Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-21
Arrest of a Suspect Out in Anne
Arundel County.
CONNECTION WITH LAUREL MYSTERY
Answers Description of Man Seen
in the Woods.
" III \ T III E G. L A I NJ s


the Laurel mystery. Suspicion was
the ground on which the man was taken
into custody. He will be escorted to An
napoiis this afternoon to be held to await
the arrival and action of the Laurel au-
thorities. Notwithstanding the verdict of
the coroner's jury. announced at Laurel
Saturday. to the effect that from the evil
dence 1t was believed that the human re-
mains found badly decomposed three weeks
ago In Kellogg's woods we're those of Mark
A G. Gift, the Norfolk drug clerk, who
has disappeared. the residents have con-
tinued divided as to the identity of the
skeleton in life.
The doctors disagreed as to the sex and
there were other phases of the case that
left with many the belief that the mystery
is pra ,tically as dense as ever. The opin-
ion is strengthened by the report that
two me mbers of the jury have stated that
they still believe the remains were those
of woman, but when the vote was taken
by the foreman Of the jury did not wish to
appear obstinate. and be the only ones to
take contrary view. so therefore con-
CURED in the verdict tthat from the evil
dence ad1uced we believe the body to be
that of Mark A. G. ClifD.
Those in Laurel who have followed the
case thnuGhtfully since the finding of the
holy continue to contend that the mystery
will not be solved logically until the
and the woman who were seen in Laurel
August and III keilcsg's woods August
. are accounted for Tie SubStantiated
testimony of Fred Duvail, who swears he
saw the man and woman in the woods,
cannot be disregardsd The man was seen
to leave the vicinity OF Laurel, but no
one has been found who saw the woman
who accompanied him after the couple
were observed in the woods by Duvall.
III this man is produced and he produces
the woman who was with him the doubt
ing ones will then accept the Cliff theory,
hut not till then. At least that is how
they have expressed themselves since Sat
ur,iay night. In view of the facts every
effort has been expended to locate the man
and woman seen in tine woods. The man
was traced to Washington. Some say he Is
William Drown. formerly a owner of prop
erty on Little Stockholm street, Baltimore,
who spent last winter in Washington with
his wife. plying the calling of umbrella
members. Others say the couple were. not
Drown and his wife. but pair who close
iy answer their description.
Answers Description.
The man placed under arrest this after
noon answers the description of the man
sen with a woman in Kellogg's woods in
every detail. He has the pronounced squint
of the left eye, the stoop of the shoulders,
and before he INDUCED in a clean shave
last Thursday evening at Annapolis he
pc ssessed sandy mustache, sprinkled
with gray and long in ends. His actions
are considered by those who have BEEN
closely following the case suspicious, to
say the least. The man under arrest. who
says his name is John I.angford, was locat.
ed at Annapolis last week. He reached
there about the nth or 18th of August
and. according to his own statement, walk
Ell there from Washington. The man who
was in Kellogg's woods reached Washing
ton August 10. Langford. while in the
vicinity of Annapolis, made a small camp
for himself on the bank of the Severn
hA No nj Ao<,I
He secured employment with Capt. Hall,
keeper 70 the Severn bridge and Capt
White. who conducts a ferry at that point
According to the parties mentioned and to
youth named Baden, also employed by
White Langford told stories similar to
those credited to Drown. 1t is said that he
spoke of having formerly owned property
hut was defrauded out of his real estate
ny a dishonest lawyer. Sheriff Fowler Of
Anne-Arundel county reading of the Laurel
mystery and hearing of the man at work
on the bridge last Thursday sent his deputy
TO look him up. r. l.. Brice. a farmer on
whose property Langford was located is
said to have refused to allow the officer
OF the law to interfere with the man while
he was on Brices property.
Al the suggestion of another party who
hao read OF The case. White last Thursday
afternoon inquired of Langford, or "OId
John. as he was called: Have you got a
WIFE? Langford denied enphaticaiiy that
ne mad ever been married. He seemed
disturbed by the question. At all events
at the conclusion of work Thursday Lang
ford drew the wages due him, about 81
visited Annapolis, was clean shaver and
purchased blue yachting cap and a pair
Of overalls. together with a tin cup and a
bucket. He returned to the camp, but
the following morning friday had disap-
peared. and with him all his belongings.
Star reporter traced the man along the
line of the Annapolis and Baltimore short
line to Pasadena He stopped frequently
along tie way for food and water.
FRIDAY night he slept on the railroad
be arrested by Constable Roles as a va
grant He moved toward Baltimore
but returned Sunday night saying that he
found no Indicators of employment where
ne had been The constable informed him
that he could not loaf around this locality
and Langford then asked for work He
was directed 10 Spears sand bank on the
Severn river. about four miles from Pas
adena, and started on in that direction.
The Arrest.
Star reporter today accompanied Con-
stable Roles TO Spears place and Lere-
ford was found there at work with a gang
OF men.
He seemed rather startled when accosted
by the ';isitors. but denied all knowledge of
everything in connection with Laurel He
has never been to Laurel he SAYS and ia
acquainted with no one who has ever been
there He reitera.es that he has never
been married. and declares that he never
harmed any one in his life. He claims TO
have spent last winter in Fauquier county
virginia, near Warrenton. and not In Wash
ington- Langford was anxious to .aIl
about the weather and about the KIond;ke
gold developments
When told by Constable Roles that he
was under arrest and would have to go
10 Laurel Until his story could be inye,-
ueatec, he expressed no serious objection.
out bundled up mis- things and accom-
panied the constable. walking from the
SAND hill to Pasadena Several women iiy-
ing IN PASADENA state that Langford said
70 THEM that he was worried by some one
ioiiowing him. and could see his pursuers
every time he closed his eyes
THOSE Interested in the case in laurel
nave been Notified of the arrest of Lang
loru as suspicious character by Com
stable Roles and they are expected to go
10 annapolis this afternoon or tomorrow
10 determine whether or not he had asr
connection with the mystery The man
certainly tells straightforward story. and
l. VIII be difficult task so II now seems
70 prove that he Is in any way Responsible
Tor the death OF the person. whose bod,
was FOUND In kellogg'S woods
AT ieast one prominent citizen of Iaure,
stated iast evening that he is confident ire
man VINO worked on the Severn bridge who
81