St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-09-30
SISTER HELD !
FOR MURDER
Annie Crawford Arrested On
Charge Of Murder
Admits Giving Her Sister
Morphine Tablets
But Declares that She Dit It
Through Mistake

Was In Habit of Secureing
The Poison at Sanitariunl
| New Orleans, Sept. 27.-Miss An
ME Crawford was arrested at 2
o'clock this morning and docketed
at the First Precinct Police Station
on a charge of the murder of her
sister, Miss Elsie Crawford, whose
death last Saturday was the fourth
suddenly in her family within four
teer months. The arrest followed
four hours of interrogation in the
District Attorneys Office of the &C
cused young woman, other members
of the Crawford family and several
physicians. after City Chemist Metz
had submitted a preliminary report
to Inspector Reynolds that he had
found large quantity of opium in
the contents of Elsie Crawford g
stomach. @f
| At the end of the session in Mr..
| Adams Office, during which Miss An
ME Crawford, who is twenty-seven
years old, remained cool, Assistant
Chief of Detectives Mouney stepped
| to Miss Annie's side and told her he
| must detain her on a charge OF
murder. She expressed no emotion
and her only words were Every
we'll"
Inspector Reynolds has ordered
the body of Elsie Crawford exhumed
this morning for examination of
other organs. District Attorney
Adams stated that he would prefer a
formal affidavit charging murder
in the day.
Other members of the Crawford
family were released, but will be kept
under surveillance, it is said.
LONG INTERROGATION
The prisoner walked calmly to the
police station and removed her hat
tron to be searched. She was placed
| in a cell shortly afterward. and later
was removed to the Parish Prison.
In coming from Mr.. Adams office,
she saw two newspaper photograph
ers awaiting at the front of the stair
way, and turned her head to avoid
! the cameras.
District Attorney Adams ordered
newspaper reporters excluded from
the prison and instructed all wit
nesses not to reveal their state
ments in his office.
The arrest was made on the theory
that Annie Crawford poisoned her
/ sister. who was three years her
Junior. for a motive which may have
been to collect her life insurance.
lShe also was a beneficiary in the
policies on the lives of her mother,
father and another sister, all OF
whom died in the summer of 1910
under similar conditions.
She also was a beneficiary In
policy secured last July on the LIE
of younger sister, Miss Gertrude
who stated last night that she was
afraid of Annie.
Annie Crawford attended Miss
Elsie in her illness and administered
ther medicine and food. 1t was stated
{last night that Elsie had declared
several times that the milk given hel
lhad a peculiar taste, and that hel
tongue turned black after having
taken it.
| City Chemist Metz, who examined
1.-The stomach contents of Miss Eisle
Crawford, informed Inspector Key
orlds late yesterday, it is said, tha
The had found in single cup full o.
the stomach's contents three grains
of opium. With this information a
hand the order was given to brlns
in Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Crawford
Elsie's uncle and aunt, who live a
l1O11 Peters avenue, and the thre'
; sisters, Mrs. Eddie Leo OF For
Arthur, Tex, Miss Annie CraWlor'
and Miss Gertrude Crawford, the lat
tier the youngest Of the sisters.
i One after the other, excepting MRS
Lice, who arrived since the death
! Elsie, and who knows nothing OF tn
circumstances surrounding her death
were called into Mr.. Adams of1ct
{ where they were closely questloneI
!, lIt developed that all were afraid A
Annie. and from one and another
l de, eloped that Miss Annie, who !
= eight years was employed as cls
and keeper of the drug departmt |
D of the old New Orleans Sanitarit' !
e had been the one to administer e |
i medicines to the members OF T !
Q family who had died, and was ft
e beneficiary in the small life inf
r ances which each one carried.
Y Detectives learned that Anne W-
4 ford yesterday applied at the offio1
f the insurance company for the Tcy
e on Elsies life.
5 1t developed that Miss Elsito
f ward the last, had conplairetre-
Y lquently of the bitterness of thd1lk
e she was being given, and Mrs. aW-
e ford, the aunt, said her tongue,uld
turn black Immediately after ank-
ing the milk.
Friday Elsie was given a psuie
Il by her sister Annie, which, nnle,
J, Iaccording to the testimony aand,
d lstated was calomel and so, pre-
a scribed by the attending paelan.
r Dr.. Mcclure denied last nj tnat
O he had prescribed this. At wal
+ ldcrf Drug Store, where Mamie
J. said she had purchased thepsuies,