File:John Wallace Crawford (1847-1917) obituary in the Times Union of Brooklyn, New York on February 28, 1917, part 2.jpg

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Se CAPT. CRAWFORD, OLD SCOUT, DIES from race One.) for a month before his death ho could I not go to bod. but remained propped i up in a chnlr, sleeping less than ton hours curing that entire period. To po to bod meant nlmoMt Instant deatu through suffocation from a condition induced bv heart trouble, asthma and I dropsy. Practically until the end hU I physicians hoped to save his life and restore his health, but he failed rnp-I idly in tho past week or two, and his I' treat strength finally waned.

His advanced age was the one factor he could not overcome, for his recuperative powers were pone. Ho suffered keenly during his latt days, but endured the at'ony with the courage and stoicism he had learned on tho plains during the frontior days. Capt. Jack Crawford was born in County Donegal. Ireland, March 4, 1M7, son of John and iuBio Wallace Crawford.

The young man inherited his adventurous spirit from his ancestors. who fought with Wallace and Bruce for the freedom of Scotland. His mother was a daughter of William Wallace, who was descended from fir William Wnlluce, the famous -chief. Several members of the family came to America in the Colonial day and fotipht in the Revolutionary War. His father was banished from Scotland I for revolutionary speeches and flod to Ireland and later to America, where ho was joined by his wife and children.

John Wslluce Crawford whs the ivi mo bestowed upon him by Ida par-cuts, but It is almost half a century sinco he was known by uny other title than "Capt. Jack." His life was one fit sparkling adventure from the time he was Id vears old. when he leit a polling vessel, that brought him from the North of Ireland to America. He went to Minersville, to join hl3 father. j.

t. rawioru. urn iuuhu ne-ter had been tone about four weeks with the first volunteers. "The Ring-K'lds." to fight in the Civil War. Younjr Jack took a Job picking slate for 11.75 a week, was noon promoted to driving a mule on the dirt bank at Jo.

and, still later, firing the dirt engine, at 14. Hut wanting more monoy Jack tcot. a better job from one Man Bed-dow, as a regular miner, at J1S a week. The work was dangerous, and many miners lost their lives, so his mother refused to let him continue in this position. Then It was that Jack ran nwav from home with Johnny McVc-y.

Thomas Lewis. Horace titraub and half a dozen other boys and enlisted in the rame company with his father. Capt. Jack waa severely wounded at Ppott-svlvania. Mav 12.

1S4. Ever afterward ho always had a slight limp re sulting from the Injury. Tho wounding or capt. jam, ever, marked a new epoch In his life, for while he was in Saterl? Hospital, Wrst Phlladelnhia. a Sister or Lninu connected with that institution.

taugnl. him to read and write, t'eyona uw instruction Capt. Crawford never received an hour's schooling, yet he wrote hi, mired a of meritorious poems, serial stories and plays and hundreds of short stories and sketches. 'apt. Crawford waa the author ot "The 1'oet Scout." published In "Cunipfiro Sparks." "Tat." a drama in three twts; oionei 'irama, iSRlil; "I lUalB md "Whar the Hand o' tory.

ind other poems. 1U. lie eist wrri.5:r.:"r"l,i::,!;ines weli! a VlWu published snucs. The poet scout was the rirst secretary ot the first branch of the miners, union in tiirardville. In October, VJV4, Butte, Montana.

1:0 arranged a benent ihn wives and children of the strui'- miners which netted raised hundreds of dollars in the coal fields for comrades in distress before he started his career as a scout in the lar West. Capt. Jack's experiences among the Indiana would fill book by themselves, lie was appointed chief of "couts bv Gen. Wesley Merritt, just before the campaign of M7fl against Sitting Bull, serving under Gen. Crook and Gen.

Miles. One of his most famous experiences was a rldo from Medicine Bow, on tho Union Pacific Railroad, to the Rosebud, a distance of over Id miles alone, carrying messages from Oen. Sheridan to Gen. Crook, through a country overrun by hostile bands of Indians. Two weeks later, he led the charge with Lieut.

Schwatka at tlie Slim P.nttea' light, in which one his scouts, Jonathan White, waa killed beside him. Then came another famous ride. 11. B. Davenport, correspondent for New York newspaper, anxious to score a "heat" on other newspaper men, gave Capt.

Crawford a draft for $5fK) on his paper, provldea lie rwcneu a inv.siM" office ahead of all other couriers. Th-. nearest telegraph station was at Fort Larimce. rallea distant. Capt.

Crawford covered the dlstanco in three and a half days, two horses dropped dead under him and beating live relays of couriers. It was a great beat for Davenport's paper, and the, owner of the daily afterwards sent Capt. ford S222.75, additional to the draft covering the actual expenses of his ride, which he Itemized to tho last penny. Present day reporters who hire a taxi to go half a mile would have found Capt. Crawford's 350-mllo rldo a trine wearisome, as well as dangerous.

At the end of his rldo hla newspaper despatches were safe In one pocket, whilo the scalps of two Indians were in another. Few- men can boast of as intimate personal acquaintance, or tell so many intimate anecdotes, as could Capt. Jack. Ho knew most of the great leaders In politics and statesmanship, captains of industry and literary stars In this and past generations. He was closely asso ciated with the heroes of the old days of the wild west.

He was a personal friend of the famous "Wild Bill" Hlckok. When Hickok was murdered, shot in the back, and a packed Jury acquitted the gambler who killed him. Capt. Jack, at much personal expense, took the case before higher officers, pushing It eo determinedly, that he finally saw the murderer nangeo. He could tell many interesting stor ies regarding the early life and reputations of some of the great "Heroes of the Wild West," who have been exploited and syndicated and made millions, but some of whom were never in an Indian fight.

Modesty was another of Crawford's traits. Never in his punlic lectures and In his private converse tions would he admit killing an Indian or white man, even In open bat tle. It was the old scout opinion that a man who loved to talk of tho people he had killed, was a faker. For rho last thirty years of his life, Capt. Crawford had devoted most of his spare time and money to reaching boys whom he called hla "Broncho Wavwsrd 8trays" boys, usually, who were confined to penal Institutions.

It was among them that he organized his "Boy Heroes of the World." This organization, however, is not confined to boys who have boen In the hands of the police, but contains high school and college students and Sunday School scholars. For many years he had been speaking frequently to unfortunates In penal Institutions. He received no compensation for this and paid his own expenses. For his per-sisten of his main objects In fe hoiping the unfortunates in prison he Bpent much money. His "Boy Heroes of the World" was one of his pet hobbles.

Each of the 25,000 members has signed the pledge never to uee intoxkants'or lUarcttes, to refrain from profane language and to eschew dime novels. They are also pledged to help follow members who) have boon incarcerated. In tho past I tlx years, Capt Jack visited prac-tlcftlly every reformatory in the L'nlted flails, mans nis inessugea 01 enecr ana optimism to inmates. Capt Ftates. exiting his messugea of cheer Hear Records When lfa a question of variety, When It's a question of quality If It's a Vlctrola Hecord we Our parlors aro at your disposal A I'lAV II Kigolotto Quartet 1 Passion Dance Century Girl Pack Yp Your Troubles in Yonr Old Kit Dag and Smile llolllnc Stone Don't Wrilo Mo a letter Also an Elaborate Stock of THJC RANAH 10 Fourth Avenue, BROOKLYN Opp.

L. I. Depot Jack himself never drank a glass of intoxicatlnar liou(n. n.nrt to that ascribed his vigor, which waa unim paired until recently. A year ago, at tho age of 6S, Capt.

JrcIi could, and frequently did, kick straight up twelve Inches over his head, besides performing otner "stunts that many youths of 20 are unable to accomplish. One anecdote which had to do with his physical prowess 'a about his meeting on a train near Scranton, eomo fifteen years ago, with Tombstone Bill, the local Bully. "Tombstone Bill" abused Capt. Jack Tho remarks went unnoticed until the bully made a slurring remark about old soldiers. A few minutes later othei passengers In the train pulled Capt. Jack off a badly beaten local character who, after undergoing vigorous first- aid treatment, apologized saying: l'Say, I have heard of Western cyclones, but I never thought I would get up against one in you." Capt.

Jack's last public appearance was at Wllkts-Barre, on January 1 last, where he spoke before the new-boj-s, messengers, bootblacks and other guosts of the boys' department of the association. lie had visited the Rev. Billy Sunday at his tabcrnaclo In Bos ton a few days previously, where he had been introduced from the platform and had delighted the audience by giving vent to a real Indian war whoop. It was there he caught the cold which ultimately resulted In his death. Most of Capt.

Crawford's surviving relative live in New Mexico. Ills jjcturo toura had kept him so constantly employed In the East in recent years that he had not visited them for many months. He had lived In Wood-haven a little over a year. Before that he had lived a year In Brooklyn, coming here from Manhattan. He leaves his wile.

Maria Crawford, of Pan Marciel, New Mexico; thrte children. Mrs. Eva Reckhart, of El Paso, Texas; Harry W. Crawford, former Mayor of Clovls, N. and Miss May Crawford, of Marciel, N.

who was ith him during part of its last illness; iwo of Marciel. and William, of Philadelphia, and two platers. Mm. John lioyson. of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Elizabeth Nattress, of San Marciel.

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