The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-03-30
|DR. CROfFORDlS TRIAL
Witnesses have been Subpoenaed to
Appear at OsCeoIa Next Wednes-
day when Trial Commences.

Contrary to the expectations OF many
of the citizens of Decatur county, DR..
]. W. Crofford will again have to stand
| trial for the alleged murder of Miss
Maud Stone who died at his sanitarium
in Lamont on Jan. 80, 1901, as sheriff
Wallace has been busy the past week
subpoenaing the many witnesses in the
case, the case being set. for trial at
Osceola next Wednesday before Judge
Evans, who has ordered a special venire
of twenty-four extra jurors for the case.
The Crofford case has been one of
the celebrated cases Of Decatur county
and attracted great deal Of attention
all over the state. Miss Maud Stone d
beautiful young lady left her home near
Decatur City ostensibly to go to Mt.
Ayr to visit friends, and few days
later her mother was startled by re-
ceiving word that she was in DR.. Croft
ford's sanitarium at the point OF death,
and she died before her relatives could
reach Der. A post mortem was held and
it was shown that she died from the
effects Of criminal operation and DR..
Crofford and the girls lover, Ira Ham,
mond, were indicted charged with her
murder. DR.. Crofford was the first tried
and at the November term of court in
1901 he was found guilty of murder in
the second degree and Judge Towner
sentenced him to the penitentiary at
Ft. Madison for thirteen years. He
went to prison pending the appeal of
his case to the supreme court, as at
that time person convicted Of murder
in the second degree could not be grant
ed bonds pending the appeal, bnt at the
next session of the legislature M. L.
Temple, Of Osceola, who was one ofDr.
Crofford's attorneys, secured the pas
sage of a bill which permitted the Civ
ing okbonds in cases of second degree
murder, and Crofford was released on
$4,000 bond and returned to Lamont
where he resumed his medical practice.
A few months later the supreme court
granted him a new trial on account Of
Irregularities in the trial before Judge
Towner,and the case has been contin-
ued from term to term since that time
after his attorneys secured change of
venue to Clarke conuty. Recently a pc
tltion with many names on it was pre-
sented to the board of supervisors ask
ing that they instruct the county attor-
ney not to prosecute the case further
on account Of the expense to thetax-
payers, but the board decided they had
no jurisdiction in the matter. Young
Hammond who was indicted with Or.
Crofford, asan accessory, was acquitted
by jury at Mt. Ayr, to which county
the case was taken on change of venue.
At the trial which will he commenced
at Osceo]a next Wednesday morning the
case will be prosecuted by attorneys
Geo. w. Baker and AaP. Olsen OF this
city, who prosecuted Crofford at the
first trial, Senator Jamison of Osceola,
being retained as local assistance. DR..
CrofIord will be defended by attorneys
V. Il. McGinnis of Leon and M. L. Tenn
pie, of Osceola, both of whom were his
attorneys when he was tried before.
Q. w. Hoffman who also assisted in the
defense will not appear in the case this
time, having withdrawn as attorney. 1t
is expected that the trial will occupy
at least a week or ten days.