Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-26
He DID NOT SUICIDE,
The Man Arrested as Crandall
Identified.
More Developments in Sensational
Case.
One of the Supposed Dead Mans Pail
Bearers Identifies Him-A Buff
falo Detective Arrives
on the Scene. M


The romantic interest surrounding
the arrest of Bryant B. Crandall, who
has been dead for six years, was intensi-
fed yesterday afternoon by F. ]. Tolles,
formerly of Buffalo, New York, who fol-
lowed the dead man to the grave as one
of the pail bearers. vs-
The arrest sof the dead man is one Of
the' most sensational events that has
happened in the United States for years.
When it is remembered that the insur-
ance societies In which he held policies
aggregating $4,000 have spent years in
endeavoring to solve the mystery of the
death OF Bryant O. Crandall, and that
over thirty men have been arrested at
various times in different parts of the
country supposed to be the genuine
Crandall, the sensational nature of the
work OF Chief OF Police Glass and Officer
Mofitt looms up. The newspapers Of
the east were full OF the matter at the
time of its occurrence, and the efforts of
the detectives did not cease until last
year, when it was thought that every
thing which human ingenuity could
devise had been done.
Shortly after 2 O'Clock yesterday after
noon F. J.. Tolles, formerly of Buffalo
and now of Santa Monica, q gentleman
of prominence in Buffalo, came to the
police station and announced to Chief
Glass that he had been one of the pail
dali at Buffalo. He knew Crandall well,
had honv, = mo tHov nf tho a lr4rvo
with him, and at the request OF the chief
went back to see the man held under
suspicion of being Crandall. The latter
was in the corridor near his cell, sitting
down, when Mr.. Tolles entered. As the
party advanced toward him he dropped
his eyes down, and getting up from his
seat went at once into the cell and turned
the gas out. ltt si
Mr.. Tolles, who was considerably ex.
cited, at once said: 'That is Crandall.
1 know him by the appearance of the
man, which could not forget, having
known him 80 well. He looks older
and thinner than when saw him, but
am as certain that he is the man as I
can be of anything"
Upon returning to the chiefs Office
Mr.. Tolles related how he had seen the
account of the arrest in the papers yes
terday morning while coming up in the
train from Santa Monica. He saw the
headlines and it nearly knocked him
down, the surprise was so great. He
seemed even in the chiefs Office to be
almost overwhelmed by the sudden dis
covery. asss4A AeeH
'Such thing is almost beyond be-
lief" he said. s'When the funeral took
place in Buffalo it was under the au-
spices of the various societies to which
Mr.. Crandall belonged. He had been q
respected citizen, and his supposed sui
eide was q great sensation. The pail
bearers for the funeral were selected
from the different orders, and the fune-
raj was very large one. The body was
inferred in what is known as the old
Indian cemetery, FIVE miles from Buffa-
10. The wife and relatives attended the
funeral"
"Do you remember any of the other
pail bearers ?" asked the reporter.
"Let me see. will put on my think
ing cap. Rev. Henry Ward officiated at
the services. Charles H. Hofeins was
one Of the pail bearers. B. Frank Raze
was one, and Philip Joyce. I can't
think of the others now"
"What do you think of the case, Mr..
Tolles?"
"I do not believe his wife was in col
lusion with him. saw her last Novem-
ber when I was in Buffalo. She has
two children, think. She has lived
right in Buffalo ever since. When it
was reported in 1887 that Crandall had
been seen in Los Angeles che put the
money received from the policies in the
hands of five trustees to be held for five
years subject to any developments that
might be made, and it is only short
time, ! think, since she finally received
the money ~seh
Mr.. Toiles went on to say that at the
time of his supposed suicide, Mr.. Gran
dali was in financial difficulties, his af-
fairs being considerably involved. He
was in the real estate business and had
been quite an extensive operator. Mr..
Tolles believes that he became con-
vinced that he could not weather the
storm of financial ruin which stared him
in the face, and, being devoted to his
family, determined to disappear as
suicide, 80 that his wife and children
could be provided for from the insur-
ance policies with which he had COW
cred his life.
The most interesting event and most
tragic episode in the disappearance, was
the discovery of the body of the man
below Niagara Falls, which was buried
an Crandall. The theory is advanced
that he saw the remarkable resemblance
OF the man to himself, murdered him
and threw him into the river above the
falls. The remains were horribly mu-l
tilated by the action of the water and
plunge over the falls. They were re-
covered in sections, the head, trunk and
legs having been pulled apart. The
body was entirely without clothing, ex-
cept one foot which was still covered by
q shoe. It was the wounded foot,
which has occupied such prominent
figure in the Identification OF the pris-
oner.
When Chief Glass and Mr.. Motif
aroused the man out of his sleep at
the county hospital last Thursday night,
he was examined by them. In addition
to the SCARED foot, abnormally large
head and other marks, large mole on
bis shoulder was discovered which tai
lied exactly with that in the description
OF Crandall. But probably the most
convincing proof of all in mere physical
proof. was the photograph of Crandall
sent from New York. He is either the
original OF the portrait, or so exactly q
reproduction of it, that 1t would be q
miracle almost, If two men could be 90
much alike.
Mr.. Tolles said that Crsndall's half
brother, George B. Newman, now resi-
dent of Buffalo, looks very much like
him, and is one of the most respected
o;k;uov,o of RvAo1o III 1;.-.- Al -