Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-13
POISON REPORT
STIRS HEIRS IN
CRANF0RDCASE
Grand Jury Action May Follow
Finding of Chemist of State
Board Of Health.
Continued From Page I.

Continued From Page 1.
! 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 a well
| known character in Atlanta for many
years. He was recognized as shrewd
penny in all financial transactions in
! his own and his first wife's name.
! He owned $4,000 TO 800 600 in real
estate and 1000 to $4,000 in cash,
notes and other negotiable paper. He
loaned much money and added to his
fortune by demanding every penny of
/ interest called for in the notes and
mortgages, as well as the full prinCi-
pal when due. If payment was not
forthcoming he realized on the Sc
Curity he invariably required
Crawford was born in October, 1888.
His first wife, Mrs. Nancy f. Craw-
ford. was eight years his junior. She
died early in 1908, at the age of Sc.
Twelve months later he married
again. his second wife being prob
ably 20 years younger than the first.
Within a month or six weeks after
this marriage he died, at the age OF
IS.
Made Wills in 1907.
Crawford and his first wife made
their wills at the same time in 1907.
about a year before she died and two
years before his death. BY her will
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 G. 5.
| Crawford a nephew, and Lula Miller,
| a niece. Following his second mar
| riage. "A new will was not made and
| the old win was automatically set
aside, she inheriting the property.
A contest was set up by George
! Crawford, for his minor children, and
c. $, Crawford and Lula Miller, bene-
hCiaries named in Crawford's viii. In
1870 a compromise was reached
whereby property estimated at be-
tween $25, 600 and $50 900 was carved
out of the estate for these contest
lants. this being estimated as the val
ne of the Nancy r. 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-jointly brought suit to set aside
| this settlement, c.. S. Crawford being
one of the number, contending that
his second wife exerted an undue in
fuence over Crawford while he was
in his dotage of more than three
score and ten years and practically
forced him to marry her, and limiting
at something mysterious in his death
so soon after that marriage. Testi-
mouy in that suit Is now being heard
| before j. A. Anderson, acting as au-
ditor of the estate for the court.
The thirteen contesting heirs are NJ.
r. Byrd, Mrs. c. b. Cash, V. A. Pra-
ter. c. Il. Crawford, c. w. Walton,
| Mrs r. Adeline Crawford. ]. f. Cor
nett. Mrs. G. A. Thurmond. Mrs. Fan
| ME Cornett. Mrs. Mamie Moore, ].
| II. Harris. John f. Harris and NJ. c.
| Crawford. George Crawford, for his
minor children, and Lula Miller are
fighting this suit with the second Mrs,
Crawford. seeking TO sustain the set
| Element previously agreed upon.
Mrs Mary Belle Crawford. the sec
ond wife, is a native of Pennsylvania
] She was formerly Mrs. Mary Belle
! Savage. She lived at Uniontown and
later at Pittsbura A few years ago
! she came South, going to st. Angus
] tine. where she opened a boarding
house for winter tourists and health
seekers visiting the Florida city.
Early in 1909 Crawford, accompa-
MED by his niece. Lula Miller, went to
Augustine for his health. They
stopped at Mrs. Savage's boarding
house. After a few weeks in ST. Au-
Custine. they returned to Atlanta
Then Crawford contided to J. ]
| Barge, his attorney and named in his
will as executor of his estate, that he
was going to mrary Mrs. Savage just
las soon as she could close out her
business in St. Augustine.
Death Followed in Month.
The wedding took place a few days
Halter. Crawford's death followed
labout a month later. His body was
taken to his old home in Carroll
lCounty and was buried beside his first
lwifes grave. He had erected stone
Ito mark both graves. marking 1t with
1.-THE names Of himself and wife, the
ldates of birth and the date OF his
lwife's death, leaving only the date OF
his own death to be added.
The contests over the estate soon
followed and have never ended.