The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-24
GEORGE GRISWOLD BEHEADED.
DENENTED son or PROMINENT
FAMILY kILLED on RAILROAD.
Got Away From Two sleeping Nurses In
Ills Home NJ Pelham Manor and Wan.
ticrcd OH Death Probably M Accident
Harvard and Oxford Man and Lawyer.

and Mrs. John n. A. Griswod OF Newport
and New York. was instantly killed yester-
day morning 10y a train on tie suburban
branch of tho New York, New Haven and
Hartford Railroad near Barlow. His head
was cut of By the wheels Of the engine.
The fact that Griswold was d.mcnted
and had been constantly In the care OF the
nurses UP 90 some time early yesterday
morning. when he escaped from them, led
the police To think that the young man
mad committed suicide. Ills family and
friends. however, believe that his death
was an accident. AZ his only mania was
belief that he wds poor instead of rich. and
hhs only desre was 10 ge, away from his
nur,es and wander nimle-siy about with
out Gny one to watch him. lie had NJ
SURGICAL mania and waa never violent.
Griswold waG ~ years old and up To the
time of hs mental breakdown was regarded
a. a brilliant and promising young man.
lie was graduated from Harvard in the
class Of "a. Later he went 10 Oxford,
where ne took a complete course, and on
his return here he began the study Of law
Abou; a year ago, according 10 his friends,
he was admitted TO the bar, and shortly after
that his health failed. 1t was believed
that he had studied too much and that with
careful nursing and change Of surround
ings he might regain his mental faculties.
Mrs Griswold, who has been very de-
voted to her son all through his illness,
took him 10 the family home at Newport,
where he remained for some time without
getting much better. A. il was necessary
to have two nurses 10 watch him night and
day for fear that he would wander away
and AZ this constant surveillance attracted
"A great deal of attention in Newport, Mrs.
Griswold rented the Charles Burreil cottage
at SO Pelham road. Pelham Manor. from
the owner. Richard l.. kemble, and went
there TO live with her son. The young mans
illness was known among his friends
merely as nervous prostitution.
At Pelham Manor the Griswolds hsp. en-
tirely to themselves. Their mail was re-
ceived AT New Rochelle. and they had no
social relations with any one in the neigh
borhood Every day the two nurses. whose
names are Hill and Anderson, took Griswoll
out for a walk but they never went far,
and no one was ever allowed to speak to him
during these trips. At night one of the
nurses always slept with Griswold, and the
other used an adjoining room so as TO be
just how Gr-wold escaped the watch
fulness of the two nurses yesterday morning
is not known, as the family would not be
seen yesterday and the two nurses were
not anxious to talk about the tragedy.
1t is understood, however, that the fact
that Griswold was gone was discovered at
8 O'Clock by the one who occupied the
room djoining that used by Griswold and
the other nurse. He went in To zee If all
was well found his fellow-nurse asleep
and Griswold nowhere in sight.
He reused the nurse and the two made
a search of the house without getting any
trace of their charge. When they found
that he had completely dressed himself be-
fore going they were more alarmed than
ever.
After Mrs Griswod had been reused
they started out to find her son.
Meanwhile. Engineer Richard Lacy on
a northbound New Haven train pulling out
Of the station at Barlow, saw on the track
the headless body Of man The head was
on one side of the track and the body on the
other side.
Lacy stopped the train. placed the body
in sheltered place alongside the track.
and then steamed mp until he reached a
crossing where he saw Policeman Frank
Sisson of the West Chester station on duty,
He notified Sisson of what he had seen and
done, and also told Station Agent Kerr Of
Pelham Manor. These two got wagon and
moved the body To the West Chester police
station. An hour later Griswold's two
nurses appeared there and asked to see il.
The nurses had not been long on their
search before they heard Of the man who
had been killed al Barlow. They made up
,l,.,s Ind. bat una 81. L
they saw the body and identified il they
said that it was the body of q. g. Martin
Of $40 Pelham road. They did not say any
thing about the Griswolds. Late last night
both Coroner O'Gorman and the West
Chester police had the dead man down on
their books as q. q. Martin. although by
noon his identity was known.
The spot where Griswold was killed is
about two miles from his home and a short
dist ance from the Split Rock road on which
he had evidently wandered after leaving
the house. His friends who were seen
last night said that he had probably walked
along the track and when he heard I he train
coming had been either too weak or too
excited over his danger to get out Of the
way.
No one could be found yesterday who
| saw Griswold after he left the Pelham road
house.
Mrs. Griswold was 40 terribly shocked
by the death Of her son that she could not
DE secn YESTERDAY. MT, prlsNold was nOtt-
fed Al Newport, He is an old man and has
been in feeble health for some time Il il
feared that the news may kill him
On ali order from Mrs Griswold, her
sons body was removed from the Vest
chester police station las, night and taken
to LAWNS undertaking establishment on
Vest Farms road. Il will be sent to New
port to-day, and the funeral will take place
there Oh Friday
Griswold was one of the best known Of he
younger clubmcn in this CITY. He belonged
to the Union Calumet and Metropolitan
clubs and In his set was called "MoEvers-
Giiswold McEycrs was originally his
name, but his father didn't like Il and had
il changed 10 George,
Griswold was descended through his
mother from Rober, Emmet, the Irish
pat riot One OF his sisters is Mrs. j. NJ
Forbes Of this city another sister is tho wife
| of Surgeon-Na ior ross ~ he British Army,
and the family is related to the Van Rens-
seaer-.
John \. 4. Grisw old il member OF almost
all of he clubs OF importance in New York
| and his town residence is the Union League
Club. He has large business and property
interests here Mrs Griswold was Miss
Jane Emnct Of Virginia She has written
several books.
Dinner 10 n Trust COn,panl's On,ccrs.
A xx,a. vix. 81, liz, n, l..l-