The St. Mary banner., 1907-11-09
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BRYANT CRANDALL.
BY oRRIN e, DUNLAP. Of Niagara Falls.
Mysterious
of Record


Early in April. 1886. distressed
relatives OF Bryant B. Crandall, o.
Buffalo, New York, visited Niagara
Falls in search OF him. Mrs. Crandal
and George E. Newman, CrandalIs
brother (Crandall's real name was
Newman, but he was adopted ir
childhood by a family named Gran
dali and given their name), had both
received letters, postmarked Niagara
Falls, in which Crandall intimated ar
intention OF suicide. In the letter
to his wife he wrote:
Il am sick and tired of life; you
will be better off with the insurance
money than with me. Goodbye, and
God bless you"
The letter to his brother was full
of the same sentiments. and further
requested that he, Newman, should
assist the wife in securing the insur-
ance money. Naturally. when these
letters reached the parties to whom
they were addressed, there was hur-
ried trip to Niagara Falls. There II
was ascertained that Crandall had
registered at the Western Hotel-a
house that stood at the corner Of
Falls and Second streets. the site of
the present Hotel importation
April /.
Beyond this no trace OF him could
be found, until on April Officers
McMullen and Sims. of the State
Reservation, found a hat held down
by the feet of one of the park seats
on the river bank above Goat ISL
and bridge. Inside the hat they
found Crandall's name, giving the
impression that the owner had sought
death in fascinating, tumbling, cha
otic waters Of the upper rapids, which
rush by the spot where the hat was
found.
From that day all search for the
missing man was directed to the
banks of the lower river, the expecta-
tion being that his lifeless body had
been swept down the stream and over
the American Fall by the relentless
current. Crandall was a man of pre-
vious good character. SO that his rela-
tives and friends did not for an in
slant suspect any trickery; they felt
convinced that he had taken his life
by leaping into the river. This opin-
ion, however, was not shared by Mel
SON 0. Tiffany, secretary of the Ma
sonic Life Association of Western
New York. Mr. Tiffany maintained
that it was ridiculous to suppose that
a man SO desperate as to commit sui
eide would feel enough concern for
the welfare of his old hat to care
fully fasten 1t to the ground. He be-
lieved Crandall's disappearance was
q trick designed to deceive. and that
the hat had been purposely placed
where it was discovered in order to
lend color to the suicide theory. This
on the insurance officials
part developed the greatest chase ev-
er known after a man who Tiffany
believed was attempting to swindle
the various companies that had is
sued policies on his life These, it
was speedily discovered, were numer-
Gus.
1t transpired that Crandall had two
thousand dollars insurance in the
Masonic Life Association of Western
New York, represented by Mr.. Tif-
fany; he was also insured in the
Masonic Aid Associa-
tion for two thousand five hundred
dollars; in the Ancient Order of
United Workmen for two thousand
dollars; and for similar amounts in
the Royal Templars of Temperance
and the Empire Order Of Mutual Aid,
making the respectable total of ten
thousand FIVE hundred dollars insur-
ance on the life which appeared to
have been surrendered to the death
dealing waters Of Niagara.
The family OF the missing man ex-
pressed their unqualified belief in |
Crandall's death. citing his good |
character, his alleged depressed men
tai condition before leaving home,
the letters written from Niagara |
Falls, his great love of home and |
family, and the further fact that |
his home had always been happy |
one. In time, such slight proofs of |
death as were available were sub |
mitted to the insurance companies, |
and the payment Of the policies re-
quested. All the companies. however,
refused to accept the proof offered.
The next step was the offer of a |
reward of several hundred dollars |
Tor the recovery OF the missing mans |
body. On July 2Sth, 1886. one hun
ired and nineteen days after Gran
lall disappeared. waterman named |
Pendergast found a mans leg. and |
ater the remainder of the body, in |
he river between Lewiston and |