Evening star., 1921-06-19
Tears of Mother as She Left
Home Deepen Mystery in
HaIIroom Tragedy.
BODIES, LYING TOGETHER.
FOUND TEN HOURS LATER
Police Searching for Woman.
Neighbors Tell of Quarrel-Two
Open Jets Pour Out Death.

Three little girls, Caroline, Char
lotte and Evelyn. the Oldest five years
old. were killed some time yesterday
when their father. Samuel X. Gran
ford. carried them into a little hall
room on the top floor of the house at
906 G street southwest, laid down on
the floor with them and turned on the
gas from two jets.
The mother. Mrs. Ella B. Crawford,
left home early yesterday morning.
crying as she left the house. accord
ing to those who saw her, and had
not returned late last night She
works on the day shift at the bureau
of engraving and printing.
Falls Over Mans Body.
Miss Mabel Bingley, who, with her
brother. Eugene Bingley. occupy the
home and rent the second floor apart
ment to the Cranfords. was going up
the stairs to bed last night when she
detected the odor of gas. Tracing il
to the ballroom, she pushed open the
unlocked door and fell over the body
of the father.
in the street for aid. The Emergency
Hospital ambulance responded. in
charge of DIR. Joseph A Lane. who
pronounced all four dead, saying that
life had been extinct about ten hours.
The room was bare. except for a
pillow that apparently had been
thrown on the floor by the father,
The head of each was on the pillow.
In the hand of one of the little girls
was bag of chocolate candy. The
one window had been closed tightly,
after the shutters were closed, and
the door was shut. although not
locked.
Found Dresser Rnnsacked.
Mr.. Bingley said that there was
! no one in the house all day. as both
| he and his sister worked. Both re-
turned early in the evening and Mr..
| Bingley went to the upper story to
| the room adjoining that in which the
tragedy occurred. but did not detect
the odor of gas, although he noticed
that the drawers in his dresser had
been ransacked, but he attributed
this to the children. The fact that
he did not detect the gaseous odors
was attributed by him to nasal trou-
bles
When he came down stairs yester-
day morning MIR. Bingley said that
the father was apparently in a bad
frame of mind and spoke aarsi,iy to
him several tiVes. The door 10 the
Ia, rxs
the couple having words. When Mrs.
Crawford came down stairs on her
way to work he asked her a ques-
ton and Crawford yelled down to
him that it was none of his buhi-
ness" Mrs. Crawford. he said. was
crying bitterly.
Husband Moved in Later.
The father and children " -.-e seen
3y neiEhbors for the last time about
$50 in the morning. 1t is the belief
that shortly after this they went to
the third story room and the father
turned on the gas.
Little is know of the couple ex-
cept that they were from Lorton,
Va. where they were married. Mrs.
CT Ianford rented the apartment with
her three children about five months
ago. according to Mr.oBingley. who
said that the husband, after several
visits. during which a reconciliation
was discussed, moved in about seven
weeks ago. The police have insti-
tuted search for the mother.
The age of the children were
estimated by those who knew them
as five. four and three.