The Washington times., 1917-03-01
JACK CRAWFORD,
POET SCOUT" " DIES
Pneumonia Is Fatal to Man
Who Won Fame as a
FrontierSman.
FOUGHT AGAINST INDIANS
News of Death of Buffalo Bill,
His Early Teacher, De-
pressed Him.
FOUGHT AGAINST INDIANS

NEW YORK, March Capt Jack
Crawford, who succeeded Col. William
F. Cody as Chief of Scouts of the
United States army. died yesterday at
his home, 7745 ThraIl avenue, Wood
haven. Queens.
Pneumonia caused his death, his
remarkable constitution postponing
the inevitable for weeks after physi-
clans had passed sentence upon him.
As he lay in bed ill from a COM
pIication of diseases he got the news
that Colonel Cody with whom he had
ridden in many a wild charge against
the Sioux, had gone over the great
. divide. 1t depressed him.
$50 Bill Cody has gone?" said Capt.
Jack. 81 guess they will be sound
ing taps over me prettey soon
Well, when we meet Tall Bull and
that tough old codger Sitting Bull on
the other side and stick up our hands
palm forward and say, How, Kola!"
there will be lot to talk about.
And so to Capt. Jack, death was
merely the last great adventure. He
would have liked to stay longer in
this world, but almost all of the great
figures of the Old West, the men
with whom he had ridden and fought
Custer, Crook Merritt, Sheridan
Cody-are in the other world, and
firm believer as he was in the future
life, Jack Crawford looked forward
with keen anticipation to meeting
them again.
One OF A Fearless Company
He was one of the fearless company
who pushed the frontier ever west
ward, but like Buffalo Bill was ever
reticient in the matters of HIS own
exploits. He much preferred to talk
religion-Capt. Jack was extremely
pious-or to recite poetry-he had
written much himself in earning the
title, the Poet Scout'-than to recall
the old days when he led the dusty
files of United States cavalrymen into
sagebrush strongholds of the hostiles.
But the' records have preserved the
achievements of the old scout per-
manently, one may hope.
He was born in Ireland in County
Donegal on March 4, 1S47, and came
10 the United States when he was
mere slip of a boy. Then the civil
war began and John Wallace Craw-
ford, only sixteen years of age, ran
away from home to enlist. The re-
time after time. but he finally
blarneyed the recruiting officer of the
Forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers
and in hard service received wounds
that almost finished him. As he lay
in a hospital in West Philadelphia
the Sisters of Charity taught him to
read and write.
He Loved Adventure.
ParararaI Ii
West. impelIed by love of adventure;
presented himself before General
Crook, who was then, in 1870, always
busy with troublesome Indians, and
got an appointment under Crook as
scout Buffalo Bill was Crooks chief
of scouts and under Cody. Crawford
rode and fought many a year. Cody
retired from the scout kervice in 1876
and Captain Jack got. his place as
scout chief. He Served in numerous
campaigns against the Sioux and the
Apaches, and knew, as pany another
Indian fighter of that period knew,
what it was to take the dust of the
willy Geronimo. Crook, Merritt and
Custer had a great affection for Cap
tain Jack and ranked HIM as one of
the nerviest, most resourceful trailers
that ever went after d1ndians.
ne QuiL lut SCOUT service IN 1885,,
mined and ranched in New Mexico for
ten years and then got the KIondike
fever. Two winters in Alaska failed
to pan out, and Captain Jack came
back to the States. In the subsequent
years he took up lecturing, which,
with the sale Of his poems and con-
tributions to the magazines, earned
him his living. At one time he was a
special agent of the Department of
Justice.
Among his writings were THE Poet
Scout, Book of Song and story"
1885; Campfire Sparks" 1883: Tat"
a drama in three acts. 1900; Fonda"
a drama in three acts. and Colonel
Bob" drama. 1909; Private Brown"
"Whar the Hand o. God Is Seen" and
other poems, 1911; more than 100 short
stories and a dozen songs set to mu-
sic and published.
Funeral Tomorrow Night.
Captain Crawford is survived by his
widow, Mrs. Maria Crawford, who is
in San MARCEL, n. NJ; three chill
dren, Mrs. Eva Reckhart, Of Ell Paso,
Tex; Harry w. Crawford. of Clovis,
n. NJ, of which town he was for
merly mayor, and Miss May Craw-
ford, of San Marciel; two brothers.
Austin Crawford, of San Marciel and
William Crawford. OF Philadelphia,
and two sisters. Mrs. John Boyson,
of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Mattress. of San Marciel
The funeral will be held tomorrow
night at S o'clock in the Nostrand
Avenue Methodist Church. in Brook
lyn. The Rev. II. r. Munson will
officiate. Services also will be held
. by the Elks and the q. A. r. post to
which Captain Crawford belonged. In
terment will be in the national ceme-
terry at Cypress Hills Saturday morn
ing.
cECNc NITI7EMcuID AT 10