The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-09-21
BODY OF MARTIN
DRURY RECOVERED.
FROM LAKE PARAN
SALISBURY Young Man IN
doubtedly Took Own Life
NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR ACT
May Have Become Despondent
over Recent Purchase of
Heavy Mortgaged Farm
70 KNOWN CAUSE FOR ACT

last seen awe Ffludy night, was
found late Wednesday afternoon in
Lake Paran, the small sheet OF water
near North Bennington Village. The
body was located by diving after
dragging of the bottom OF the pond
with rakes had proved Intellectual
Deputy Sheriff Ralph H. White, who
superintended the search, secured
the permit for the removal Of the
body to the Walbridge undertaking
rooms.
Positive indentihcation OF the rain.
coat and hat found on the shore OF
the pond to be Drury's property led
/ to the search that resulted In the re.
coyery OF the body. The water op.
posite the spot where the clothing
was found was so deep that II was
impossible to reach with rake and
after working some tine by this
method Deputy White went to the
H. c. White factory and secured the
service OF Edward Terry, who was
known to be good swimmer, and
who went beneath the surface more
than a dozen times before ne touched
the body
Drury's raincoat. hat and the Ian.
tern he carried when he visited the
home OF Mrs. Charles Perkins Fri
day evening were found on the shore
of the pond the following morning by
George Mattison who was returning
from Arlington and who was taking
short cut to his home. He gather
/ ed the three articles together and
took them to Deputy Sheriff James
D. Purdy OF Manchester who has
been stationed at North Bennington
since the beginning OF the railroad
shopmen's strike. The deputy stated
that the law made no provision for a
search for missing persons and advis.
ed Mattison to take the articles home
and await developments.
The discovery of the clothes and
the lantern became a topic OF current
discussion in North Bennington but
/ did not begin to connect with the
! disappearance of Drury until early
on Wednesday. The search began
| following positive identification
by Drurys employer, Russell Tink-
ham.
As there was no suspicion of foul
play, no official investigation was
| necessary Ii was apparegt that
Drury had entered the lake with the
deliberate intention of taking his
own life The lantern was standing
on the ground where it had been
carefully paced, the raincoat lay as
it fell after the wearer had pulled
his arms from the sleeves and the hat
as II had been dropped a few feet
nearer the waters edge
Last Friday evening Drury called
at the Charles Perkins farm on the
White Creek road to call upon Miss
Sarah Perkins to whom he had been
engaged for some time. The Rus
sell farm, where Drury had been EN-
ployed, and the Perkins farm are ad
joining properties. The young man
left the Perkins house at II o'clock
and must have walked directly to the
lake, a distance of four miles, arriv
ing probably around midnight
1t is thought that worry over re,
cent business transaction may have
driven Drury temporarily insane and
led him to end his life. He had pur
chased a small farm recently in the
town of IIoosck, on which he had
made a cash payment and assumed
a heavy mortgage Perhaps the years
that would be required to complete
his payments looked too long and ar.
duous and he determined to find re.
| lease from the burden. There must
have been a sudden twist in the brain
to mpel healthy young man to plod
four Lonely miles to end his life in
a watery grave.
There is reason to believe that the
mystery Of Drury's disappearance
would have been solved at an earlier
date but for a previous circumstance
in the young mans life. Three or
four years ago he dropped out OF
sight unknown to any of his ac.
quantances and was located a mum.
Der of days later in Schenectady.
When he failed to return to the Tink
ham home Friday night no serious
apprehension for his safety was ex.
perienced The family naturally con
Cluueu lndL HG Hdu again COHCluueu
to absent himself from home for a
few days in the same manner.
Drury was the only son of Mr. and
Mrs. Edward Drury who live near
Center SALISBURY and he had been
employed on the Tinkham farm II
years. Other than his parents and
his sisters and Miss Perkins, his
tragic passing is deeply mourned by
Mr.. and Mrs. Tinkham to whom he
was more like a son than empIoye
He was Industrious, honest and trust
worthy and thoroughly respected by
each and every acquaintance.
Because of his employment he was
placed on the exception list during
the early part of the war but went
to Camp Dix in the contingent sent
from Vermont and was ready to go
overseas when the armistice was
signed
The funeral will be held from the
home OF his parents at Center Shafts