The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-09-28
GIRL MURDERS FOUR
FOR INSURANCE MONEY
Annie Crawford. Alleged Drug
Fiend. Revealed as a Modern
Lucretia Borgia.
RELATIVES MADE VICTIMS
OF FATAL POISONING.
sudden Death of Sister Saturday
Led to Investigation and
Arrest of Girl.

NEW ORLEANS. Sept. 27.-In the
arrest here late this afternoon OF
Annie Crawford. an alleged drug fiend.
on the charge OF poisoning her
younger sister. Elsie. pretty stenog-
rapher, the police took their first step
In an ayowed effort TO reveal the
woman as modern Lucretia Borgia.
Miss Crawford tonight. according to
the police. made a partial confession
to the district attorney.
Three other members of the Craw.
iord family have died under myster-
ious circumstances within the past IS
months. and Annie Crawford was the
oenehciary named in the insurance
policies on the life of each. The
policies. she held on all four amount
ed to only si.750. and the police say
the girl spent nearly all the money
for clothes.
Elsie Crawford died suddenly last
Saturday and under circumstances SO
suspicious that the coroner had the
contents OF the stomach analyzed by
an expert chemist The finding OF
traces OF morphine was followed by
the arrest OF the sister. The authori-
ties indicated that the bodies of the
Chhth Ol the IHn1lV
would be exhumed for a similar ex-
animation.
Prosecutor Speaks.
District Attorney Adams said to-
night:
1T was established to-day that
Annie Crawford is a drug hend. and
probably is addicted TO morphine. It
is also established that she had access
during the past three weeks to NOR
phine and was in a position to get 10
In any quantity. During the indispo-
sition OF Elsie Crawford. she bitterly
complained that her food and drink
were doped. have charged Annie
Crawford with the murder OF her
sister. Elsie
For five hours to-day the Crawford
woman was under examination by the
police. She stoutly maintained her
innocence and appeared cool and un-
concerned throughout.
The first of the Crawford household
10 die. was Mary Agnes. sister OF The
prisoner. Her death occurred June
20. 1910. suddenly. supposedly OF acute
meningitis. Three weoks later. July
10. 1910, her father died. Uremic
poisoning was given as the cause.
After an interval of two weeks, or on
July %. 1910. her mother died. In
her case uremic poisoning was also
given as the cause.
Held Insurance Policies.
Annie Crawford held insurance poll
cies on the lives of the deceased in
the following sums:
Walter c. Crawford father. $500:
Mrs. Crawford. mother. S4O0; Mary
Agnes Crawford. sister $500: Elsie
Crawford. $3.50. She collected the In
surance I'm each case except that OF
her sister Elsie, payment of which was
withheld, pending receipt of the certi-
hcate OF death. on Monday morning
following her sisters death. Annie
made demand on the insurance COM
pany for the money. She also went
10 the railroad Office. where her sister
had been employed as stenographer,
and collected f45 due the dead girl
For several years Annie Crawford
had charge Of the drugs department
OF the Presbyterian hospital She lost
her position there more than a year
ago, Il is alleged. following the dis
appearance OF a quantity of drugs.
The girl is pale and frall and OF
small statute. She looks more like a
prim and self-conscious school teacher
than n person with criminal inclina-
tions.