girls mouth. except that
in the latter IL is more aggravated
Bertha Stewart. a colored servant en-
ployed by the couple. was the last person
except Langdon who saw the girl alive.
This was about half-past 3 Sunday after
noon Mrs. Langdon. as she was known.
came down stairs and told the servant to
prepare dinner She then returned to her
bedroom. where her supposed husband
had been with her all day. There was no
further sign from the upper part of the
house until f:30. when she heard a pierre
Ing scream. She hurried up stairs and
knocked at the door. Langdon, clad only
In a nightshirt. opened the door and told
her that her mistress was suffering from a
bilious attack TO which she was subject
Through the aperture the servant saw her
mistress lying on the bed with a towel
or her face. She was motionless. and may
have been dead then. Iangdon had evil
IDENTIFY been lying on the floor. At o clock
he came down alone 10 dinner and told
. II -
was not we'll He gave her the keys of the
house and left, saying ne was going to
New York. That night the body was dis
covered. The girls relatives deny that
she was ever subject to bilious attacks.
on Tuesday morning the Stewart girl re-
ceiyed postal card from Langdon mailed
after he had left the house the night be-
fore. ins'ructing her. 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 shortly afterward
vomlted copiously. He told Police Sur
geon Andrews that his tongue and throat
were liberated from excessive smoking
but he had not before been troubled with
such an affection. The surgeon found his
throat In good condition. and saws smok-
ing does not produce such liberation as in
this case. The mouth looked as il 1t had
been burned by an irritant. such as ether
or chloroform. The condition might have
been produced by mineral alkali in small
quantities.
Bertha Stewart made a further state
ment today that on Monday morning she
went up to awaken Langdon hut could
not arouse him. She heard him snoring
She made another attempt later in the
day with a similar result The father OF
the dead girl told Coroner Ashhridge to-
day that his daughter deceived him Her
excuse for absence three or four davs al
a time was that she had been visiting
friends and this was accepted without
question.
The police say that Lanedons time was
maiHiy takeS M by trips to New York.
where he had office at No. j Broad
way
Prof Lehman. who is analyzinz the
contents " the stomach Of Miss McGrath
said Thus far I have found that the
stomach shows 10 signs Of bilious trou-
hies The girls death might have heen
caused by morphine or ether There are
no Indications that she swallowed laud-
anum. In the region OF the heart there
were several blood ciots but cannot sav
AZ present whether these could have
caused death In Miss NcGrath's pocket
when her body was found was 500
Today I-angdou sent FOR a physician
iang}au il said - be quite ill., hat he
nature % his Illness is unknown. Il has
come 80 light that Miss McGrath was en-
gagged ta be married and that she had been
wearing a diamond eng aEement ring This
ring was found on LBnEdon after his ar
rast Police Lieut. Lyons admits that
a hottie nearly filled with chl0rcform was
found in the room in which The girl died
u came from drug store near tbs house
Pitf=hurE March . 1t was harmed this
afternoon That Mrs Iarsfirn wife ~ SaT
uei = I.snEfon. who is bold - the phiia-
ffirhis authorities ReniinE the inVcsiiUa-
zion into che cause Of Annie MCefrath
death has he-n liVire with her parents
sf Sqr3rEdale Allegheny county. ever
Stree Lar .7lon applied fpr divorce. The
- Htloa vas fied in Blair county iasI
T,l1y. ard was f0r an absolute divorce. ON
the ground ~ cruel aaf harAarous treat
mont Mrs I-araior made a conolets 10
--iai q TIA Charge The divorce case Is