The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-05-13
Herbert, Son ofRichard Crok.
or, Dies in a Car Seat
LOOKS LIKE FOUL PLAY
Young Man Apparently in Dazed
Condition When he Left
Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY. May i3 Herbert
v Croker. d SON Of Richard Croker. the
New York political lcidor. was found
dead on a soudibouud Atohlson. Tope.
Ia aud Santa bee railway train bee.
tween Kansas city and Newton. Kan.
WHERE be- had died during the might.
evidently FROM the effects OF some drug
administered nt Kansas city while CA
route to Bliss. Okla.
The first news OF the death ~ young
Croker was received IN Kansas city
when the local police were requested
~ hunt FOR o. negro who ls said 90 have
placed Croker ou the train at Kansas
city
According o. a telephone message
froSn Newton. Croker was found dead
loo ear seat just before the train
reached Newton. aud the body was
taken from the train there Ills idcn-
tty dld not become known until q
message wns received from Richard
Croker. Ir.. nt New York several hours
after asking the authorities 10 hold the
remains and stating that he would
leave tile east Immediately FOR Newton.
The first clcw 90 CrOkcrs identity
was q letter found IN the dead mans
pocket This letter was addressed by
Zach Mulhall. formerly OF Oklahoma.
who Is now holding n wild west show
In New York city. 10 Joseph Shlller.
manager OF the famous "iOi" ranch At
Bliss okla. Inquiry by telephone ellie
tied the Information that Croker was
not known M the Bliss ranch Evil
IDENTITY he was on the way TO the ranch
for an outing.
Following a message OF inquiry sent
10 New York city the coroner took
charge Of the body and opened an in
quest.
According 10 stories OF passengers
and the conductor on the train upon
which Croker died. the young New
Yorker was placed on the train at Kan
sas City by a negro shortly after 10
o'clock at night. Croker appeared to be
under the influence OF some drug The
negro was seen TO hand him a sum of
money and n railroad ticket just be
fore the train started. when he jumped
of and disappeared When the con
ductOr came around 10 collect Croker's
fare the latter was asleep. and the con
ductor did not disturb the passenger
until nearly > o'clock in the morning.
when the conductor made another at
tempt TO collect the fare He was I'M
able 10 arouse Croker and upon eXami-
nation found that the young man was
dead
Passengers on the train took par
tiCrllar notice when yOing Croker was
assisted into n chair car by young
negro because the white man was
helpless, as if from liquor or drugs
The negro assisted Croker into seat
and then gave him purse containing
a railroad ticket and $40. counting the
money out to Croker. The passengers
heard Croker say, Now. | want you
TO send me the rest of It," The negro
asked Croker to write his address, but
Croker refused, and finally the negro
wrote as Croker dictated. The adj
dress was Bliss, Okla. Care 101'
Ranch"
Immediately after the train started
Croker fell into deep sleep snoring
loudly. Later he grew quieter. As the
train neared Newton the conductor,
who wished to take up Crokers ticket,
shook him to arouse him and found
him dead There are no marks of VIC
lence on the young mans body, and
the police do not believe he died of
heart trouble, as he was of fine physic
nj development.