Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-10
CANNIFF ALIVE
AND RETURNING
SUPPOSED SUICIDE SENDS
WORD TO FAMILY
TELEPHONES AND WIRES FROM
SAN FRANCISCO
Chief Engineer of Company for Which
He Worked Receives Message
Asking If Position Is
Still vacant

RAYMOND E. Canniff, 80 years old,
night engineer at the Capitol Flour
Milling company, and living at 9o4
West Twenty-third street, was sup
posed to have been drowned at Long
Beach Saturday afternoon, his cloth-
ing and other personal e11ects haVlIs
been found in a dressing room at the
hath house. However, he made his
appearance in San Francisco .yester-
day and communicated by telephone
with TT. ]. Oliver chief engineer OF
the milling company, and with ms
wife and relatives, stating that ne was
we'll and would leave for Los An
geles at once and asking If ms oio
position was still open. =,
The telephone message was received
by oliver late yesterday afternoon over
the Sunset line. Although the line was
not working well, oliver recognized
the voice as that of Canniff and re-
piled that his former place was still
vacant.
oliver at. once notified L. B. Cook
Canniff's father-in-law. The news was
communicated to the wife of the mis-
sing man, who is in a serious condi-
ton. After receiving the notice of MS
son-in-law's whereabouts, and to Satls-
fy himself further, Cook visited the
police station and asked the detectives
to assist him in ascertaining CanniH
whereabouts.
While he was giving the detective
desk sergeant the son-in-law's descrip-
tion, the telephone rang. Cook was
called to it and received the news that
telegram from CanniffShad been de-
livered at the residence and that ne
would leave for Los Angeles at once.
Promised to Return Home
Canniff left his home Saturday
morning, after bidding his wife good
by, and telling her he probably would
return home in time for dinner.
His disappearance was discovered
late Saturday afternoon; when clothing
in which was found $3.50 in money
and a poll tax receipt made out to r.
e. Canniff, was found in a bath house
by a Long Beach patrolman. Investi-
cations were made, but nothing could
be learned, and it was thought at that
time that the man had Waded out INTO
the surf and committed suicide, or
that he had become oVerheated, been
seized with cramps and drowned.
No one seems to have seen Canniff
disappear. There was no message
found in the mans personal effects
and the mystery deepened. His appear
ance at the northern city has greatly
surprised his family, which supposed
him dead.
AS yet there is no explanation as to
why Cannim should make such START
ling departure. His family ties were
of the most happy kind and he had no
troubles, so far as Is known. He is
said to have had $45 in his possession
when he left his home Saturday morn
ing. He had drawn $50 and given his
wife half.
Another mystery not yet explained
is that of where he secured his cloth
ing. He is said to have informed a
friend that he was going to San Fran
cisco for the purpose of securing a
position there, but why he should be-
gin his trip in so startling fashion is
d puzzle.
One theory is that he took along an
extra outfit of clothing; swan out
quite a distance, landed and secured
his clothing, boarded a car and took
train. Another is that he swan too
far out and was picked up by a coast
ing steamer and landed at San Fran
cisco.
His young wife has a 7-months-old
baby and the strain upon her has been
great.