Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-14
Of
WIDOW On
BOND IS
SOUGHT
Accused Woman Declares She
Welcomes an Investigation
by the Grand Jury.

The first step to secure the lib
erty of Mrs. Mary Belle Craw-
] ford, held at the Tower on
charge of killing her husband by
poison four years ago, was a con
ference between the prisoner
and her attorneys early Monday
morning.
The hearing probably will be before
Judge w d. Ellis. Burton Smith and
! Reuben Arnold, the attorneys who
represented her in the civil hearing OF
the will case. will her attorneys In
the pending criminal hearing and at
the trial, should the Grand Jury find
true bill when II investigates the case.
While constable from the court OF
Justice of the Peace c. II. Glrardeau
was looking for Mrs. Crawford in At
| lanta TO serve the warrant charging
murder. she was riding through the
country to Atlanta in a buggy from
Tucker Ga. where she had gone to
visit an old friend
Before the attorneys left the jail it
was understood that a hearing would
be arranged before a Superior Court
Judge Monday. in an effort to obtain
her release on bond until an investi-
cation could be made by the Grand
Jury.
Gives Herself Up at Tower.
She reached the city at o'clock
Sunday morning and went first to her
home to get a few belongings. At
few minutes after o'clock she awak-
ened the jailor a the Tower and sur
rendered herself
Her visit to Tucker was to Mrs.
Clemmie Johnson. who lived with the
| Crawfords before the death Of Joshua
b. Crawford. Mrs. Crawford said
that Mrs. Johnson was to be an i'm
portant witness at the hearing before
an auditor and that she visited her
to arrange for her coming to Atlanta.
She will be an important witness for
Mrs Crawford. according to her at
torneys to show that the wife never
administered poison or even medicine,
10 her husband.
Mrs. Crawford was less concerned
than her friends over her incarcera.
ton.
Il am not at all worried" she said.
Il would welcome an investigation by
the Grand jury. l know they VIII
find a no bilr in the case. and that
Will put stop to persecution from
this angle. In fact, | wish the ones
who are responsible for this had acted
year ago when they introduced evil
dence Of poisoning along the same
line.
1t would have been settled then.
just as it will be this time know
am innocent of any wrong and any
fair minded body Of men will so de-
eide"
Attorney Is Confident
Attorney Burton Smith stated Mon
day morning that he anticipated no
trouble in arranging for the release
of his client under bond, and that he
felt confident a Grand Jury would
return a no bilI' II the case ever
got that far.
THE whole thing is nothing but
move to force civil action" he said,
and when they find out they can't
| force US. they will abandon this AMI
start something else. They know as
well as / do that Mrs. Crawford Is
| entirely innocent of any wrongdoing,
and they know, too, that DR. Hurt
gave Mr.. Crawford the drugs that
| DR.. Harris found in the stomach"
| Mrs Crawford was visited Sunday
| BY a large number of friends from
| her neighborhood. She was quartered
| i'm the hospital ward in nicely fur
| nished room.
Attorney Burton Smith announced
| early Monday that Mrs Crawford
| would go before Justice Of the Peace
! Girardeau to waive preliminary
| hearing. and that he would go imme
| diatelv to the Superior Court in an
effort to arrange bond.