Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-04
THE CRAWFORD CASE.
IT rs STILL A GREAT MYSTERY
FuIier Personal Descripsien OF NE MISSING
nan-His Accounts with the Andsss-
Lstsss Develsymeuts.

nan-His Accounts Wte s"e A"s
Lsssss Developments.
A reliable gentleman at Bland Court
house. to whom the Dispatch sent for
information concerning Mr.. w. II.
Crawford, writes the editors, answer
ing questions asked him. Mr.. Craw-
ford was clerk of the County and Circuit
Courts in Bland, and left Wytheville
on the 4th, saying that he was coming
to Richmond TO settle his accounts with
the Auditor. 1t is likewise said that
he stated that he might go to the Expo
sition before returning home. Since
December 4th he has never been heard
of. The facts following may possibly
lead TO his Identification, dead or alive:
LIST. have been unable thus far to
get a photograph Of Crawford think !
can get one in a short time. If so, will
forward same 10 you.
I'd. He is about (at a rough guess
five feet four and a half inches high, thirty
to thirty-three years old; lame in left
leg, the leg very crooked aud much
smaller than the right leg walked on
a crutch. and could travel surprisingly
well for a cripple; is Of rather slender
build, but of good size around the
shoulders; has blue eyes, dark hair
rather long when he left here) had
then small sandy moustache; has
rather small nose, inclined to turn up
rather in the "pug" fashion; has
large head for man Of his size, broad
across above the ears, and prominent
perceptive faculties has small, delicate
hands is rather reserved in conyersa-
ton, except to intimate friends.
3D.. He is unmarried, at least was so
when he left here.
4th. He had some money with him
when he left here, estimated yariously
at from $3.50 to s400, and perhaps
more but this is more a guess than
anything like an estimate.
5th. lie had no baggage when he left
here.
9th. He wore a new black suit, or
one nearly black, the same being new
suit.
7th. Attorney-General Blair and
James s. Browning. private secretary
of Governor Cameron, know him per-
sonally. and could identify him, think.
No one else in Richmond is acquainted
with him as far as know.
sth. lie was seen to get on the east
ern-bound train at Wytheville on the
night of the 4th Of December. saying
he was going to Richmond. This was
Just before the train started. and he
was seen on the train just as the train
started by Mr.. r. n. Marcus, of this
place. and Miss Emma Penley, of this
place. and Miss - Vernon. of Wythe-
Vile christian name of Miss Vernon
not known.
9th. My understanding has been that
Mr.. Crawford had paid up all his dues
at the Auditors Office. except for the
last current year. suppose he and
his friends can show this. As to the
exact way he sent the pay, or whether
the same was all money. or partly mo-
ney, partly checks, &C., | DO not per-
sonally know, but am reliably inform
ed that he sent same by registered let
tel from this place, and received his re-
ceipts for same all regular and right.
Perhaps for the year ending December,
1883, he sent a check and claims for
amount of same to the Auditor in IN
registered letter.
ErGythiHg about the whole affair is
a mystery.
Our Wytheville correspondent an
swers a query as follows:
WYTHEvILLE, Va, February D.
There is 10 record here of Crawford's
purchase of any railroad ticket. One
ticket to Philadelphia and one to Wash
ington was bought here December ith.
Not sold to Crawford.
MR. CRAwFORD's ACCOUNTS.
1t is supposed here that bir. Craw-
ford left Bland Courthouse twenty-five
miles from Wytheville) on the 3d.
That was the day that Mr.. W. r.
Smith was arrested here. The first that
was known about the Smith case was
published here on Sunday, the 30th
November. Mr.. Crawford had no rea
son to suspect from either of these pub
lications or from anything that was
published or known then that his ac-
counts here did not appear correct. If
he had all his receipts for years pre-
yious hecould have had no business with
the Auditor save to pay his dues for
lSS3-'S4. They amounted to only AGO
for both courts. OF this sum it is like
ly that he had offsets amounting to two
thirds; in other words. he was coming
here (for that reason principally to pay
in a trifiing sum.
Mr.. Crawford succeeded Mr.. Hamll-
ton as clerk in 1881. The papers left
in Mr.. Smiths desk and those sent to
the Auditors Office from his house
have now been pretty well arranged,
by Messrs. Craig and Zirkle, by coun-
ties and by years but among them are
found only two mentions of remittanccs
from Crawford. There is one mention
of remittance Of sll0; one Of a re-
mittance of $27 80 in full for the Coun-
ty Court. In the former. which is
without date, there is note saying to
Auditor s. Brown Allen:
- God knows | have done all i'll my
power to raise the money before this
- time. have to live and learn. Let
"nO one see this.
''Yours very respectfully,
"W. Ii. CRAWFORD
Bland is a small county. With the
above credits to his account, and con-
sidering the offsets he would certainly
have. Mr.. Crawford cannot be in de-
fault-if at all-mOre than a few hun
dred dollars, leaving out the year just
past. The probability is that he
owes nothing Except for the last year,,
for it is a common enough thing for the
small counties to have more offsets,
counter-claims, than is due from their
clerks. Or he may have squared his
account every year and got his receipts.
There are other clerks, who have no
credits, in that condition. In the pres