The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-10-04
New Orleans Police Suspect YouDg We
nrn OF Several Crimes.
SAID TO BE DRUG FlEND
Annie Crawford, Arrested for MUIR
der of Young Sister by Use of Nor.
phine.-Three Other Members Of
Her Family Died Mysterious1y in
Last Fifteen Months.

A young woman of French-Amer-
lean extraction, under arrest for the
murder Of younger sister, whose
life was insured in her favor. Thurs
day night admitted to the district
attorney that she had administered
morphine to the girl but b: i done so
by mistake.
Three other members of the Craw-
ford family have died under OYSTER
Ious circumstances within the past
hfteen months, and Annie Crawford
was the beneficiary Damed in the in
sprance policies on the life of each.
The politics she held on all four
amounted to only s1,750, however.
The police say she spent nearly all
the money on, clothes.
Elise Crawford died suddenly last
Saturday, and under circumstances
so suspicious that the coroner had
the contents of the stomach analyz-
ed by an expert chemist. The find
ing OF traces of morphine was fol-
lowed by the arrest of the sister. The
authorities indicated that the bodies
OF the three other members of the
family would be exhumed for a SIM
liar examination.
District Attorney Adams declined
to state whether he contemplated
charging Annie Crawford with the
murder Of all four members OF the
family but he dictated the following
statement to the Associated Press:
"It was established Thursday that
Annie Crawford is drug fend and
probably is addicted to morphine.
1t is also established that Annie
Crawford had access during the past
three weeks to morphine and was in
a position to obtain it in practically
any quantity during that period.
During her indisposition Elise Craw-
ford eomplaired that her food and
drink We're doped. I have charged
Annie Crawford with the murder of
her sister Elise
For five hours Thursday the Craw-
ford woman was under examination
by the police. She stoutly maintain
ec innocence and appeared cool and
unconcerned throughout. She is-a1-s
legged to have made numerous contra
dlctory statements and when con-
fronted with evidence tending to in
criminate her she would declare
again and again, "tisn't so.''
Annie Crawford also holds and in
surance policy on the life Of her
younger sister Gertrude, who told the
district attorney Thursday that she
vas afaraid of her sister.
In one fifth of cupful of the
contents of Elise Crawford's stomach
Dr.: A. L. Metz, the city chemist
,ound 8 and l-2 grains of morphine,
sufficient to kill two persons.
The first Of the Crawford house
hold to die was Mary Agnes Crawford
sister of the prisoner. Her death
occurred June 25, 1910, suddenly,
supposedly Of acute meningitis. Three
weeks later, July Is, 1910, her faith
.r died, uremic poisoning being given
IS the cause. After an interval of
.wo weeks, or, on July 20, 1910, her
mother died. In her case uremic poi
:oning was also given as the cause.
Annie Crawford held insurance
policies on the lives of the deceased
u the following sums:
Walter C. Crawford, father $500;
Mrs. Crawford, mother, s400; Mary
Ngnes Crawford, sister, $500; Elise
Crawford, sister, $3.50. She collect
ID the insurance in each case except
hat Of her sister Elise, payment Of
which was withheld pending receipt
If the certificate of death. On Mon
lay morning following her sisters
ieath, Anne made demand on the
insurance company for the money.
IN that day she also went to the
abroad Office where her sister had
been employed as stenographer and
collected s45 due the deceased.