Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-01-04
CIJMBEREAND'S MYSTERIOUS
DEATHS.

New light has been thrown on the
mystery surrounding the death OF Miss
Grace Elosser, and Charles Edward
Twigg, OF Keyser, w. Va, at the home
Of Miss Elosser, Of South Cumberland.
Md, on Saturday last, the eve Of their
intended marriage. Twigg's mother
has given out the statement that ono
OF her sisters committed suicide some
years ago on the eve of her intended
marriage, and that Twigg was engaged
to marry Miss Lulu Dye, OF Indiana,
until some months ago, when the en-
gagement was broken off, Miss Dye
sending him back a diamond ring with
the request that he give it TO another
if he should decide to marry. She
states that Twigg visited Miss Dye and
found her SO highly educated and her
home surroundings OF such 4 luxuri-
Gus nature that he gave up the idea OF
marrying her and returned home.
is known that they were engaged
year ago and that he often spoke OF
her to friends in Keyser.
There is a growing sentiment IN Key
ser that Twigg caused Miss Elosscr.s
death and his own. He was a hortl-
culturist, had been getting the govern
ment reports, OF which large number
we're found at his house, and it is said
that he had been studying them with Il
view to getting at the best poison for
spraying and otherwise treating fruit
trees in an effort to prevent their Injury
or destruction by Insects. II was famli-
lar with the use of potassium cyanide
and with other deadly poisons and
used them in his own orchards. HE
could easily have gotten hold OF the
poisons in large quantities without in
the least arousing suspicion. In fact,
he may have had q considerable quan-
tity of the poison on hand at his or
chard or at other points for use.
But the motive is missing, unless at
tention is paid to rumors, and there is
one rumor that will not down. The
rumor is to the effect that some friend
OF Twigg told him, on Friday evening
last, or on Saturday morning that Miss
Elosser. his bride-elect, had been seen
in Cumberland in company with her
former husband, Maurice Wilson.
1t is known that Twigg called her up
on the telephone and said he was COM
ing down to see her, that he had some
thing to tell her.
Rumor says that Miss Elosser want
ed him to tell her over the telephone
what be had to say, that she was very
busy making final arrangements for
the wedding, but he persisted in want
ing to come down to her home and she
finally told him to come, that she
would be pleased to sec him. He did
come and the tragedy followed.
Miss EloSser's friends assert that she
was not in the company OF her former
husband on the occasion mentioned or
any other time after she procured her
divorce from him. They assert that
she would not speak to him on the
street, although up to the early sum-
mer months Of the past year, she
would in very respectful manner,
answer his calls on the telephone when
he frequently called her up for chat.
The belief of the authorities that it
was murder and not suicide is still as
strong as ever. They do not accept
the theory that Twigg in some manner
administered the poison to her and
then took fatal dose himself. They
believe that both were murdered, but
apparently are baftled rs to whom to
suspect sufficiently to arrest.
The rumored differences between the
dead woman and her sister, Miss May
Elosser, have become more than ru-
NOR. Friends of the family who knew
both intimately say that they frequently
quarreled and that they were not on
speaking terms recently. Miss May
Elosser is older than the dead girl.
Rev. w. ". VanArsdale, who was to
have married the couple and who Off
ciated ct the funeral Of the couple yes
terday, was few years ago pastor OF
Trinity NJ. E. church in this city.