The Washington times., 1921-06-26
Story Of Intense Mother LoUe Is
Reuealed In Killing Of 3 Babies
Wife Who Escaped Death al
Hands Of Husband unfolds
Pathetic 1sle.

onouIauY many narohuipS ana AUoscs
from Jealous father, is revealed In
che tragic deaths sof the daughters Of
Mrs. Ellen Owens Crawford. Lorton,
Va. who were asphyxisted by the
father. Samuel r.. Crawford. in his
room At eos @ street northwest las,
Tuesday.
When the husband refused to 60
out and work to give the wife and
children q livelihood. Mrs Crawford
herself. sought employment and went
to work at the Bureau Of Engraying
and Printing. II was through the
small salary that she earned that the
children were fed and clothed
Every morning, after packing her
lunch and feeding the tots. Mrs. Gran
ford called them TO the door az she
was about to leave for work and told
them to be good little children while
mamma 10 At work"
It WAS while Mrs. Crawford wAs
away from home last Saturday. hav-
Ing gone to her brothers home At
Lorton. that Crawford took the three
children into q small room At their
Washington home, gave them q pol
sonous solution, and then turned on
the gas and watched them die. He.
too, was overcome by the fumes OF
the gas, and the four were found dead
several hours later by other roomers.
FLED FOR LIFE.
Mrs. Crawford had fled from the
house earlier In the day In fear OF her
life. Crawford had accused her Of In
fidelity, had threatened to kill her.
and only two days before had held Q
keen-edsed razor at her throat. de-
manding that she sign q paper admit
ting her infidelity.
That Crawford did not slash the
mothers throat was due to one Of the
children. who. frightened. called for
help from a window of the house.
came in and Crawford de-
clared he was .oniy Kidding
''But, he was not Kidding" said
Mrs. Crawford. "He meant TO Riii me
and would have done so had I not
signed the paper or the neighbors
had not come fn." y
RELATIVES DIED INSANE.
Crawford did not intimate that he
intended killing the children. but had
frequently threatened to wipe out"
the relatives of Mrs. Crawford Rci@
tives of Crawford declare he was in
sane. that he was not responsible for
his acts--not since he left the POST
office Department where he was EN-
pioyed as a mall clerk for a number
OF years. They claim that several Of
his relatives died in asyiums for the
insane. 4l \
Ellis mother died in ths Williams
burg Asylum for the Insane ak years
ago" q relative said yesterday. AT
times he brutaliy assaulted his wife
and threatened TO kill her relatives
because of an apparent insane teal-
ousy of all of them.
In October OF last year he brutaliy
assaulted Mrs. Crawford at their home
In Lorton, Va. and that time trag-
edy was averted by the timely ar
rival of his cousin. Miss Ruth Down.
who responded TO the call OF little
Carolyn. He was standing over his
wife with a razor, giving her Ave
minutes to sign a statement Of inf-
delity which he had prepared. with
out any reason whatever he was in
sanely jealous.
1T was thought then that. he in
tended using any paper he would
frfghten her into signing to shield
himself for any future action. He
was arrested and held In bond for the
action of the grand Jury. the case
being set for December 12 at Fair
fax Court House. However, In con-
of the children's future
and on the plea OF his family Mrs.
Crawford withdrew action.
DRIF.TED FROM JON TO JOE.
'Cranford for the last three years
driftcd from job to Job. Were II not
for the Crawford family the little
children would have been destitute
on many occasions.
Seeing that poverty would eventu-
ally. come, Mrs. Crawford obtained a
position as a clerk last summer at the
Census Bureau, but when the general
layoff came in the winter she took an
and received an appoint
ment in the Bureau Of Engraving and
Printing. where she. has since been
employed.
.whne Mrs. Crawford, was a, work
the little ones were cared for by her
mother. Had she been at the house
,n the fatal day the tragedy would
never have occurred. About four
weeks prior to the tragedy Mrs. Cram
'ord's mother. Mrs. Sarah Owens, be-
,ame III and, acting on the advice of
Ter physician; she moved to the coun-
ry. She was no longer able TO care
'or the children. Mrs. Crawford went
% see her III mother last Saturday,
eaving the children in care OF their
'ather"
BRAVE DESPITE TROUBLES.
Such is the simple. but tragic, story
he relative told. Practically since
he date Of their marriage the Gran
ords have had marital difficulties, but
he little woman bore II bravely
the struggle.
She tried to be the Same stole |
roman as Characterised her past life
ghen sbe visited the undertaker's
whore her three chill
rem and husband had been prepared |
or burial.
For a few moments she saxed at
he thrs little ones, two OF whom |