Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-05-25
WOMAN FACES
POISON CHARGES
Prosecutor Seeks Authority to
Open Graves
JAILED AS ARSENIC KILLER
Anonymous Letters Led To Police Ae-
ton = Writer Sought -
Gives Insurance As
Motive.
JAILED AS ARSENIC KILLER

Newark, N. J.-Onicial author
ity will be obtained to exhume the
bodies of Mr.. and Mrs. John C.
Creighton in the investigation of
charges that they were poisoned
by their daughter-in-law, Mrs.
John Creighton, Jr.
The latter is locked up in Essex
county jail, formally charged in a
grand jury Indictment with having
murdered her 1s-year-old brother,
Charles Raymond Avery. by giving
him arsenic in small doses.
Search was on Monday for the au-
thor Of two anonymous letters which
we're received by Prosecutor John c.
Bigelow, and which informed him that
young Avery was dying by slow
poison, and that his symptoms resem
bled those of the elder Creightons,
who died two and three years ago, re
spectively.
The alleged poisoner, an attractive
looking woman of "a, and her hus-
band, an office worker. were jailed
Saturday. a few hours after they had
been indicted. The woman denied
the charge. and the husband-who
seemed dazed-said he knew nothing
whatever about the affair.
Young Avery died at midnight, April
20, after an illness Of about a week
His ailment was believed to be a
bilious attack. Receipt of the anony-
nous letters, in which It was stated
that Avery feared his sister as he
feared death" caused an autopsy to
be ordered. and arsenic was found,
according to the medical examiner.
Further investigating these anony-
nous allegations, Bigelow was to APP
pear before Chief Justice Gummere.
in Newark Supreme Court Monday,
ard obtain an order authorizing ex-
humation of the bodies of the elder
Creightons.
Mrs Louis e. Bachelor has been
questioned by the authorities She
was a next-door neighbor Of the
Creightons, and has admitted-accord-
ing to BigeIow-that she furnished
some OF the information contained in
the anonymous letters. However she
denies having actually written them.
She also admits having quarreled
with Mrs. Creighton.
On the night Avery died Mrs. Batch
elor says she heard a woman's voice
in the Creighton house-the window
Of which was open-and heard a man
say loudly and emphatically, mo" A
few minutes later, she asserts, Mrs.
Creighton telephoned her and asked
her to cover over as Raymond is
making funny noise in his throat"
She refused to 60.
The doctor attending the young man
said that he appeared to be recovering
the morning Of April 20, but that
when he went to the house In response
to an emergency call that night he
found the boy dead. The sister, Mrs.
Creighton, was standing by the bed |
side and made the remark that Avery
might have had love affair and |
taken something" the doctor said
The alleged motive for the poison.
ing, according to the prosecutor, was
the desire to obtain Averys life In
surance. Mrs. Creighton has 2-year-
old daughter, who is being cared for
by friends and expects again to be-
come mother May 20. This second
baby probably will be born in the
prison infrmary.
James W. Mccarthy. of Jersey City,
who has been retained to defend the
Creightons, says he talked with them |
separately for hours shortly after their
arrest, and that he is confident Meth
er of them knew anything whatever
about the alleged poisoning.