Evening journal., 1912-05-22
LOST FOUR
YEARS WHILE
MIND IS BLANK
Weakened by Illness, Alvin
E. Cl 'Cksr Gives Clue That
Brings Son to Bedside
CARRIED FORTUNE
In MS POCKETS

With thousands of dollars in his
pocket. with an anxious family search
ing the Western States for him, and
with his mind in a dazed condition
that caused loss of memory Alvin b.
Crocker. aged So has spent the last
four years in Wilmington. stranger
among strangers Last Friday morn
ing, oliver Crocker. the only living
son of the aged man. met his father
after separation of II years, at the
home of Mrs. John II. Talley. No 307
West Eighth street. while sister.
woman Of 20, in her San Francisco
home. wept tears of JOY over a letter
telling her that the long lost brother
had been found.
Mr.. Crocker is now with his son
in Cincinnati, Ohio.
DR.. James H. Morgan received a
long letter on Monday, stating that
the father and son had arrived in Gin
cinnati safely and offered nothing but
praise to those who cared for Mr..
Croker Some very substantial gifts
were made TO his caretakers.
II was through Mrs. Talley's in
strumentality that the old man was
induced to pick up the threads of his
lost memory.
Eighty years ago Alvin r. Crocker
was born Of old New England parent
age at Now Bedford Mass. When
three years old his parents moved to
Ohio where he grew 10 manhood Al
the age of l2 years he entered the en-
ploy of a peddling firm that sold goods
along the Ohio river. In after years
bv strict economy he went into the
I same business. with the result that
he soon accumulated a large fortune
| After business experience of 40 years
| In Ohio he moved to Boston in his ma
tive state and opened up a dry goods
/ and notion store, where he made
fortune the result of twenty years
activity Like many others he retired
from active business Later he in
vested st50,000 in silver mining stock
ct S1S5 a share, only 70 see It dror
10 27 cents in a few DAYS Diseusted
with his mine experience, Mr.. Crocker
left home and friends to wander over
the country. unknown and uncared
for
In his wanderings he reached
Mexico. where he again engaged N
business. with the result that he SCOT
owned FIVE silver mines at Loventura
With $50. 900 in his pockets he started
for Boston again On his way nortf
he stopped at Kates. Georgia, where
he purchased marble mine and with
contented mind started for Massa-
he
train al Philadelphia and wandered
TO Wilmington. absolutely a stranger
in a strange land Roaming up Mar
ket street he fell at Eighth street if
a convulsion. and was carried to
nearby residence and cared for. Ih'
result of this fall seemed TO daze Mr.
Crocker, and for four years he ha'
lived from place to place amons
strangers, never mentioning anything
about his family relations. No on'
seemed to have any interest IN him
and he whiled away his time sitting
about his boarding place. When h
first arrived here he sought the ser
vice of an attorney, and 10 him HI
turned over all his effects, only re
ceiving from him just enough for
his board and incidental expenses
Things went this way for four years
until about a year ago he began fail
ing in health and the boarding place
could not attend TO him any longer. III
was placed in Farnhurst for fiv
months He left Farnhurst and re
turned to Wilmington, and was givel
board i'm the home of John II. Talley
Several weeks ago Mr.. Crocker wa
again taken seriously Ill. and Mr.. Tai
ley called in Dr. James H. Morgan
who found the patient suffering fror
severe kidney trouble. DR.. Morga
advised the sick man TO relate hi
history, but he refused any informa
| ton on the subject az the time II
took great fancy to Mrs Tallel
. who waited on him faithfully, an
( she finally persuaded him to tell he
, if he had any living relatives. II
often talked of trips to California
Continued on Second Page.)