The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-06
YOUNG AERONAUT
 1 READY FOR DEATH
LETTER. FOUND IN HIS POCK FIT THAT GIVES FULLEST DI-
 ELECTIONS

For Disposing of His PrODerty-Latest Suggestion is That NOcQuet May Have Fallen From His Balloon to the Tiny
 Island Where His Body Was Found Instead of Making His Way There in
 Wild Flight-He Called for As- sistance.
 New York, April 5.--Paul Nocquet, the young aeronaut who died on Long Island beach, where he was lost and exhausted, after an apparently safe landing in his balloon Tuesday night, made preparations for death before starting on his last voyage. A letter was found in an inside pocket of his clothing to-day giving, complete direc- tions as to the disposition to be made of his property in case he should be found dead. The letter gave the names of his friends in this country, of his relatives in Europe, and spoke of his mother in Belgium in endearing terms. It provided also that all property of which he was possessed at the time of his death should go to his mother
 It was suggested to-day that Nocquet might have fallen from his balloon to the tiny island where his body was found, instead of making his way there in wild flight from his stranded car on the ocean beach, as 1t has been gen. erally believed he did Henry Purdy, who, with Captain Smith. found the body, says that he heard cries for help at 10:15 o'clock Tuesday night It was 10 o'clock when the balloon was found, and Nocquet could not have gone a mile and three-q quarters through marshes and creeks in fifteen minutes. The body Jay with the head toward the ocean. The coroner's investigation will be made tomorrow to determine the exact cause of death by autopsy. It is believed that Nocquet died from heart failure, following complete physical ex- 1 haustion.
 The theory that he was crazed by fear was strengthened by additiona facts concerning ais flight which were 1 learned after the finding of his body last night. That his balloon became partly unmanageable perhaps severa hours before hee landed on Ocean Beacl appears from an appeal which he shout
 ed from his car while passing over Garden City, l.. l., and which were heard by boys of that place The bal
 loon passed over the city al height O
 about 300 feet, moving rapidly,
 Il have been trying for a long tim, 1 to make landing the aeronau
 shouted, "but my grappling anchor wa born loose away back where 1t caugh
 tree. have been trying to get dowi
 ever since but couldn't" By the tim,
 he spoke these words he passed beyont
 the boys hearing. That he was after
 ward carried out to sea appeared iron
 the marks made on Jones Beach b.
 the car, which was plainly dragged
 dumping here and there in the sant
 from the waters edge to a point som
 distance in shore,
 An examination of Nocquets foo
 prints when Oh leaving the balloon il
 the darkness he made i1is final mistak
 in direction shows that he apparent.
 ran part of the time. His error in di
 rection is explained by the inhabltant about Jones Beach who say that a
 night the lights of Amityville appea
 byt a short distance away from tn
 place where Nocquet landed, although
 in reality they are four miles distant
 In following these deceptive lights h
 waded marshes swan creeks an, floundered through the mud,