Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-09-10
MRS. .J.CRAWFORD
GOES TO THE Pen
AT WALLA WALLA
Pleads Guilty to the Charge.
Of Arson and Gets
Six Months
INSURED HOUSE FOR $25oO
AND PLANNED TO BURN 1T.
Runsling Job lin Carrying Out Plans
Reveals the Trick and Lands
Woman in the Pen.

Mrs. Jessie Crawford wife OF the
late John Crawford, formerly a Wa
tertown blacksmith, has been sem
fenced to six months in the state
penitentiary at Walla Walla, Wash,
charged with attempted arson.
This woman confessed to- having
set fire toi her place." declared Chief
of Police Weeks to newspaper re-
porter at Spokane, where Mrs. Craw-
ford resided, "and turned her over
to the police department for action.
She evidently used kerosene and
shingles in the attempt to burn the
house.
Mrs. Crawford was taken before
Judge IA. L. Kenman and she pleaded
guilty and received the sentence
stated. The woman confessed to Of
ficals, says another report that she
fired the home to get money to aid in
paying the bills of her husband and
OF the expenses incident to his sick
ness and death (Mr. Crawford died
about a year ago. Mrs. Crawford.
however, made no statement at the
hearing beyond entering the plea OF
guilty.
1t is reported that she had insured
her house for $500, and then sought
to burn it in order to get the money
from the insurance company.
a 5unulIng Job.
Information from Spokane indi-
Gates that Mrs. Crawford s plans were
very poorly executed. The discovery
of the attempt purposely to burn the
building is due to the fact that, ac-
cording to reports received since she
was sentenced, the flames were sup
pressed before they got under full
headway, when ii was p1s6eiyed that
only one Of the various rooms pre-
pared for the burning ahd caught fra.
The fire started in the bedroom,
whereas several other rooms had also
been well piled with kerosene and
other infiammable matter. From the
| ceiling were suspended blankets we'll
soaked with oil, and the windows
were covered with blankets in an
effort to conceal the fire until it had
gained sufficient headway to work
4 the desired destruction.
But for some reason not stated the
| fire started in only the one room.
Whether Mrs. Crawford expected it
4 to communicate itself to the other
rooms before the fire fighters could
arrive is matter II speculation, for
she has remained silent excepting as
to the attempt to burn the house.
Not Thought Hard Pressed.
tits not thought, so far as former
| Watertown friends are able to dis
cover, that Mrs. Crawford was par
ticularly hard pressed for funds. 1t
is related that only a week or SO be
fore the attempt to fire the building
Mrs. Crawford had asked the tihee advice
of Mrs. Ray Jones formerly of Wa
tertown)& with reference 30 the de-
sirability of investing in either Wa
Itertown or Spokane property, leav-
ing the impression that she had some
means which she thought of putting
4 out. Still. she may have had the fire
insurance in mind when seeking Mrs.
Jones opinion.
The Crawfords lived in Watertown
/ for many years Their home was on
the north side, a couple of blocks
north OF the Stokes mill. They were
thought well Of. @
4 The report of the court procedure
at Spokane will be received with q
1 decided shock by their many ac
quaintances in WatertoWn.
y i s