The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-07
SAYS Maud Stone
Was Murdered\

girl s character ruined by having al
autopsy? ! have done every thing OF
earth could for the girl My little
wife worked night and day with her
He says sit is just killing me to have
such talk going on after | have done al
| could. The girl requested my services
and done all could. The girl re-
quested my services and | doctored her
and now to have the people insinuate
that We haven't been straight, it is bad
Ii you go to work and have an eNamina
ton, think what slur it will bring or
your family; think what trouble it will
be- | said 81 am now here to settle
with you, your bill!' He says "Sl5.'
was surprised, you know, at the small
amount. sWell," he says, ''if she had
got we'll we would have made larger
bill, but you have had bad luck and she
has died here and we are going to be
reasonable. We talked on and | says,
cdr. Crotlord, if you haven't done any
thing wrong and the girl actually came
to you for services, you have my deep
est gratitude, but if you have done any
your track that will follow you He
says, "Well, / wouldn't do anything
that might bring disgrace on the fam.
| ny liC ilCLAC tlllllS AC was dONl II
on the street a little while ago, and he
animation. Well, the family will have
to suffer-" That the family would be
disgraced. He said she had append
ctis. Did not have consultation.
Said nothing about an operation. He
said that was thirty cases he had had,
and that was the first he had ever lost.
| MRS. ANNIE HAMMOND.
Lives four miles north of Decatur.
Acquainted with deceased about Is
months. Saw her alive last Tuesday
ia Lamont. Was with her twelve
hours from 10 in the morning till she
died at night. | was sent for by DR..
Crotford. Am not related to Miss
Stone. She told him to send for me.
Letter was dated Monday, the 18th.
Can't tell now where the letter is but
it said for my son to come over to La
moni and bring his mother with him.
The letter was written to my son. /
had the letter with me at Lannon'S: was
excited and don't know how | came to
take it: think | brought it back home
but am not sure; carried it to Lamont
| in box containing change of cloth
ing for myself. My son and | drove to
| Lamont with our own team and got
there about 10 o'clock. Went to the
Sanitarium befol putting the team in
Springer's barn. My son had not been
| to Lamont before. [ went in the house
first: did not knock: went up stairs:
saw the doctor before anyone else:
asked him if he was Dr. Crofford. He
said he was and | asked him if there
was a young lady there sick and if he
had written for Mrs. Hammond. He
said he had by the young lady's in
struction: he said she was sick and for
me to go into her room which [ did and
found the doctors wife with her. The
doctor told me she had Inflammation of
the stomach and bowels and said she
came there Wednesday, a week before:
said she took sick on the train: didn tsay
what train: didn't say anything about
having previous knowledge of her sick
ness: said she came and asked for medi-
cine: said she was sick and went to bed
after taking medicine; wasn't able to
sit up. He said she was out of danger.
When | first went in the room Miss
Stone knew me but only for few min
utes: she said. Good morning. Mrs.
Hammond" | said; ''Maude. are you
sick?" and she said she was but was
better. | didn't ask about her trouble
but she said she had been sick a week
and didn't seem to know me any more
then. She said she was not suffering
and when asked her every once in
awhile how she felt she said, 'spretty
good;" she seemed to be rational part
OF the time. Her skin felt moist and
natural and she did not ask for water.
| made her some coffee and she took a
few swallows of that: did not say any
thing during the time about any pain;
she lay still a part of the time: the
doctor was in the room part of the
time: did not do anything for her nor
examine her while I was there. She
died at 1925 p. m. and | was there ~
hours and 20 minutes: the doctor did
not tell me at any time that she was in
a dangerous condition: she seemed
stronger and better in the afternoon:
she recognized me several times Just
for a few minutes. When she talked
with me she did not say anything
about appendicitis but complained of a
pain and sore place right there on
the right side. (Witness indicates
place. Flannels wrung out of hot
water were applied: nothing else was
done for her and no medicine was given
her: she took beef tea every hour. Dr.
Crotford was there most of the time:
he came in, ] think, three times dur
ing the day: did not pay any attention
to her temperature nor use a thermome-
ter: he asked how she felt and told us
to give her nourishment: felt her pulse
once. Neither myself nor son. knew
where Miss Stone was prior to time we
received letter from the doctor. My
son had been at nome constantly ex-
cept one afternoon and night when he
was in Leon: he stayed all night there.
Miss Stone did not seem to realize that
she was in a dangerous condition: she
wanted me to stay all night and go
home with her the next day: said she
was going home the next day: didn't
say how she intended to go: she talked
nationally then shortly after dinner.
At 10 O'Clock had no more idea that
she was about to die than l have that
you indicating coroner) are at this
minute: there was nothing that made
me think she was dangerous at all: she
did not vomit any. She was lying ap-
parently resting and was sitting be-
side her and 1 noticed that she threw
up her hands and I could see a futter-
ing and / thought she was gone. I
took her up in my arms and rang the
bell. The doctor was eating his supper.
They got in as quick as possible and
she was dead. She had not said any