The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-01-12
TW|GG MAY HAVE
BEEN MURDERER
Indications Point to 1.s.,ble
Crime By One Of the % :
Victims

Charles E. Twigg and Mary Grace
Elosser on the eve of their wedding
while seated on settee in the parlor
of the Elosser home December 81 has
not been found nor has the mystery
of who administered it to the pair
been solved.
Today it was believed the source of
the poison was known. Circumstan-
tial stories were told here to the ef-
feet that ]. c. McKown Of Paw Paw,
W. Va, twenty-five miles east of
Cumberland. had said yesterday in
Paw Paw that last summer he sold
Twigg four pounds Of cyanide. pre-
sumably for spraying his peach Or
chard.
McKown, who is manager of the
Allegany Orchard company, could not
be reached until last night. He
then denied having said he had sold
cyanide to Twigg, or having sold him
any.
States Attorney Robb said that he
had information tending to show that
Twigg purchased cyanide from q mer-
chant at Paw Paw. A representative
of his Office, he said, is now making
a thorough investigation Of the re-
port.
Did Not Use Cyanide.
Millard and Vernon Twigg, BROTH
ers of Charles e. Twigg, testified be-
fore the coroner's jury that they look
ed after the orchard of their brother,
and that cyanide Of potassium was
not used in spraying his peach trees,
while they did not use any poison at
all in exterminating rabbits, never
having been. bothered sufaciently by
the latter. They said arsenic of lead
was the chemical they had used on
the orchard; that they had never
heard Of cyanide Of potassium. How
ever, 1t is known that Charles e.
Twigg made study Of fruit culture,
and was all along receiving govern
ment reports on the subject, and these
reports, among other things, dealt
with the use of spraying poisons.
Twigg easily could have purchased a
quantity Of this poison and still not
have used it for the purpose intended.
He could have had It in his possess
sion without his brothers knowing
anything about 1t. Some orchardists
in this belt use cyanide extensively,
while others employ different chem
icals on their trees.
Two Detectives ut Work.
States Attorney Robb said today
that two detectives were now at work
on the case. They were following
several lines. Mr.. Robb said the
grand jury would not be convened at
present; that as yet he had no facts
to lay before them, and he did not
propose to act on suspicious.
May Elosser's Illness.
When questioned regarding the fact
that at the inquest It was brought out
that she was suffering from what DR..
Foard thought might be cyanide poi
soning instead of an ordinary faint
ing spell, DR.. Van Arsdale replied
that he had consulted a physician on
that point, and had been assured that
the poison while assisting in remov-
ing her sister from the front room
to the bed in the second room to have
caused her illness and the appear
ance Of having been poisoned.
DR.. William R Foard and DR..
Thomas w. Koon, both Of whom testi-
fled at the inquest, stated that such
poisoning by inhalation would be pos
sible. but 1t would have to be while
the cyanide was still fresh and effer-
vescing. and that sufficient could not
be inhaled from the atmosphere Of
the room in which Twigg and Grace
were found to poison person.
Position Of City Police.
The seeming inactivity Of the po-
lice in the case, while only apparent
on the surface, might be explained by
the fact that this case would In its
very nature come under the state and
not under the city police. although
they would make an arrest In the
case should they come into possess
sion of sufficient evidence to impli-
cate any one In having caused the
death ofsMiss Elosser and Mr.. Twigg.
Much is coming to light showing
the traits Of Twigg. It is stated by
Keyser people that Twigg had lost
social cast there in the past year, and
at last he grew Indifferent to public
opinion. He was callous to comment,
caused by taking certain persons on
automobile rides about Keyser. Peo-
pie who were as close to him as any
one could get were not told by him
of his approaching wedding.