Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21

Born an Ito, 1888
Died Feb. - 1884"
native of Ireland! But whence in that big isle
had the brothers McCrary? Then began the
search for Peters friends; but to no purpose.
And every day the land of Ireland appeared to grow
longer and broader, while the family name McCrary
seemed to have suddenly become extinct.
A ND then occurred the thought that the strange
= initials, F. F. NJ T. C. T. had been overlooked.
The letters appeared the stone directly below
the words, "a native of Ireland.
There to the mind of Fox a plan and
a purpose He crossed the East River for
the fourth time and again sought the headstone that
knees the base of the stone folded back the high
blades of grass and the upcreepng moss and far down
in discovered what he sought, the of
the man who had made the lettering and erected
the headstone
He found the marble cutter in little shop near
the gate of the cemetery. His name was Moebus.
He squat little man. with little head, and
a very busy, nervou; rerSon who lowered
over his work like hive of bees. Moebus refreshed
ledger and finally recalled that he remembered
McCrary, and that it was John who had ordered the
headstone. After little persuasion Moebus accom-
panied him to the McCrary grave
With his head bobbing first to side and then
to the other, Moebus made profound study the
mysterious initial letters, F. F. NJ. T. c. T.
when l cut that stone, my young friend - he
remarked, - may perhaps have inquired what those
letters stood for; but if did and if was told at the
time, have forgotten it. admit those letters
queer to you; but not to me, my young friend.
There are lots of queer people who want queer
things put queer tombstones.
Now, if you look at it in sensible way" con-
tinued Moebus, you'll find We'll get somewhere be-
fore get through. You will notice that the let
tiers F. F. M. T. c. T. do not appear under Nc
Crarys name; consequently should say they do not
refer to his family And they don't next to his
age his BIRTH his death; therefore, the words
don't refer to him.
''You will observe" he proceeded, THAT those
letters appear under the line, "a native of Ireland
and consequently that gbberish must refer in some
way. to Ireland. This is only guess, and it's all
the help can give YOU"
FOX shook the little mans hand at the gate and
ran for that would take him to the ferry.
He mentally declared that Moebus marvel.
The search for the next of kin of John McCrary
from that moment went far afied into Ireland,
where perhaps might be found church, society,
letters F. C. T. a might apply. % WHICH '"'
The elder lawyer, struck with the whimsical fas-
cnaton of the search sent out messengers for guide
books, maps, and railway timetables, for copies of
The Irish World and 1.-The Dublin Freeman, - and
every available printed thing Ireland that could
be secured within half mile of Wall Street.
The arduous work of that period was appar-
emily labor lost and Fox went home disgrunted
and tired. He went to bed the clock struck one;
but he couldn't sleep.
He got out of bed, lighted cigar, turned on the
electric light, propped up the pillows and looked
about for something to read His hand unconsciously
picked up postoffice guide and absent mindedly he
began turning the leaves. AS he read the word Ire
land, he developed sudden interest. Here were
Names thousands of names, Irish names, names that
might possibly give him inkng, some clue that
would lead to the decpherng of the strange initials
on Peter McCrary's headstone!
So he slowly began to read and study long col
of Irish towns and villages, hoping against
hope that, somewhere between A and Z, he would
find slender thread
TT was exactly ten minutes past when he jumped
out of bed again. leaped across the room, and
rang the telephone.
A sleepy voice growled at the other end of the
wire What is the matter?"
give pot it Mr. Sarpent!'' shouted Fox 1--WE
found it in the postal guide F. NJ 7. c. 7! It's the
name of town. Here it is under the BIS. Listen