The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-09-29
FOUND MODERN |ENDEAVOR|NG To
LUCRET TIA BORG|A PROVOKE TURKEY
View Orleans Woman Charged Italy Trying 10 Put Turks on The
With Poisoning Sister Aggressive
TO SECURE LIFE INSURANCE SERIOUS INTERNAL STRIFE
New Orleans Woman Charged
With Poisoning Sister
TO SECURE life INSURANCE
Three Other Members Of Her Family
Have Died Under Peculiar Cir
cumstances and II Is Believed She
Poisoned Them--Had Policies on
Their Lives Also.

New Orleans, Sept. 2S.-In the
arrest here late yesterday afternoon
of Annie Crawford, an alleged drug
fiend, on the charge OF poisoning her
younger sister, Elise, pretty stem
ographer, the police took their first
step in an avowed effort to reveal
the woman as modern Lucretia
Bogia.
Three other members of the Craw-
ford family have died under mys-
terious circumstances within the
past fifteen months and Annie Craw-
ford was the beneficiary named in
tie insurance policies on the life of
each. The policies she held on all
four amounted to only s1,750, how
ever. The police say she has spent
nearly all the money for clothes.
Elise Cran ford died suddenly last
Saturday and under circumstances
so suspicious that the coroner had
the contents of the stomach apalyz-
led 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 similar examination.
For five hours the Crawford wo-
man was under examination by the
police. She stoutly maintained her
Innocence and appeared cool and un-
concerned throughout. She is al
legged TO have made numerous con.
Trajectory statements and when con.
froBted with evidence tending 20 In.
eriminate her she would declare
again and again. 1T isn't So"
Annie Crawford also holds an in
surance policy on the life OF her
youngest sister. Gertrude. who told
the district attorney that she was
afraid Of her sister.
In one-fifth OF cupful OF the
lccnteHts OF Elise Crawford's stom-
ach, Dr. A. l.. Metz. the city chemist,
founi three and one-half grains OF
morphine. sufficient to kill two
persons.
The FIRST OF the Crawford house
hold to diew as Mary Agnes Craw-
ford, sister of the prisoner. Her
death occurred June %. 1919. sud-
denly, supposedly Of acute menin-
gifts. Three weeks later, July Is.
1910, her father died, uremic pois-
oning being given as the cause.
After an interval of two weeks. or.
on July 20, 1910. her mother died.
In her case mTemic poisoning was
given as the cause.
Annie Crawford held Insurance
policies On the lives OF the deceased
in the following sums: Walter G.
Crawford. father. $500: Mrs. Craw-
ford. mother. $500: Mary Agnes
Crawford. sister. 5000: Elise Craw-
ford, sister. $3.50. She collected
the insurance in each case except
that Of her sister. Elise, payment Of
which was withheld pending receipt
Of the certificate OF death. on Mon
day morning following her sisters
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 employed as stenographer and
collected SIS due the deceased
For several years Annie Crawford
had charge of the drug department
of the Presbyterian hospital. She
lost her position here more than 4
year ago. II Is said. following the
disappearance or quantity oi
drugs. Recently she has made sew.
eral visits 10 the hospital
Walter Crawford. the father, was
d carpenter and 4 native u this city
Annie Crawford Is pale and frat
and OF small stature she looks
more like a prim and self-conscioui
school teacher than person viii
criminal inciinations. A wealth 81
dark sandy hair. arranged In Al
elderly fashion. causes her 10 REALLY
look older than her - years Sh,
has pale. pluc eyes maEnifiCd b,
Eyeglasses Of large thick lenses. he
nose IA rather small and short an,
her mouth is large with full iips
she frustrated every attempt of thl
newspaper photographers 10 get he
picture BY persistently holding
large black fan before her face.