Evening star., 1908-01-16
lEUV. Una w EOhO.
photo by Harris s-Ewing.)

certain that his body happened to sink
into one of the deep holes out Of the
sweep of the channel current, where II
remained until this week. When the high
water, due to heavy rains and melting
SHOWS at the headwaters OF the Potomac,
rea ched the lower river Tuesday the body
was washed out into the stream and float
ed to the surface. Under ordinary condi-
tions log or any other floating object
would have made its way out to sea In
the time since Crawford was drowned.
The time and surroundings on the 8
o'clock trip Of the ferry steamer Lacka
wanna were particularly proptious for an
attempt at suicide, because the boat ma de
a bow-on landing at the stage at Gies-
boro Point and all of the passengers and
crew of the vessel were forward. leaving
the stern deserted and almost in darkness.
1t was on this end OF the boat that Capt.
Marmaduke saw a small bundle of cloth
ing lying behind a crate when the Lacka-
wanna reached Alexandria. but he thought
the articles belonged to one of the mem
bers OF the crew and paid no attention
to them. On the return trip to Washing
ton Frank Luckett the first mate saw
the clothes and made an investigation,
which was fruitless SO far a 8 locating the
owner of the garments was concerned.
Arriving in this city, Luckett turned the
articles over to the harbor police.
Letter Received by Friend.
Almost at the moment when, it was
afterward shown. Crawford was walking
aboard the ferry steamer, one of his
friends. Bennett A. Allen. chief OF the ac-
counting division of the Post Office De-
partment. received a special delivery let
ter In which the lieutenant announced the
intention of doing away with himself
Mr.. Allen went at once to police head
quarters to seek the aid of the department
in locating the missing man. Messages
were sent to all police stations and to
the llarbor squad, and when First Mate
Luckett walked into the river front pre-
cinct with the garments they were imme-
diately identified fitting the description
of clothing worn by Crawford at the time
of his disappearance.
Later the hat and coat were fully
identified by Mr.. Allen. as were two pen
ellis and a handkerchief found in the
pockets of the coat, the initial j. hav-
ing been embroidered on the handker-
chief
Mr.. Allen and Lieut.. Crawford had
been close personal friends for a long
time. and there had never been anything
in the conduct of the naval omcer to In
dicate unhappiness on his part. Why he
should have decided upon such a course
NJ, Allen was unable to understand, al
though there was suggestion OF imam
cial trouble in the letter.
As to Financial Trouble.
Il have no idea what caused him finan-
cial trouble Mr.. Allen stated at police
headquarters that night ''He received a
salary of 81, 500 and a rent allowance o:
80. He did not gamble nor was he a vic
tim OF drink, and. SO far as / know, he
had no bad habits
The letter Mr. Allen received contained
fnfa nf q nj
and he would not turn it over to the
police He read however. portions which
deal. with the question of the contem-
plated act.
Dear Friend" and wrote: Il am going
to do away with myself No doubt when
this reaches you the act will have been
accomplished
Lieut.. Crawford also wrote a request
that Mr.. Allen act as administrator OF his
affairs, and remarked that his wife would
be shocked when she heard the news.
Left a Will.
Investigation at Crawford's desk in Ad-
miral Deweys Office disclosed that tho
lieutenant had arranged all his papers
I'm a neat pile. He also left hurriedly ex-
ecuted will. Crawford. 1t is said, left debts
aggregating approximately 5000. and in
note he sent his wife he stated explicitly
that the indebtedness had accumulated
too much, but that it was not due TO
speculation or gambling. In the note he
forwarded to Allen he stated that If the
rights of one who takes his own life would
permit, he would like. to be buried in the
National cemetery at Arlington. Va, but
otherwise he expressed wish to have his
body cremated.
Discovery of the Body.
According to the story told of the dis
covery OF the body, the boy. Buck Bush.
went to the river front. to SECURE drift
wood brought down stream by the high
water and he had been there only few
minutes when he stumbled upon the body.
which had floated to the shore. Badly
frightened, he ran back to the house of
his employer, F. F. Reed. carrying the
news. He was directed to go to the river
and tie fast the body so that Ii could not
drift again. but Bush was too badly
frightened. and Mr.. Reed assumed the
task himself. Then he notified Coroner
Millard Thorn of Broad Creek. Md. and
the latter summoned a jury and held an
inquest over the body as ii lay on the
river bank. The inquest took place late
Yesterday afternoon, and spectators eld
| lighted pine knots to furnish illumina tion
for the grewsome proceeding.
The verdict o. the coroner's jury OF
Prince George county and permit for re-
removal of the body, was as follows:
I'm the state of Maryland, county OF
Prince George. on the 18th day of jan
uary, 1905 Permission is hereby given to
any undertaken to remove for burial a,
Fort Foote in the county of Prince
George. state of Maryland. the body OF
Lieut.. ]. w. Crawford. who was found
dead in the water of the Potomac river
on the 18th day of January, in the year
1908
cause o. death drowning"
Notification to Police.
Following the inquest, Charles and
Frank Swifte, farmers in the vicinity
| rowed across the river to Alexandria and
| notified Lieut.. James Smith, in charge OF
the police station in that city. who, in
! turn, te.ephoned to police headquarters
| Washington. Preparations were made i'm
medlately for a trip down the river. and
Mrs Crawford being notified. suggested
tb,t pnckett nhyEfcaI dreCfnr n