Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-22
DOCTOR SERVING rwELvE.YEAR
SENTENCE. APPARENTLY HAS
BEEN WRoNGED.
WILL BE GIVEN RELEASE
ON SHOWING OF INNOCENCE
DR.. Brown, Of Leon, Volunteers New
Evidence Showing Another Guilty of
Criminal Operation on Miss Stone -
Brown Silent Because of Crawford
Offering Different Defense.


Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, July 22.-Dr. j. w.
Crawford, who conducted sanatorium
at Lamont, Iowa, but who is serving
a twelve-year term in prison on con-
viction of criminal operation which
resulted in the death of Miss Maud
Stone, apparently is innocent of the
crime charged and will be given a full
pardon by the governor Crawford is
to be released thru a belated revelation
made voluntarily to the board of parole
by DIR. Artemus Brown, 1902 Eighth
street, Des Moines.
Several days before Miss Stone went
to the sanatorium, where she died, the
girl came to the office of DR. Brown at
Leon, and revealed to him that she was
already suffering from the i'll effects of
a criminal operationS so the retired
doctor now living in Des Moines and
serving as a government drug inspector
told the parole board.
DIR. Brown said he refused to treat
unless another doctor was called in and
the girl notified her mother. This she
refused to do, and going to DR.. Craw-
ford's sanatorium for treatment she
died from the effects OF the operation.
Crawford was indicted, tried and con-
victed for murder in the second de-
gree and sentenced to twelve years in
the penitentiary.
DR.. Brown justifies his long silence
on the ground that Crawford offered a
different line of defense-namely, that
he was treating Miss Stone for another
her communication might be consider
ranted in disclosing 1t.
Crawford was tried twice, the second
time in Clarke county on a change OF
venue from Decatur county. Each time
he was convicted Gossip about the
class of cases received at the sanator-
ium at Lamont and the fact that he
had served a prison term in Missouri
for counterfeiting doubtless prejudiced
his case in the minds of the jury. The
case created a statewide sensation be-
cause of the prominence of the girl
who belonged to a good family and had
borne a good reputation.
Parole Once Denied.
Crawford made application for parole
two years ago and it was denied by the
board. at the April session this year
DR.. Brown, who formerly practiced a,
Leon and who was a reputable man In
his profession and Of good reputation
generally. came before the board on his
own motion and stated that Miss Stone
consulted him a few days before she
went to the Crawford sanitarium and
revealed the fact that a criminal OPP
GRAFTON had been performed and that
she was not getting along well.
These facts were not known to the
defendant and his attorneys for the
reason that DR.. Brown had not made
them known to anyone, first because
the theory of the defense was contrary
to the showing which they would have
made and second because he thought
the communication might be consid-
cred professional.
The board was impressed with the
fact that if the statement of DIR. Brown
was true, DIR. Crawford could not have
been guilty and the matter should be
investigated. Notices were served OF
the county attorney of Decatur county
and the deposition of DR.. Brown was
taken. The matter was presented te
the board at it's last session and there
seemed no reason to doubt the truth
of DR.. Browns statement.
The board yesterday afternoon reco-
mmended a full pardon for DR.. Craw-
ford and Governor Carroll probably will
grant it without delay.