New-York tribune., 1906-04-06
DIED TO KEEP WORD,
NOCQCET SOUGHT PHONE.
Had Promised NescS of Descent
Suicide Story .4bsurd.
IRy - 20 % rrisune. J

death hv falling from the of HIS balloon
That he oied in fun possession az his senses
was also established beyond doubt Two things
however remain to be cleared-why he took the
one course certain TO take him away from any
hope OF succor. and whether his balloon was
approaching or returning from the when 1t
landed on Jones's Beach.
Cortland Field Bishop and Comte de la Taulx
after investigating the immediate surroundings
where Nocquet landed believe that he was
drifting toward The mainland. but DR.. Julius p
Thomas and the party who trailed Nocouet
from tho partly collapsed balloon 10 where his
body was found equally certain that Noe
ouet was bound seaward.
The inquest was held to-day by Dr. William
p. Savage. coroner of Suffolk County. After
hearing ali the testimony the verdict that
Paul Nocquet came 10 his death from heart
failure. caused by exposure and exhaustion
After the inquest the body taken 10 New
York where the funeral viii be held tomorrow
morning at 10 O'Clock I'm the studio OF Gutzon
Borglum. No 166 East 3sth street. Until his rel
atives in France are heard from the body win
he buried in Pine Lawn Cemetery near Farm
ingdale.
Dr. Julian ?. Thomas and Israel Ludlow came
here by automobile last night Accompanied by
Captain George w. Smith, who found the body,
and several other baymen, they went 20 the
beach early this morning. Starting from the
point where tho balloon had rested. they traced
every movement OF the sculptor where he fell.
Both men are strong and IN fine physical
dition. but rhey were thoroughly exhausted
when they reached the place where Nocquet.
weak and auelnic, had a. last given up his bat
lie FOR life over bog ana morass. through
water and mud. and through the discouraging
tanGle OF marsh grass. they followed his foot
prints. Where he swan they used small skff,
pared for this. however. and were not handI-
capped by any uncertainty az 10 their fate
Moreover they had the advantage Of daylight
and expert guides, Yet the trip was accomplished
only with great difficulty.
When it was over both said that only an
athlete in the pink Of condition and OF excep-
tionsl type could have taken Nocquets trip un-
der the same circumstances and survived. That
ne got as far rs he did they attribute solely 10
his spirit, which kept his body moving when all
hope vas gone
SUICIDE STORIES ABSURD.
I wish 10 call particular attention 10 the
fact" said Or Thomas TO a Tribune reporter
later, that Mr.. NocGuet was not a strong maa-
He made = supreme effort TO get 70 a telephone.
having promised me and other friends that he
ould tell he landed He died in
trying 10 keep his word.
"All statements that he committed suicide are
TOO ridiculous for discussion. Would he have
5oumeyed mile and A half through such ter
rible dangers as he encountered TO commit
suicide
only that the inquest was to be held and
that there not. therefore, time i'm which to
make The test, ! would have followed Mr..
Nooquet's movements IN detail-that is [ would
have gone through the mud just as he did. would
have taken to the water he took ii and
made fun test Of what endurance was required
10 reach the spot where he expired. I
athlete, ana believe ] could accomplish whs-:
Nocquet could not. The experiment woula have
been very interesting"
When Nocquet ascended from The Bronx he
took with him quart bottle Of Sauterne- The
empty bottle lay close 10 the deserted balloon
Near where he fell the party saw a liquor flask
but that may have been there since last sum
Iner NOcquet probably took a small quantity
OF whiskey or brandy with him. but nor enough
20 becloud his faculties. The flask may be one
that he carried, however. aad after passing
through the sloughs and marshes stumbling
and swimming he drank the last drop at the
end 81 his journey, ainging il away as he sum-
monca his last biz Of strength and nerve TO
press on
Strengthened momentarily by the stinulant
perhaps. he made the last stretch Of his Journey
swimming the croel. hundred yards wide. that
lay between the marshes through which he had
Fought his way, and Car-'s Island. a low lying
bank. The marks showed that he had painfully
risen 20 his fe-J when no reached the island and
walked barely fifty feet. untA his nerve no
longer gave him the false strength that had
carried him so far.
The clear imprints of his shoes. with their
pointed toes and unusually high heels showed
how he had walked that last fifty feet. and then
standing for moment leaning heavily on one
foot in utter despair. had pitched forward on his
face with his arms foldeL
After he fell he lay motloniess, his face buried
IN The tangled sa'= grass When Captain Smith
FOUND the body il lay slightly on the left side
The face black from exposure and showing plain
ly the suffering OF the last few minutes OF his
life The baymaB secured The body TO a stake
where il remained until removed 10 the main
'land for the inquest
HIS WILL FOUND OK HIM
When the body was taken 20 Amityvilie in
addition TO the keys and such articles usually
carried by men, the undertaken found on the
body viii made in the last three four days
a map Of the coast covered with notes appar-
emily made while Nocquet was aloft and a let
ter from Egypt. signed Rose Walter. This last
letter bears out the statement that Nocquet was
engaged 10 be married. Il ends.
How is your campaign getting along? Are
you san contemplating matrimony? Poor girll'
His VIII. an informal memorandum. like every
mud. II read.
New York City, April. 1906.
My address No - East a9th street
Mv profession. sculptor.
ln case % dea,h 5snd Tor Cutzon Borglum. Esq,
~. ffae M - Erer 1ktR