Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-02
Police Investigate Death Of
Mrs. Marguerite. Todd.
Had Drawn New VIII and Left
Home in New York
with Stranger Day Before Her Muti|atsd
Body Is Found Near Philadelphia.

New York, Nov. 1.-Acting upon a
suspicion that Mrs. Margaretta Todd
a wealthy widow aged IS years, was a
victim of foul play, Coroner Scholer OF
this city and Coroner Dugan of Phila-
delphia, today. commenced a searching
investigation of the mysterious facts
attending her death and the puzzling
moves that preceded and followed it.
The value of Mrs. Todd's estate is esti-
mated ut more than s150,uou and pos
sibly $1.000.000. She owned and lived
in the Won Hoffman apartments in
West 26th street, and owned other real
estate in this city. She wore when
found in Philadelphia. last Friday, sew
eral thousand dollars worth of jewels.
On Thursday last. the day before
Mrs. Todds death. George G. Hastings,
lawyer, who had acted as counsel Tor
Mrs. Frank Tousey, Mrs. Todd's daugh-
ter, was asked to go to Mrs. Todd's
apartments to draw up new will for
her. she said she had lost a previous
one. The drawing up of the new will
was postponed until the following Nor
day after Mrs. Todd had told the law
yer what she wanted.
On the following day. Mrs. Todd
started to leave the Won Hoffman
apartments, saying that she was going
to visit friends in Orange, N. j. Strong
objections to her going were made by
some of the persons about her, but a
Miss Knight appeared at that moment
and offered to accompany her. Objec-
ton was then withdrawn. 1t has been
learned since that Mrs. Todd was
driven in cab to the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad station in this city, where
she was met by an unknown man.
Mrs. Todd was seen to board d train
on the way to Philadelphia and to leave
the train at P. M. in that city. -Four
hours later. she was found dead on the
tracks of the Reading Railroad. sew
eral miles distant from the place where
she had left this train. Her body was
mangled, possibly by passing trains.
Her jewelry was intact.
Miss Fanny knight was seen tonight.
and told of her trip with Mrs. Todd
from the old lady's house to the rail-
road station.
"Mrs. Todd seemed considerably agi-
t9ted about something said Miss
Knight. although she did not tell me
what it was"
Miss Knight added that she accom-
panied Mrs. Todd to the train at the
old ladys request.
Mr.. Hastings, the lawyer said, to-
day. that when Mrs Todd's body was
brought to New York. Ingersoll Lock-
wood. who had previously acted as at
torney for Mrs Todd. requested that
her body be cremated. hnt her relatives
had countermanded the request. The
body was placed in a vault in a Gene
terry.
Yesterday. IngersoIl Lockwood filed
will executed by Mrs. Todd in 1903.
which was the will Mrs. Todd said she
had lost. I'm it, she bequeathed the
greater part of her estate to her daugh-
ter. Mrs. Frank Tousey. wife of the
publisher. The will also gave $500 to
Mr.. Ingersoll. Mr.. Hastings said that
this will was practically nullified If a
trust deed which Mr.. Ingersoll declares
he holds of Mrs. Todd's estate is prop
erly drawn. This trust deed. Mr. Lock-
wood said. covered the entire estate ex-
cept about $4,000. A further complica-
ton, yesterday, was the filing by an
unknown person of deed by which
Mrs. Todd transferred to Mrs. Tousey
the Ven Hoffman apartment
The authorities are unable to dis
cover how Mrs. Todd reached the point
where she was killed and whether she
was the victim Of a crime. The fact
that Coroner Scholer and Coroner Du-
gan have taken the case up makes it.
evident that murder is suspected. 1t
appears that they are confronted by a
battling and mysterious case. A sus-
picion that poison has been used is evil
IDENTIFY entertained by Coroner Scholer.
who promised. today, to have the con-
tents Of Mrs. Todd's stomach analysed.
An anonymous letter was received by
Coroner Scholer, today, describing Mrs.
Todds murder with considerable de-
tail. 1t was written in feminine hand.
The letter stated that Mrs. Todd was
murdered and the crime plotted in New
York and carried out in Philadelphia,
to which city she was lured.
Two men. the letter stated. one the
potter and the other the executioner,
and one woman who acted as the de-
coy, engaged in the crime. Upon ar
rival in Philadelphia. Mrs. Todd was
met and put in a carriage. A little dis
lance from the station she was given
knockout drops and driven to Fair
mount park There she was taken from
the carriage and left on the railroad
tracks. The letter concludes by ask
ing the coroner to examine Mrs. Todd's
for trace Of the drug used
upon her in Philadelphia.
Coroner Scholer received a letter, to-
day, from Coroner Dugan of Philadei-
phia. in which he wrote that since the
discovery of Mrs. Todd's body circum- |
stances have been found that require !
stringent investigation as to her move
nents after leaving the train in Phila- !
dclphia. Coroner Dugan wrote that he :
had been unable to find witnesses to :,
give him information on that point. An !,
..-,- x.,ilJ he performed, tomorrow