The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-27
TRACED TO THE LAKES EDGE.
7HE SEARCHING PARTY FOR DIR.
CRAWFORD PARTLY SUCCESSFUL.
They Find His Tracks for Five Miles md
Almost Down to the Water OF RockinOd
I.ake-One OF tho Missing Mans shoes
FITS Footprints Along the Route-Dr"S
Nets to Bc Csed--Incidents of the Day.


Lake-One OF tho Missing Mans shoes
Fits Footprints Along the Routc-Dr"S
Nets to he Used--Incidents of the Day.
WEST HAvERsTRAw. Fob. 20--The searching
party that left hero this morning to look
through the mountains for the body OF DR.. j.
X Crawford. who went away from homo on
Sunday. leaving word that he intended to kill
himself. returned about dark. worn out. but
not without some success. They had traced
DR.. Crawford to within few hundred feet of
Rockland Lake. Ave miles from here and they
will go out In the morning to drag the lake.
In THE Sun Of Wednesday morning tho story
Of DIR. Crawford was told. how he had fought
calamity In tho war. how advancing age had
brought with 1t business misfortunes and
almost entire blindness. AS his health grew
worse and the light failed from his eyes he
broodod over the prospects OF darkness and
poverty until he resolved to die. He wrote
seven letters to various friends and relatives
brief. sud letters. saying that his wife and
child would bc better Off when relieved of such
useless burden as he was becoming. and
then set out from home. 1t was 10 o'clock in
the morning when he started. Tho rain was
pouring down and tho streets OF Havcrstraw
were deserted.
All sorts of stories have bcen circulating
since Sunday. and there have been rumors of
his being seen here and there. OF his trail being
followed to tho edge OF the Hudson. and OF his
being lost in tho mountains. Those who were
organizing tho searching rnrty SGT about get
ting as definite information as they could. At
last they talked with tho flagman at the rail-
way crossing n quarter Of n mile south OF
Havcrstraw. Ho said that on Sunday morning
toward 10 O'Clock he had seen an old man. tall
and lean. walking north along tho railroad
frnn on hn+ this old m n q
overcoat. and that his under coat was shabby.
Upon his head was u black silk skull cap 10
was carrying rs a protection from the driving
rain an old umbrella.
This answered to the description Of DR..
Crawford. who had taken Off everything of
value before leaving home. and had ventured
out in the shabby coat he was in tho habit Of
wearing about the house. His overcoat, hat.
mufler. and oyershoes. and his best umbrella
arc still unon the hat rack in the front hall of
his house. Further inquiry developed that the
man who stands at the end Of the tunnel had
was thought fair to suppose that DR.. Crawford
had either pushed up tho prccipitous front OF
tnroush i tbs old New "l York and Albany cut
which is continued through tho range to the
rHsr t G bna t as S wau i Is
likely TO reward II searching party If the Doe
tor had not thrown himself in the river. rs his
family and his friends were inclined to believe.
At Ii o'clock this morning tho searching
party got together in front of Iurdy's furni-
Supervisor Purdy. Jim Sncdeker and his
brother, Duke Dahcock. the hunter. with his
ssna and two n hHnt" & H0f na tina sn pn nnS4
Charley Christi. and .t"ut eight others All
wero dressed for the muddy roads and rough
pair Of shoes the Doctor had worn. n No )
gaiter Of the same pattern as those he had on
They followed the way indicated ny the flag,
mtu. and were, soon nearing the abandoned
rnrSr1 en I'm fr2nnn Ws 20" pT dny
account had fallen since then the lnlrty had
ZONE h3pT 10 Of I'M nnE sHos prints inns h@Gs
in Il SPOT of,clay that was Still SOFT from III?
for tho shoe and stopped down and fitted it
into the mould. 1t was straiShtwny clear that
DR. Crawford and none other had made that
ne search now began an in 1, earnest and soon
they t came 9 upon another track pnI another,
entrance to the cut. The shoe WAS tried upon
all OF these. and was found to lit $" closely as
As they got into the cut the character Of the
ground changed. Tho cut has been Abandoned
with rock. and Uttered with patches Of soft
earth: which every rain changes into mud
h HIS n RaS,9f MefS sp9 ]
ground and keep to thn soft eari which had
the impressed his slow. uneven STEP.
Soon Babcocli found near one OF the tracks
a small round hole sunk several inches.
then it was realized that the doctor mad put
down his umbrella and had used it as cane.
much fS%f hesan to
think that the half blind old man must soon
have given out and TINT they would find his
volver he had brought along. BIT they mis-
calculated the determination Of the old soldier
to tnkS himself In sen away where even his body
r., The trnii lett the cut and entered t." Long
follow. and the party wished that tha hunting
dogs liabcocE had brought along would prove
c!indtion to grasp what was wanted Of them
Tho tracks were not SO distinct in the stonirr
II" trail would he lost for halt, an, hour. but as
old man was taking. they were able to lind it
again
have lost his way. or TO hay" changed his mind.
But they presently found that ha had wan
houses that stand on lho Crngor ulnce Ito
thought perhaps some ono looking from tho
doing stWHnmLlnE along as he must hayyo
Hs he trail TA S"nte nG aSs1 T or rc ass
n fk@ cmtng tic st" ns| MOUNT o%Y iins ''r nG
Go he Isfe Fl hs other % Iherf
Of tho lake shore, Then tho ground became
rocky and covered with dried stalks Of weeds |
and this HSt Az and there was no finding Of fo2
was the place as they found no trace OF the old |
man S body IL the brusl at its edge. He had |
started out to drown himself so the notes he !
Ieft said and, and az they Ind traced him 50 n.arn
that he had drowned himself there
Enckland LAX" enclosed by tho Knickor- /
booker lce Company. which has boon harvest
ing leo ther.s, recently. When they started to
or five inches thick. Tho haryrstnrs had /
made great hole several hundred yards each
md the changes Of temperature mad"
t Ws.r zee G., no 70 LONGER ai TT for storaG"
Ice Vas ! stil, thick enough and strong
could have walked clear out to thu sharp line
a. ne last cuttiGg and there. fallen into water
Ice except f9rn thin fringe around edsc9
and low wood At The eastern end Of tn" lax"
ana ,. tnsh retmnniIeo On loot to- Haversraw, By
WI go t. kn tsS lake Win ropes and h"k AVA
Ice ended on Sunday. they are confident OF