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- RECOVER CAPT. NORCROSS'S BODY FROM RACE TODAY
- MET DEATH ON SUNDAY SHORTLY AFTER DINING WITH LOCAL RELATIVES
- FAILURE TO KEEP APPOINTMNETS MONDAY LEADS TO SEARCH WHICH
- ENDS WITH DISCOVERY OF BODY THIS MORNING
- BELIEVE THAT DROWNING WAS ACCIDENTAL
- Supposition Made That He Fell Into Water in Effort to Recover
His Hat - Arrived in City on Friday Last - Was A Man Honored
and Beloved.
- [picture with caption]
- Capt. Pliny NORCROSS
- Discovery of the body of Captain Pliny NORCROSS in
the old race way between
- the Rock River Cotton company and the Blodgett Milling company
shortly after eight this morning, brings to end the suspense
that his family and friends have sustained since early Monday
morning when it was discovered he had not been at the Myers Hotel
where he was stopping, since Sunday noon.
- Captain NORCROSS arrived in Janesville on Friday evening
last from Troy,
- Pennsylvania, where he is spending the summer. He expected
to be in Janesville for several days and delighted his friends
by his robust appearance and apparent splendid health. His son,
John V. NORCROSS and family, of Chicago, were guests in
the city at the residence of Mrs. NORCROSS' parents, Mr.
And Mrs. William RUGER Sr., and Captain NORCROSS
took dinner with them there on Sunday.
- He left, stating he was going to the hotel to take a nap
and later would go to tea with
- them at a friend's home. Evidently he did not go to the hotel
but walked over toward the old milling property he owned some
years ago to investigate any changes that might have been made.
He was seen going in that direction shortly before the cry went
up that a man had fallen in the race-way, but no one connected
the missing man with Captain NORCROSS until late Monday
afternoon.
- It is evident that in walking along the board sidewalk that
borders the race, his hat blew
- off and in reaching for it he lost his balance and fell into
the water, his head striking a sunken piece of timber and entangling
the body so that he did not rise again to the surface. The only
trace that anyone had drowned was a floating panama hat which
late Monday afternoon was partially identified as Captain NORCROSS'
property.
- A quiet search was made all day Monday by relatives who had
become worried over
- his absence from the hotel but it was thought he might have
gone away with friends and would return. It was not until the
hat was partially identified did the Sunday drowning become connected
with Captain NORCROSS's disappearance.
- As soon as it was known Monday afternoon that Captain NORCROSS
was missing
- the police took up the dragging of the mill-race with renewed
determination. From four o'clock until a late hour men equipped
with grapple hooks and pike poles went over every inch of the
race and removed a large part of the drift wood at the grates.
One boat with three men searched under the Blodgett buildings
where it was thought the victim of the accident might have fallen
between the platform and building. For three hours they dragged
under here while the police officer searched by the side of the
grates.
- This morning when it was ascertained that NORCROSS
was still missing an added
- force of men were put to work on the mill-race north of thee
power grates. In one boat HELGESON and GEHRKI used
grapple hooks further up the race near the east bank, about fifty
feet from the grates. GEHRKI hooked an object down in
the twelve foot of water and the points loosened. On dragging
again he managed to secure a firm hold on the body with the hook,
and pulled it to the surface. The body was taken to shore and
Dr. Charles SUTHERLAND was called who ordered the remains
removed from the scene. At the Ryan's undertaking rooms the body
was positively identified as Captain NORCROSS by friends
of the deceased.
- When the remains were taken from the water the glasses worn
by the deceased were
- still firmly fixed upon his nose. His watch had stoped at
twelve and a half minutes past two, showing approximately the
exact time he fell into the water.
- During the morning the body was removed to the Kimball undertaking
rooms and
- arrangements were made for the funeral services as soon as
Mrs. NORCROSS, who was in Troy, Pennsylvania, was heard
from.
- As planned at present, the services will be held at ten-thirty
at the Congregational
- church Thursday morning. The pall-bearers will be selected
from among his old comrades of the William H. Sargent Post. The
church services will be read by Charles E. EWING, but
the services at the grave will be under the G.A.R. auspices.
- It is expected that members of the legislature, members of
the Grand Army, including
- present department officers and numerous friends from all
parts of the state, will be present for the services. The interment
will be at Oak Hill.
- Honorable Pliny NORCROSS was one of Janesville's most
influential citizens for
- many years ... [what follows is a 1901 biography, taken
verbatim, which may be found here
on the WIBiographies-Rock County web site]
- Mrs. Phoebe POOLE NORCROSS passed to the world
beyond in 1900, and later
- Mr. NORCROSS married for a second time Mrs. Frances
SPAULDING REDDINGTON of Troy, Pennsylvania, who,
with his three sons, Edward, John V. and Frederick, and Mrs.
Bessie MASON, all of Chicago, and several grandchildren
are left to mourn his loss.
- Captain NORCROSS was a past department commander of
the Wisconsin depart-
- ment of the Grand Army of the Republic, being elected to
that office in June of 1904. He also served as a member of the
State Board of University Regents, resigning from that office
several years ago when he purchased a winter home at Orlando,
Florida and spent part of the year there.
- Captain NORCROSS did not actually sever his connection
with Janesville until a few
- years ago, but has made visits here twice a year, spending
his winters in the south and his summers either in Chicago or
at Troy, Pennsylvania, where Mrs. NORCROSS lived before
her marriage. His visit here at this time was in connection with
some business interests he still controls. He was invited to
go to Madison today, the guest of the assembly, of which he was
so long an honored member, and it was search for him to deliver
the invitation that brought about the discovery he was mysteriously
absent.
- Upon finding the body this morning word was immediately sent
to Speaker Whittet of
- the Wisconsin assembly, and Republican Floor Leader Edward
Everett, who had served in the legislature with the deceased,
immediately prepared a resolution of sympathy which was presented
and passed under suspension of rules.
-
- Courtesy of Carrie
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