Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-13
Report Of Chemist After Body Is
Exhumed Indicates Presence Of
Quantities of Morphine.
ACTIVITY AMONG MANS HEIRS
Parties to Litigation Now Promise
Searching Inquiry, and Fulton
Grand Jury May Act.


four years has been fought back and
forth in the courts of Fulton County,
and which is still apparently far from
a final settlement, has developed into
a poison mystery"
This new and sensational turn to
the litigation over the more than
100000 estates of the late J. B. Craw-
ford and his first wife, Mrs. Nancy
E. Crawford, came when DR.. F. c.
Harris, secretary of the State Board
of Health, declared that chemical
ANALYSIS of Crawfords stomach
showed opium and morphine in large
quantities, and that his lungs showed
no indications of death from pneumo-
mia.
When he died in March, 1903, his
physician, DIR. ], w. Hurt, who is also
the physician for the Coroner of Full
ton County, gave pneumonia as the
cause of death.
Body Exhumed Year Ago.
Just one year ago, on June II, 1917
and more than three years after
Crawford's death, DIR. Harris, with
the Coroner of Carroll County, where
the body was inferred In the family
cemetery at Carrollton, exhumed the
body and then began the chemical
ANALYSIS to which he has just testi-
fed.
Counsel for the contesting heirs
now intimate that a more exhaustive
investigation of the poison mystery
will probably be made and that In
dictments may be sought before the
Grand Jury.
Joshua B. Crawford was well
known character in Atlanta for many
wears. He was recognized as shrewd
IN business deals and close to the last
nennv in all financial transactions In
his own and his first wife's name
He owned $4,000 to 100000 in real
estate and $4,000 to $4,000 in cash.
notes and other negotiable paper. lie
loaned much money and added to MS
fortune by demanding every penny OF
interest called for in the notes ana
mortgages. as well as the full princi-
nal when due. If payment was not
forthcoming he realized on the Sc
curitv he invariably required
Crawford was born in October 1888
His first wife, Mrs. Nancy E. Craw-
ford was eight years his Junior. She
died early in 1908, at the age OF 66.
Twelve months later he married
again his second wife being prob
ablv 90 years younger than the first
Within a month or six weeks after
this marriage he died, at the age OF
rs.
Made Wills in 1907.
Crawford and his first wife made
their wills at the same time in lSo''
about year before she died and two
wears before his death. By her VIII
he Inherited her estate. His will pro-
vided that in the event he survived
his wife the estate should go to the
four minor children of George Craw-
ford an adopted son, and to {. ).
Crawford a nephew, and Lula Miller,
q niece Following his second mar
-,sge a new will was not made and
tho old win was automatically set
aside, she inheriting the property.
: contest was set up by George
Crawford, for his minor children, and
q 6. Crawford and Lula Miller, bene-
fciaries named in Crawford's will. In
1910 a compromise was reached
whereby property estimated at be-
tween $4,000 and $1,000 was carved
ou+ of the estate for these contest
ants. this being estimated as the val
ne of the Nancy E. Crawford estate
that had descended to Joshua B.
. Crawford upon his first wife's death,
But none of that property has yet
come into actual possession of these
heirs, as one legal question after an
other has been raised to keep the es-
tate tied up in litigation.
Undue Influence Claimed.
In 1912 THIRTEEN other heirs at law
-brothers. sisters, nephews and
nieces of Joshua and Nancy Craw-
ford-iointly brought suit to set aside
this settlement, C. S. Crawford being
one Of the number, contending that
his second wife exerted an undue in
huence over Crawford while he was
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