Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-09
CRANDALL'S CAREER
he Tells of His Life in
California.
Always Wandering From Place to
Place.
He Would Not Tell of How He Passed
the Firat Two Months After
His Disappearance.
HIS Story.

gives an account of an interview with b.
B. Crandall, the man arrested some
weeks ago in this city on charge OF de-
frauding life insurance companies, from
which the following extracts are taken:
The ex-would- d-be-suicide would not
tell how or when he left Buffalo, nor
give even a hint where he had spent
the two months following the day on
which his autograph note announcing
his intention of committing suicide and
his hat, we're found on bench in Pros
pect park, Niagara falls.
Time and time again was he ques-
toned on this point, but he always
shook his head, saying that April and
May of that year were as blank to his
memory as the imprinted page to his
eye. Once he dropped a word which led
the listener to believe that for two or
three weeks at least after his ostenslble
suicide, he was in hiding in town not
q thousand miles from Buffalo. laughing
in his sleeve at the commotion and hub
hub raised by his sudden and mysterious
disappearance. Asked point-blank if
that was the case, he expressed surprise
that anyone should have imagined the
possibility of such thing, and repeated
that he was as ignorant as babe of all
that transpired during that period.
For more than sixty days." said
Crandall, 81 was in a trance, so far as
realizing what was going on in the world
about me. | might as well have been
dead. An Egyptian mummy could not
have been conscious of less. When /
awoke to my own real being was thous-
ands and thousands of miles away from
home, in lonely little mountain town
in California"
The village, he told his friends, was a
small mining camp in Trinity county,
of which Weaverville is the seat of JUS
tice. 1t was miles away to the nearest
railroad station, and could only be
reached by an infrequent stage, trans
port wagon or by horseback. 1t was in
such town-in this Sleepy Hollow of
the Occident-that CranGall claims he
awoke one day with Rip Van Winkle
start to find himself at desk with pen
in hand.
Dazed and bewildered, he looked from
face to face in amazement. He could
not understand the situation, and in al
most fright he asked where he was and
how he came there.
The bystanders, who had never no.
ticed anything es pecially queer in him,
laughed and asked what kind of joke
he was trying to play.
He protested that he was in earnest
and had no idea OF joking.
Then the people looked from one to
another as much as to say "his thatch
leaks"
Nevertheless he was told that be was
in a mining camp and that the cabin,
where they were assembled, was that of
the paymaster. Another of the by
ISLANDERS told him that just moment
before he had signed his name to the
pay roll.
Crandall turned, as he says, to the
pay roll with gesture of surprise, and
looked over il hastily. He did not see
his name, and 30 remarked. But the
last speaker answered that it was GER
tainly there; "the very last one on the
roll. The ink is hardly dry"
The ex-Buffalonian looked where the
miners finger rested, and there, traced
in scrawling letters appeared "B. B.
Wilson,"
A whim not to reveal his true name
seized Crandall, and he concluded to
retain the name that some strange for
tune had given him. He merely asked
how he came there. He was told that
Jim Durand, a miner, had found him
over in Wesverville and after a night
of fun had brought him to the mines
the following morning. He was also
told that he insisted upon going to the
mines with Durand, and appeared to be
all right except for little absent-mind.
edness. Crandall naturally had a little
curiosity tn see this "Jim" who had
taken such prominent part in his af-
fairs, and asked for him. A man with
whom he had hazy recollection of hay
ing worked, was pointed out. He asked
Durand for confirmation OF the story.
and this Durand did without qualifica-
ton.
Durand seems to have been COM
panion of Crandall off and on during his
whole stay on the coast, and it is not at
all improbable that he knows as much
of MRS. NJ. Rowland" as anybody.
Working in the cold, damp, trying
climate of the Northern California coast
was trying on Crandall, who had a
tendency to rheumatism, and he soon
left with Durand for San Francisco
That was in July.
In day or go he was fortunate enough
to obtain position as foreman under
the contractors who were building the
sea wall, and even dabbled a little in
contracting himself.
The boom in Southern California was
at its height about this time, and Gran
dali, who had read much of the money
to be made in handling real estate in the
booming towns of Los Angeles and San
Diego, determined to go thither. This
he did in November. How he went and
whether it was alone or in company he
refused to say.
1t seemed as easy for Crandall to get
work as it is for the average man to
look for it and not find it. He had not
been in the City of the Angels week
before contractor of the name of Miller
gave him position.
For time he lived on Spring street
then moved to the plaza and later to the
street on which stand the famous gian
palms. In the spring of 1887 Crandal
became tired of city life and went dowr
70 Long Beach-by-the-sea, beautiful
little place some twenty-five miles from
los Angeles. For more than ten week
he STAYED there, shifting the salt breeze
that blew off the Pacific. He was no
idle, occupying himself in building
cottage for negro family. On this ven
ture he made quite a snug little sum. B
This time he had become thorough
imbued with the spirit of the nomad, q
men can go easily do in the restless eli