The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-28
BELIEVE WOMAN
MOD R N B0RGIA
Suspected Of Numbering
Father, Mother and
Two Sisters.
HELD INSURANCE
POLICIES ON ALL
She Is Arrested on Charge of
Poisoning Younger Sister, and
Bodies of Relatives Who
Have Died Suddenly With
in Fifteen Months Will
Be Exhumed.x

Nc" orleans, La, september 21.-
young woman of French-American
extraction. under arrest for the muir
der of younger sister. whose life was
insured in her favor. tonight admitted
to the district attorney that she had
administered morphine to the girl, but
had done SO by mistake. If the law
succeeds in enmeshing her In the net
work OF ctrcumstanital evidence it is
attempting too cast about her. this wo-
man, Annie Crawford, aged twenty
nine, may have to answer not only for
the death of his sister. Elise, pretty
stenographer. but also for the poison
Ing of three other members of her fam
ily who have died mysteriously within
the past fifteen months, all carrying
life Insurance policies in her favor.
The woman. who is alleged TO be a
drug fend. was arrested late to-day
following report from a chemist who
analyzed the sisters stomach after her
death last Saturday TO the effect that
he found traces OF morphine She de-
clared tonight after hours of uues-
toning that she had intended TO give
her sister calomel and soda. She said
she had stolen the morphine from the
PRESBYTERIAN Hospital. where she was
formerly In charge of the drug depart.
sAASHt- 9Abcs HeT WlSla 9
she was afraid to call in the doctor.
and decided TO say nothing about II
She admitted that she and her sister
We're not on good terms. asserting that
Elise had not "treated" her right.
Miss Crawford also admitted tonight
that she had been addicted to the use
of morphine for FIVE years with the
exception of brief period. and that
she had not had any since last Satur-
day morning. She said She was accus-
toned TO getting the morphine at the
hospital
The bodies of the woman's father
humed to ascertain whether they really
died from the effects of poisoning.
A Modem Borgin.
In the arrest of Miss Crawford
the police took their first step in an
avowed effort to reveal the woman as
a modern Lucretia Borgia Three
other members of the Crawford family
have died under mysterious circum-
stances within the past fifteen months,
and Annie Crawford was the bene-
ficiary named IN the insurance policies
on the life Of each. The policies she
held on all four amounted to only
s1.750, however. The police say she
has spent nearly all the money for
clothes.
Elise Crawford died suddenly last
Saturday and under circumstances so
suspicious that the coroner had tho
contents OF the stomach analysed by
an expert chemist. The finding of
traces OF morphine was followed BY
the arrest of the sister. The authori-
ties state that the bodies Of the three
other members of the family will be
exhumed for a similar examination.
Accuses Her OF Murder.
District Attorney Adams declined
templated charging Annie Crawford
with the murder of all four members
of the family. but he dictated the fol-
lowing statement to the Associated
Press:
TT was established to-day that
Annie Crawford is a drug fend and
probably is addicted to morphine. It
is also established that Annie Craw-
ford had access during the past three
weeks to morphine and was in a po-
sition to obtain 1t in practically any
quantity during that period. During
the indisposition OF Elise Crawford
she bitterly complained that her food
and drink were doped. I have charged
Annie Crawford with the murder of
her sister Elise"
For Ave hours to-day the Crawford
woman was under examination by the
police. She stoutly maintained her in
nocence and appeared unconcerned
throughout. She is alleged to have
made numerous contradictory state
ments, and when confronted with evil
dence tending to incriminate her She
would declare again and again, "'Tisn't
So" Annie Crawford also holds an in
surance policy on the life of her
youngest sister. Gertrude. who told
the district attorney to-day that she
was afraid of her sister.
In one-6fth of a cupful Of the con-
tents Of Elsie Crawfords stomach DR..
A. l. Meiz. the city chemist found
three and one-half grains OF morphine,
sufficient to kill two persons.
The first of the Crawford household
to die was Mary Agnes, sister of tho
prisoner. Her death occurred June %
1910. suddenly, supposedly of acute
meningitis. Three weeks later, July
10. 1910. her father died, uraemic pois-
oning being given as the cause After
an interval of two weeks, or on July
%, 1910, her mother died. In her case
uraemlc poisoning was also given as
the cause.
Had Policies for $3.50.
Annie Crawford held insurance poll
cies on the lives OF the deceased In
the following sums:
Walter C. Crawford. father $500:
Mrs. Crawford. mother, $500; Mary
Agnes Crawford, sister. $500; Elsie
Crawford, sister. $3.50.
She collected the Insurance. in each
case except that of Her sister Elsie.
payment OF which was withheld pend
ing receipt OF the certificate OF death.
On Monday morning following her Sis
terfss death, Annie made demand on the
Insurance company for the money. On
that day she also went to the railroad
office. where her sister had been en-