Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-13
|D|ES TO KEEP SECRET
Russian RevoIutionist Kills
Himself When Arrested.
WANTED ON FRAUD CHARGE
Warrant Had Just Been Served by
Post Office Inspectors.
KNOWN AS A. H. CRAWFORD
Represented Himself to Be Agent of
the Russian Revolutionist Real
Estate Society,""
Special DISPATCH to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BALTIMORE. Md, December 12-
Rather than dvulge the name of the
revolutionist party to which he is said
to have belonged. and preferring death to
arrest by the federal officers on the charge
of using the mails for fraudulent pur-
poses a man, known to the post office
authorities as A. II. Crawford. represent
ling himself to be an agent of the Russian
lRevolutionist Real Estate Society,"" COM
mitted suicide this morning shortly after
Deputy United States Marshal Patrick w
Seery had served a warrant on him. The
warrant was served on the man at the
house of Mrs Elizabeth Spelshouse,
Hahn's lane. near Nepier's brick yards,
about two miles northwest of Gainesville,
where Crawford had boarded for the past
three months.
Deputy Seery, accompanied by Post
Office Inspector j. G. Rooms of Washing
ton and Postmaster Philip T. Hartman
of Ellicott City, went to the Spelshouse
residence shortly before noon and con-
fronted Crawford with the warrant for his
arrest which was issued at the instance
of the post office officials at Washing
ton. where numerous complaints had been
| received of illegal use of the mails by
l
Crawford.
Asked to See His Landlady.
When Deputy Seery had finished read
ing the warrant to Crawford he consented
to go with the officers. but asked that he
| be granted permission to have a short
talk with Mrs. Spelshouse in an adjoining
ROOM Deputy Seery WIS reluctant about
granting Crawford the request. and told
| him that he must not get out of his
| sight. Then the man, it is said, asked the
officers to permit him to go up to mis-
room on the second floor. He said he had
some valuable papers there that he did
not want touched by any one but men,
bers OF the revolutionist society of
4 which he was president. Deputy Seery
| would not grant this request, but told
him that he would go up to the second
| floor with him.
! The man did not answer the deputy,
| but seemed to be greatly distressed. He
| began to tremble like a leaf. his eyes
| seemed like those of a wild animal and
| his face became livid.
Ran Past the Officers.
| Quick as flash Crawford made leap
| for the doorway leading to the kitchen
| from the dining room and slammed the
| door behind him. The officials heard him
| tell Mrs. Spelshouse that the three.
gentlemen In The other room had called
to see about buying her house." Mrs.
| Spelshouse opened the door in few mo-
ments. but Deputy Seery brushed her
aside and demanded to know where Craw-
| ford had gone. The woman did not re-
| ply and the three officials rushed through
| the kitchen to the yard in the rear Of the
house. There is an old barn and several
outhouses on the premises and the Of
| fcers began Immediately to search these
| buildings.
After searching several of the outhouses
! in vain. Inspector Rooms told the other
| two officers that it would be a wise plan
to have their revolvers ready for action,
for he thought Crawford would open fire
on them from some hidden place. Deputy
Seery took his pistol from the holster. and
az Inspector Rooms was opening his coat
to get at his revolver a shot was heard.
When the officers entered the barn they
found Crawford dead with bullet hole
in his breast.