The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-07
THE DEATH OF mrs. PECK.
WEE OF PROF. TRACY PECK, OF
YALE, KILLED By FALL.

Missing Many HOuEs-Ain sost the Entire
University Searches New Haven mud
suburbs-Body Found mt Foot of Cliff
at Fort Hale Park Yesterday HiorninG.
Mrs. Elizabeth Hail Peck, wife OF
Tracy Peck. professor of Latin in the
academic department Of Yale univer-
sity, was found dead at 10 o'clock yes
terday morning at the foot of the cliff
overlooking the harbor at Fort Hale
park. The body was found by Gilbert
Van Sickles of Florence street, Morris
Cove, an old boatman and market gard
ener, as the result of the sending out of
general alarm and the institution of
a systematic search early yesterday
morning.
Mrs. Peck left her home about 10
o'clock Thursday morning. She had
been i'll for some time from the grip
and had acted rather strangely, but
not to such an extent as to arouse the
suspicious Of Professor Peck. her hus-
band, or of her daughter Miss Teresina
Peck, the only members of the family at
home. An only son, Tracy Peck, jr.,
was in New York, where he Is in bust
ness. In saying good bye to her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Peck merely remarked that
she was going shopping. This was the
last time any of the family saw her
alive.
AS the day advanced, Professor Peck
and Miss Peck became alarmed and af-
ter fruitlessly visiting all their friends
to find if she had visited them they re-
ported the case to the police. AS night
came and passed with no tidings of the
| missing woman, father daughter and
the son, who had been summoned from
New York. became almost distracted.
1t was early yesterday morning that
the Yale authorities decided to organize
a search, and as soon as daylight dawn
ed members of the faculty were at work
on the plan. They considered every
thing known about Mrs. Peck's habits,
which might have led her to one place
or another in her wanderings, and de-
cided to call on the students to aid in
Tie SGdtClI 1h1S was FldA1lCd Sl1Oli5
very complete lines.
At the morning devotional exercises in
Battell chapel the college chaplain, DR..
Reed announced that a college mass
meeting would be held in Dwight hall
Immediately to divide the students who
wished to take part in the search. The
auditorium of Dwight hall was crowd
ed. Professor w. L. Phelps presided.
In a brief speech he outlined the pur-
pose of the meeting. The students i'm
mediate1y afterward reported in squads
to Arson Phelps Stokes, jr., secretary of
the university, who sat- with a map of
New Haven before him in the reference
room on the upper floor of Dwight hall,
Assisting in the preparatory work were
Professor William Lyon Phelps, Rev.
Arson Phelps Stokes, jr., secretary of
the university; Professor Goodell, Pro-
fessor Seymour, Mr.. Bancroft, Professor
Ingersoll, Professor Gruener, r. H. Ed
wards, secretary of the Yale Y. M. c.
A; c. B, Reed, Henry Wright, son of
Dean Wright. and other Instructors and
members Of the faculty.
Mr.. Stokes divided the city and the
suburbs into, sections and detailed par
ties of from three to dozen undergrad
yates to search thoroughly every Sec
ton. Soon there were from 800 to 1000
students securing the surrounding coun-
try. The men We're divided into forty
squads, each in charge of an academic
senior. They were given a minute de-
scription of the missing woman and a
glimpse of photograph of her as they
left the hall.
The parties were sent out to East and
West Rocks, Mount Carmel, the Coun-
try club grounds, the Hermitage in
Montowese, and other places, and while
these persons were searching high and
low, Mr. Van Sickles walking along the
edge of the palisades at Fort Hale, dis
covered the body Of woman at the
foot-dead upon the jagged rocks. Mr..
Van Sickles Immediately notified the
police, and Medical Examiner Bartlett
went to the spot It was not known
positively for some time that the body
was that of Mrs. Peck, although the de-
scription seemed conclusive.
All doubt however, was cleared away
when Charles Francis the former foot
ball manager, appeared with his search
ing party a half hour after the finding.
Mr.. Francis knew Mrs. Peck and at
once identified her. The fact of the
Identification was telephoned to the city
and the police ambulance, which had
been sent down some time before, was
soon on it's way back, Medical Examiner
Bartlett having viewed the remains and
ordered them removed to Lewis & May
cocks undertaking establishment.
Here an examination of the body was
made DR.. Bartlett found that Mrs.
Peck's skull was fractured and one of
| her legs broken. His finding was that
| Mrs. Peck came to her death through a
! fall over the rocks at Fort Hale when
| temporarily mentally deranged due to q
| prolonged illness.
| Among the older members of the fac
ulty with whom both Professor and
| Mrs. Peck were warm personal favor
ties and close personal friends the grief
| at the sad event was of the keenest.
| The faculty responded without excep-
| ton to the appeal for personal assist
| ance, and in directing the search with
we'll Judged executive ability.
| At the Peck residence yesterday