The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-07

Ira Hammond, the girls lover, who re.
sides at Kingston with his parents.
The circumstances surrounding the
death of Maud Stone were bota mys-
FERROUS and suspicious.
She was the youngest daughter Of
mrs. Margaret Stone, and resided with
her mother about five miles north-wes,
81 Leon. She was bright and beauti-
ful girl about % years of age, gradu.
ate OF the Leon High School in the class
OF ~, and was the possessor of for
tune amounting in the neighborhood OF
$4,000 inherited from her fathers es.
tate.
On Tuesday morning, Jan. %, she
left home telling the folks she was going
TO visit relatives and friends near Mt
Ayr, expecting to be gone about twt
weeks, but instead it appears she went
direct 10 Lamont where she entered DR.
Croford 3 sanitarium.
The DR.. claims she was taken sick OF
the train and was unable to proceed on
her journey. and stopped at his place
for medical treatment, and claimed she
was suffering from appendicitis, inham
nation of the stomach and bowels and
colitis.
On Monday of last week DR.. Crofford
wrote letter to the girls lover, Ire
Hammond, the q year old son of Amos
Hammond, who resides on farm neal
Kingston, requesting him to come tc
Lamont and bring his mother. The,
went to Lamont Tuesday morning, ar.
irving there abont 10 O'Clock in the
morning and Miss Stone died that night
at 10:45. A few hours before she died
Ira Hammond was sent with a note
from DR.. Crofford to Mrs Stone, TELLING
her her daughter was very low at his
sanitarium and had been there for about
week, having been taken sick on the
train and for her to come at once. Mrs
Stone returned to Lamont with young
Hammond, but her daughter was dead
when she reached her.
The next morning other relatives ar.
rived at Lamont, and after learning the
circumstances, decided to have an in.
vestigation made.
Coroner McAllaster was notified and
Informed that the family desired an
autopsy held. The remains were
brought to the home Of Mrs Stone on
Wednesday evening, and an AUTOPSY
held which was attended by Drs. f. A.
Bowman, II. r. Layton, B. r.. MeAllas.
ter, b. L. Eiker and 7. S. Duff who
. found that her asaa th 4ss.a4l haep Ca ses2
from the result of a criminal operation
for abortion.
81. AS soon as the result of the autopsy
was known the officials took steps to
arrest DR.. Crotord and young Ham
mond, Sheriff Wolever filing an infor-
nation before Justice j. l.. Harvey
charging DIR. J. w. Crofford and Ira
Hammond with murder in the second
degree. A telephone message was sent
to Lamont and Crotford was arrested by
constable VIM. Graham, and guarded
until Thursday morning when he was
brought to Leon. Deputy Sheriff Burns
went to the home of Hammond and ar.
rested him, bringing him to Leon, where
he was guarded until the inquest was
held.
Coroner McAllaster held the inquest
at his Office in this city on Thursday
afternoon, the jury being composed of
IL. O. Alexander, j. L. Harris and Gould
Wallace.
Quite number of witnesses were eX-
amined, and after heanngtthe testimony
they returned the following verdict:
We, the jury, upon our oaths do say:
1--WE do find that said deceased came to
her death by violence used in producing
criminal abortion. And we further
do find that she did come to her death
feloniously; and that 4 crime has been
committed on the deceased, and that
j. w. Crohord is the name of the person
whom. the jury believe has committed
it, and the jury further believes that
Ira Hammond was an accomptice."
Young Hammond gave bonds of 81, 600
for his appearance at the preliminary
examination which was set for Wednes-
day afternoon at 2 p. m. thelbond being
signed by his father Amos Hammond.
DR.. Croford was guarded by constable
Bert Warner and A. NJ. Pryor until
about half past twelve Thursday night
when sheriff Wolever decided it was
best to put him in Jail for safe keeping,
and he remained i'll jail until Friday
evening when Justice Beck to whom
Croford had taken change of venue
from Justice Harvey, approved $4,000
bond signed by E. II. Dancer, James d.
Ennis, j. w. Mather, w. Hudson, j. 7.
Silver, q. w. johnson, Charles Sprague,
81. w. Lopez, w. +. Phipps and Peter
Doze, and be was released from jail.
The preliminary examination of DR..
Crotford was set for Wednesday, Feb.
9th before Justice Beck at 10 O'Clock.
DR.. Crofiord has retained Y. r. Nc
Ginnis to defend him and Ira Hammond
has retained g. w. HI otfman and Marion
i. Stookey.
EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.
The following is the evidence taken at
the coroner's inquest:
RUE B. STONE,
a brother of the deceased, being sworn,
testified as follows:
5 / lived in the same house with my
sister, Maud Stone. She left home Il
week ago Tuesday to go on visit to
Mt. Ayr, to be gone week or TWO. She
seemed to be in good health. She left
Kingston on the passenger train. Ira
Hammond has been keeping company
with her. No one else that know Of
Hammond came to see her about once a
week The last time he was there prior
TO the time she left pretending to go to
MI Ayr was on the Sunday before or
week fromfhat day. | did not know
they were engaged to be married. Had
noticed nothing wrong with my sister
at all She had not been away on
visit prior to the time she left home.
Never heard from ner after she left un-
til after she was dead. | was at Jim
Springer's that night and Frank Spring
er stopped there on his way to Leon
and fold abontit. Went to Lamont and
found her dead at DR.. Crofbrd's. Ny
mother, sister and Fair Sp1h ger were
there and Mrs. Hammond al ra Ham