The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-02
STRANGE DROWNING CASE
Bodies Of Missing Couple Found in
Shinnecock Bay.
Parents OF Tester. Who Perishsd With
Mise Lavranee. Say He Wac MUIR
dered.Peculisr Facts.

Good Ground, l. 1.-The disappear.
ance of Clarence Foster. Of Good
Ground. and Miss Sarah Lawrence. OF
New York City. which has been four.
days mystery here. was not an elope-
ment, as people had pretty generally
come to believe. The waters Of Tiana
Bay, au arm Of Shinnecock Bay. gave
up the bodies Of the two young people.
but there was little about either to tell
the story Of the night Of skyylarkins
which came to such n tragic end.
The only man who can tell any part
Of that story accurately Is Louis Dis
brow. like Miss Lawrence. a summer
bcarder here. but he disappeared as
soon as he heard Of the disappearance
Of Foster and the girl and beyond tel.
egram indicating that he was taking
some steps to find the missing couple
nothing has been heard from him since.
The only injury apparent on Fosters
body was an abrasion over the right
eye. from which the blood had flowed.
There were no signs Of violence about
Miss Lawrence. Coroner Nugent and
several local physicians examined the
bodies. and they came to the conclusion
that death was due to drowning. and
that no murder had been committed.
But the father. mother and wife of
young Foster. q handsome. athletic
young fellow In life. declare that he
was murdered, and demand that Dis
brow be found and arrested. In their
grief and excitement they iIdulsed IN
some rather extravagant charges. which
nothing yet revealed seems to warrant.
The sentiment Of the village is strongly
with them. however: and Coroner M
gent said that he would place the case
In the hands Of District Attorney Cox.
The belief that Disbrow may have
had something to do with the death OF
the young people Is based more on the
peculiar relations the two men and the
girl bore to one another than to the
slight signs Of violence apparent on the
bodies. Dlsbrow and Foster cordially
hated one another. and yet on this
night they Joined In a night Of rather
reckless frolicking with young wom-
IN whom they both admired. Both
men were married. Disbrow has not
been living with his wife. and he and
Miss Lawrence were together q great
deal. Foster came on the scene and
there Is no doubt that Miss Lawrence
developed a liking for him. which was
anything but pleasing to Disbrow.
Finally DIsbrow and Foster quar-
relied bitterly at the Ternell House just
~ In&k nj II
started across the bay In rowboat.
on the trip which cost them their lives.
Whether Disbrow started away with
them on that trip. or whether he saw
them of In the boat and then returned
to the hotel Is thing he alone can tell.
The voice Of Miss Lawrence inviting
them to come along was heard plainly
from the hotel. but no one heard Dis
brow's answer. and none has been
found who saw him return to the hotel,
although he showed up at breakfast
at s o'clock the next morning. Those
who think that Foster and the girl
met with foul play point to the fact
that Foster was the most expert SWIM
mer In this part Of Long Island. He
was also one Of the best yachtsmen
hereaboats. his skill being so great
In both things that for five years he
has been debarred from amateur con-
tests II. these sports 1t Is not believed
that he was drunk. as 1t Is said at all
of the places the three visited that
night that no drinks were served them.
In view OF this and the fact that FOs-
ter's body was found less than 300
yards from shore. many people are
convinced that he and the gil were
murdered