Telegram-herald., 1891-03-15
LEApED OHISDEATH
Preston Ford. the Missing Man,
Found Dead
III The DARK DEPTHS OF A WELL
~ssre Ne HAD Haired His Fsysr-Rasks L ed
Ssay " hiis Mentally Confused
The D~taiis of nIs
iEasie lad


Irasie lad
Friday morning at about I O'Clock
Preston Ford, attended by his nurse,
was lylag "a MS bed At 20 North College
ave, suffering fro feqer aud deIiriuu.
he turned uneas.ly u the nurse, say-
ng. You must be worn out with
watching; why Go you not 20 aud iie
down and restP'
lhe muse was weary aud, after at
tending 10 MS immediate wants, went
70 her couch. At about 4:30, sne was
awakened by nose in the PATIENTS
room. She at once inquired the cause.
but the sick man replied IN an unlntel-
hgibie monotone that he was looking
Tor the bath room, accompanied with
other inaudlble remarks. She thea
heard the door open and the patient
passed out into the hallway, where she
intercepted him and prevailed upon
hlm 10 return ID his room ana procure
some wraps. He returned with her,
and she threw q blanket over hls shout
ders and he then went upstairs 70 the
bath room. She heard him move about
n the bath room. After a silence con-
unulng for some time, she became
alarmed aud wen. upstairs to satisfy
her fears.
The Bath Room Was Tenantless
She raped at the door of the bath
room but no reply came from the IN
side Turning the knob, the door
yielded and opening Il no one was
WITHIN she made hurried search of
other rooms but no trace of Ford could
be found and she at once aroused a
nelghbOr aud word was sent to the po-
Ice. The police arriving u thorough
search OF the house was made. His
room WAS entered and upon the bed
the blanket walch the nurse mad placed
upon ms shoulders WAS lying IN a con
fused heap. Scattered upon the bu-
reau were letters from friends in
New Jersey. Across the bed Il suit OF
clothes were carelessly thrown. Near
the foot OF the bed on the floor Il photo
graph OF a lady. apparently forty years
Oh age, and probably that of ms mother
was picked up. Otherwise the room
WAS N perfect order, not single gar
ment OF hIs clothing being gone. He
had lett the house clad only in a suit
OF underwear. A systematic search
was At once instituted by the police
which was participated IN by nearly
everyone in the immediate neighbor-
hood, including a large number OF
children who were pupils OF Prof. shep-
ard, an uncle OF the deceased. The
search continued ali day yesterday and
and INTO the night, bnt II Was barren OF
results.
The Dead Eody discovered.
Yesterday morning the case of the
missing man had excited widespread
interest, and searching parties secured
tine city IN all directions. In the rear
OF the Ford homie on North College
ave, John Widdicomb lives, his house
fronting on East Fulton-st. Charles
Johnson, MIR. WIddIcombs coachman.
was persuaded that the missing man
might have fallen into the well at the
side of tie house. so firmly was he
persuaded that ms hypothesis was the
trutn. tnat he approached the well aud
pcered down into the dark depths.
The we'll - fifty-feet in depth, old
fashioned, curbed with tile and in-
closed with a lattice-york frame. The
The darkness made it impossible 10 see
more than halfway down. Procuring
rope and hook he lowered 1t down
sad cautiously worked Il about the
bottom. bet could secure no hold.
Then a lantern was obtained and down
into the murky depths carefully was
lowered. The damp ar. heated by the
lantern, rushed UP into the faces of the
ANXIOUS group peerlng over the edge.
When the lantern reached the surface
OF the water. those above were startled
20 see below the cFamped aud bent body
OF the missing man submerged beneath
the cold and transparent water.
Drswnrpf from, the Well.
The body havlag been discovered the
coroner aud police were notified. A
man volunteered 70 so down and fssten
rope to the body that It might be
pulled up 70 the top. A rope was
placed ABOUT MS vast, strong hands
grasp a the loose end. aud the vOlun-
tecr waS gradually lowered. When
about bali way down, the sir became
insuferabis oppressive and ne called
out 10 he pulled back 10 the surface.
Ii Was feared that No one could go
down IA safety until Humane Agent
Kennedy stepped forward and offered
% descend. The rope was fastened
about his body, a PAIR Of rubber boots
pulled on 20 bis feet. and hs was soon
at the bottom. Tying a second rope to
the corpse he signsiled 20 be holsted.
In some manner the knot slipped and
the rope was drawn 80 tsnch about his
body. tnat when be reached the sur
face he was breathless ana exhausted.
The body was quickly drawn up and
committed to Coroner Bradish. who |
impaneied a jury, which sat later
i'm the day and returned a verdict |
s.thst Preston r. Ford came to hs death /
en- the morning OF March ID while IA /
boring under a temporary ne of mental !
confusion. hy Jumping into a we'll near /
the corner OF East Falt0u-st. and Col /
leEe-sve.. SAID Vel being owned BY /
John Wldd.comb, thBt the direct cause /
at ms death vas due 10 tue shock OF /
falling and the filing up Of MS body /
With water We fnd deceased to be - /
yeaFs of age, and attach 40 blame ~
any enc.
win R- sent 20 New Jersey
Tt = beyond persdventure that the /
rrgrne man ieft the house while labor /
tir under mental alteration and acting
uu.fsr an iussneay considered deteTmia-
sfion vent "a tAe vel ard jumped N. I
Ne came here last June from rs nofne /
III Nsw Jersey. and went to i've with /
rs eeusia. Edwin Ford OF the firB ef I
ECKER = Fork. ir whose factory he Oh I
tanned enapiovmsns. Ga Tuesday he I