Crawford, H. F. died 1908

CRAWFORD, MCINTOSH

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 3/20/2013 at 08:40:01

Postville Review, Fri., 26 June 1908. From the Decorah Journal. (condensed).

Tragedy At Decorah.

Decorah Journal.- Monday morning before 8 o'clock, H. F. Crawford of West Decorah, shot and seriously wounded Mrs. Otteway, and thinking that he had killed her turned the muzzle of the revolver upon his own person and shot himself. It is the old story of unrequited love.

The facts as we have them are as follows: Mr. Crawford, about 75 years old, became infatuated with Mrs. Otteway, a widow lady of about 50 years, and was a frequent caller at her home. They became engaged and announcement cards were printed. Monday, at noon, they were to have been married, but last week they quarreled and the engagement broken.

Last Saturday Crawford called at her home saying he wished to makeup but Mrs. Otteway refused. Taking the refusal seriously, and brooding on it, he determined to kill her and end it all by suiciding.

Monday morning Crawford secreted himself in a barn near Mrs. Otteway's woodshed. When the latter came out to feed her chickens the opportunity had arrived. He stepped out firing three shots from a 32 caliber revolver, striking Mrs. Otteway in the back, hip and shoulder. Seeing her fall, Crawford went back a few paces, placed the gun to his temple and hurled himself into eternity. His death was instantaneous.

Dr. Stabo was called to tend to Mrs. Otteway's wounds and she is reported as resting easily and the outlook for her recovery is very good.

Mr. Crawford lay where he fell until the arrival of Coroner Swezey. The inquest was short and the body was turned over to the undertaker.

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Submitter is not related.

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Added by Joy Moore May 20, 2019

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer June 23, 1908, FP, C4

Tragedy at.Decorah.
West Decorah was the scene of an attempted murder and suicide yesterday morning. Harry Crawford, an old resident of Winnesheik{sic} county and aged about 73 years, fired three shots at a widow, a Mrs. Ottawa, at her home. Two of the shots took effect, one in the back and the other in the arm, but up to this morning the woman was still alive. Crawford turned his revolver upon himself, the bullet entering his head just back of the right ear and causing instant death. Craw¬ford parted from his wife, who is a sister of Alex. McIntosh of Cresco, a few years ago, and was to have been married the day of the tragedy to the woman he shot. As Crawford was a man of considerable property and with a very violent disposition, it is supposed that the shooting was the result of a quarrel over matters pertaining to a settlement of property interests in the event of their marriage. Mrs. Alex. McIntosh who is also a sister of Crawford went down to Decorah last evening.

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Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer July 3, 1908, 3, C5

WIDOW REJECTED HIM
Farmer Wounded Her and Killed Himself.
Dressed as if for his wedding, Harry Crawford, a wealthy retired farmer of Decorah, went to the home of Mrs. Edward Ottaway, whom he had expected to marry, and shot her three times with a revolver. He then turned the weapon upon himself, firing a bullet into his brain and dying instantly. Mrs. Ottaway may recover.
Following several months of attentions from Crawford, Mrs. Ottaway consented to marry him and the wedding day was set. When he called at her home one day he demanded that she remove from the wall the picture of her dead husband. She refused and broke the engagement.
Crawford again called on the widow and urged her to marry him. She persisted in her refusal and he threatened to kill her.
The morning of the tragedy Crawford was seen going toward Mrs. Otta-way’s home wearing his best clothes and apparently in a happy mood. He did not go to the house, but hid in a neighbor's barn until Mrs. Ottaway went out to care for her poultry. Then Crawford started toward her. She saw his approach and turned back to the house. He called to her, but she refused to talk with him. He then drew a revolver and shot her three times, once in the back near her spine, once in the arm and the third time in the leg.
At the third shot the woman fell, and Crawford walked away a few steps, put the revolver to his own temple and fired.