Mystery of the Steel Engraving of the Melon Farmer at Pelham Bridge

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Today presents another Pelham history mystery and, hopefully, a solution to the mystery.

There is a lovely 19th century steel engraving entitled "RIPE AND READY PELHAM BRIDGE, WESTCHESTER CO. N.Y."  It depicts a melon farmer in a bucolic setting, working a lovely but small melon field that slopes to the water's edge with a bridge and buildings in the distance.  There is a small sailboat in the waters near the bridge and a number of rowboats pulled onto the opposing shore.  The engraving was prepared by "R. Hinshelwood" and is so marked.  

Robert Hinshelwood was an American engraver, etcher, and landscape painter known for, among other things, preparing mass production steel and wood engravings of popular paintings.  Hinshelwood was born in Edinburgh in 1812.  He immigrated to America in about 1835 and settled in New York City.  He worked for Harpers and other publishers and, later, for the Continental Bank Note Company.  He died after 1875 in New York and is best known for his landscape engravings.

An image of the "RIPE AND READY" steel engraving by Hinshelwood appears immediately below (as always, click on the image to enlarge it).

"RIPE AND READY PELHAM BRIDGE, WESTCHESTER

CO. N.Y." Steel Engraving by Robert Hinshelwood.  NOTE:

Click on Image to Enlarge.

This fascinating engraving raises interesting questions.  It purports to show the Pelham Bridge area on Eastchester Bay near City Island (at least according to the title of the engraving).  Careful inspection, however, suggests that the bridge depicted in the distance in the engraving is not the Pelham Bridge (either today's Pelham Bridge or its predecessors).  Moreover, the waters leading to the bridge seem far too narrow to be Eastchester Bay at the wide mouth of the Hutchinson River regardless of the direction from which the Pelham Bridge could be viewed in such a setting.  Additionally, the buildings in the distance do not seem consistent with what is known about structures at the Pelham Bridge during the 19th century.

All in all, the engraving doesn't "feel right" as a depiction of the Pelham Bridge area.

Further research now suggests the possibility that the engraving, indeed, does not depict the Pelham Bridge area but, instead, depicts an area near Glen Cove, Long Island.  

It turns out that, as often was the case with engravings by Robert Hinshelwood, the "Ripe and Ready" engraving was based on a painting.  That painting was one crafted by famed local artist Edward Gay of Mount Vernon.  An image of Gay's oil painting of the scene appears immediately below.

Oil Painting Signed "Edward Gay 1873" (Oil on canvas, 23" High x 35"

Wide).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Edward Gay was a noted American landscape artist.  According to one source:

"Edward Gay (1837–1928) was an Irish-American artist who specialized in landscape paintings. He was active in Mt. Vernon, New York and Cragsmoor, New York.

The 1848 Irish potato famine forced his family to move to America, when he was 11 years old. Gay trained in Albany on the advice of James Hart, his brother William Hart, and George Henry Boughton, artists who recognized Gay's talent while he was still a child. 

In 1862, Gay went to Karlsruhe in Germany to continue his studies under the artists Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and Karl Friedrich Lessing. In 1864 he returned to the United States and dedicated himself to landscape painting.  

Gay and his wife, Martha Freary, moved to Mt. Vernon, New York. The couple had a son, Duncan–also an artist–and a daughter, Ingovar.

Gay was a member of the New York Artists Fund Society, National Academy of Design, and the Lotos Club. He exhibited in museums and galleries throughout America and he painted murals for public libraries in Mt. Vernon, New York and Bronxville, New York.

Gay died in 1928 in Mount Vernon, New York."

Source:  "Edward Gay (Artist)" in Wikipedia -- The Free Encyclopedia (visited Nov. 17, 2019).

Edward Gay in His Studio in 1907.  Source:  "Edward Gay (Artist)"

in Wikipedia -- The Free Encyclopedia (visited Nov. 17, 2019).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The original oil painting by Edward Gay on which the Hinshelwood engraving is based, recently was offered at auction by Butterscotch Auctioneers & Appraisers together with an example of the Hinshelwood steel engraving.  The lot, with a minimum of $6,000, passed without bid.

Significantly, the auction catalog noted that although the original stretcher of the painting had been replaced, sections of the original stretcher had been mounted to retain an inscription indicating that the painting depicted a "Glen Cover [sic] Waterway."  Indeed, the auction catalog entitles the painting as "The Pumpkin Patch, Glen Cove, NY."  

A detail from that portion of the oil painting showing the bridge in the distance appears immediately below.  

Detail from Oil Painting Signed "Edward Gay 1873".

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Given that the painting was created in 1873, we now can consider the version of the Pelham Bridge that stood at that time.  Indeed, the version of the Pelham Bridge that existed at that time was the so-called "Iron Bridge" built in 1869 and 1870.  (That bridge was replaced with the current Pelham Bridge that opened in 1908 and is scheduled for replacement in 2022.)  Immediately below is a postcard view of the "Iron Bridge" version of the Pelham Bridge.

Undated Postcard View of "PELHAM BAY BRIDGE, PELHAM BAY

PARK, NEW YORK."  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

The bridge depicted in the Edward Gay painting, like the bridge in the Hinshelwood engraving of the same scene, bears no resemblance to all or any portion of the Pelham Bridge that stood across Eastchester Bay in 1873, the date of the Edward Gay painting.  

Although it is unknown why Robert Hinshelwood entitled his steel engraving of the same scene to include a reference to "Pelham Bridge, Westchester Co. N.Y." it seems certain the engraving is mistitled.  The scene does not depict Pelham Bridge.

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Was this the First Automobile Accident on Today's Pelham Bridge?

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For about the last two hundred years, some form of bridge has stood above the waters of Eastchester Bay where the Hutchinson River meets Long Island Sound.  The histories of the several bridges that have stood there over the years are fascinating.  Often referenced as Pelham Bridge and, occasionally, Eastchester Bridge, the current version was built more than a century ago and opened to the public on October 15, 1908.  The Department of Transportation has announced that it plans to replace the current Pelham Bridge entirely with construction scheduled to begin in 2022.

I have written about the histories of the various bridges at that location numerous times.  A number of such articles, with links, are listed at the end of today's Historic Pelham article.

An odd incident in the early history of the current Pelham Bridge occurred only a few weeks after the bridge opened in mid-October, 1908.  The dramatic incident involved a 17-year-old young person named Henry Goodsell.

Though accounts differ, Henry Goodsell lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Late in the day on Friday, November 6, 1908, he was in his large touring car on Shore Road after dropping friends off in the region.  He was on his way back to the Upper West Side as he approached Shore Road.

Ahead, in the darkness, the draw of Pelham Bridge was open to let a vessel pass on the waters below.  The bridge tender, a man named Michael Selig (or Seelig, depending on the account) stood on the roadway tending a rope stretched across the roadway with two red signal lanterns hanging from the rope to warn approaching motorists.

As the vessel in the waters below passed, the bridge engineer began lowering the two halves of the draw.  As the two giant halves of the draw closed slowly, young Henry Goodsell came burning down Shore Road at the then incredible speed of thirty miles per hour.  The bridge tender saw the touring car approaching too fast and grabbed one of the two lanterns hanging from the rope.  He began swinging the lantern frantically, to no avail.

Henry Goodsell's touring car blew through the rope, slicing it like a hot knife through butter.  Goodsell realized his circumstance at the last moment and slammed on the brakes.  The car climbed the inclined draw just as the two halves were about to close.

The touring car barely made it through the steel jaws of the closing draw and plunged over the edge.  The bridge tender hear Henry Goodsell's scream as the touring car made a complete "somersault" before plunging into the waters of Eastchester Bay below, sending a "geyser" of water into the night air.

The bridge tender began scrambling down from the bridge to get to a nearby rowboat.  A second bridge tender, Elijah Miller, and the bridge engineer, John Beyer, also witnessed the accident and likewise scrambled down from the bridge to try to save the young man.

Once again, accounts differ, but clearly the car sank immediately.  The young driver was unconscious, but reportedly -- according to one account -- was found floating face up before he was dragged into a rowboat and taken ashore.  The three men called an ambulance and tended to the young man until he was transported to the hospital.

Miraculously, Henry Goodsell survived.  He was badly hurt with broken ribs and was in serious condition when taken to the hospital.  Yet, the three men had saved the young lad's life.

The touring car was left at the bottom of Eastchester Bay, although its location was marked with a float.

"NEW PELHAM PARK BRIDGE OVER EAST CHESTER BAY.

Formally opened yesterday.  Source:  NEW BRIDGE OPENED,
New-York Daily Tribune, Oct. 16, 1908, p. 12, cols. 2-3.  NOTE:
Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

"AUTOMOBILE LEAPS THROUGH DRAW INTO BAY
-----
With Driver at Wheel Plunges Into 60 Feet of Water While Going at Full Speed -- Driver, Floating Unconscious, Rescued and Revived.
-----

New York, Nov. 8. -- A big motor car traveling more than thirty miles an hour, driven by Henry Goodsell, 17 years old, of No. 324 West Seventy-second street, its sole occupant, went through the open counter-balance draw on the new Eastchester bridge over Pelham bay last night, and plunged down into sixty feet of water.

Young Goodsell, who said he was the owner of the car, had taken a party of friends to New Rochelle and was returning to his home alone and driving at high speed along the road when he came in sight of the bridge.  The structure was recently opened and is not completed.  Instead of iron gates to protect passengers a heavy rope was used.

Michael Selig, one of the bridge tenders, was standing at the rope barrier as the draw had been opened to permit a vessel to pass through.  He saw the lights of the approaching car and realized that it was travelling at a high rate of speed.  The red lanterns hanging to the rope had evidently failed to warn the driver of the car, and Selig picked up one of them and waved it frantically as a signal for the automobile to stop, shouting a warning at the same time.

Goodsell put on the brakes, but too late, and the car tore through the rope barrier, ran up the platform and with a loud splash disappeared beneath the water.  The car barely missed being caught between the ends of the platform as they came together.

Selig shouted for help and called over the rail of the bridge below in a vain attempt to get a response from the driver of the car.  Failing, he climbed down one of the piers and set out in a rowboat to try to find the man.

Engineer John Beyer and Bridge Tender Elijah Miller, stationed on the opposite side of the span, had witnessed the accident and heard Selig's call for aid.  They also set out in a small boat and joined in the search.  After a few minutes they came upon the body of Goodsell.  He was unconscious, but was floating face up on top of the water.

A call was sent to the Fordham hospital, three miles away, and the three men worked over Goodsell while waiting for the ambulance.  They succeeded in resuscitating him and bringing him back to consciousness just as the ambulance arrived.  He gave his name and address.  The surgeon found that several of his ribs had been fractured and removed him to the hospital.  No attempt was made to recover the automobile, but a float was set to mark the place where it had disappeared."

Source:  AUTOMOBILE LEAPS THROUGH DRAW INTO BAY -- With Driver at Wheel Plunges Into 60 Feet of Water While Going at Full Speed -- Driver, Floating Unconscious, Rescued and Revived, The Topeka Daily Capital [Topeka, KS], Nov. 9, 1908, Vol. XXXII, No. 264, p. 1, cols. 4-6 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

"AUTOMOBILE AND BOY DROP INTO BAY
-----
Large Touring Car, Driven by Henry Goodsell, Plunges Through Draw of East Chester Bridge.
-----
LAD'S LIFE IS SAVED
-----

Driving a large touring automobile at a high rate of speed, Henry Goodsell, seventeen years old, who lives at No. 234 West Seventy-second street, plunged through the open draw of the East Chester Bridge, over Pelham Bay, yesterday afternoon, and the boy and machine tumbled thirty-five feet into the stream below.  Young Goodsell was rescued just in time to save his life, but the automobile lies at the bottom of the bay.  The boy was taken to the Fordham Hospital, where it was found he was suffering from a fractured rib, possibly internal injuries and submersion.

Alone in the car, Goodsell was on his way home from City Island when he approached the bridge.  The structure has not been finished, and in lieu of a gate which could be closed against vehicles and pedestrians when the draw is open ropes are stretched across the roadway.

It was about half-past five o'clock when Michael Seelig, watchman on the bridge, saw the automobile coming along at a furious pace, and he ran out and waved his arms, at the same time shouting to John Byer, engineer in charge of the construction work, to close the draw.

Before Byer could reach the levers the car had cut through the ropes as if they were threads of silk, and as the boy uttered a scream of fright the machine turned a somersault in the air and, striking the water with a splash that sent up a geyser, sank to the bottom.  Seelig ran to the foot of one of the piers, jumped into a boat and rowed toward the spot where the machine and boy had gone down.  Byer and Elijah Miller, a bridge tender, also put out in another rowboat, but before they could pull far Goodsell had risen and sunk several times.

He had gone under the surface again when both boats reached the spot, and Byer, stripping off only his coat, plunged overboard.  He caught the lad in his arms and just managed to lift him into Seelig's boat.  When the shore was reached Goodsell was taken to Geck's Hotel and a call for an ambulance was sent to Fordham Hospital, three miles away.  Meantime, the three men worked over the unconscious boy, and when Dr. O'Reilly arrived he said that while his condition was serious it was likely that he would recover.

In the hospital Goodsell told the policemen that he as the owner of the automobile, but because of his youth this statement was doubted, and an investigation was begun.  It was promptly learned that the lad had told the truth.  He is the son of a lawyer now dead, and lives with his mother at the address he gave.  When an inquirer called there Mrs. Goodsell was at a front window, watching for her son, and she fainted when she learned of the accident.  When she had been revived sufficiently she started for Fordham Hospital to see the boy."

Source:  AUTOMOBILE AND BOY DROP INTO BAY -- Large Touring Car, Driven by Henry Goodsell, Plunges Through Draw of East Chester Bridge -- LAD'S LIFE IS SAVED, N.Y. Herald, Nov. 7, 1908, p. 1, col. 5.  

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Below are examples of previous postings that address the histories of the various Pelham Bridges that have spanned Eastchester Bay for the last two centuries.

Thu., Oct. 13, 2016:  The Eastchester Bridge Company Raised Tolls on Pelham Bridge Before It Was Even Built.

Wed., Oct. 12, 2016:  More on the Early History of Pelham Bridge Including Ownership of the Bridge Between 1834 and 1860.

Tue., Oct. 11, 2016:  Is It Possible The First Pelham Bridge Built in About 1815 Was Repaired After Near Destruction by a Storm?

Wed., Oct. 1, 2014:  Bridge Keepers of the Pelham Bridge from 1870 to 1872.

Mon., Jul. 21, 2014:  Image of the Second Pelham Bridge Built in 1834 From a Sketch Created in 1865.

Thu., Jul. 17, 2014:  Sabotage Brought Down the 70-Ton Draw Span of Pelham Bridge in 1908 and Delayed its Opening. 

Tue., Jun. 10, 2014: Construction of the Concrete Arch Pelham Bridge.

Mon., May 12, 2014: The March 6, 1812 New York Statute Authorizing Construction of the Pelham Bridge.

Tue., Sep. 22, 2009: Names of Early "Keepers of Pelham Bridge" Appointed by Westchester County.

Thu., Jan. 08, 2009: Another Brief History of The Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jan. 1, 2009: A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.

Wed., Jan. 2, 2008: New York State Senate Report on Petition by Inhabitants of Westchester to Allow Construction of Toll Bridge Across Eastchester Creek in 1834.

Tue., Aug. 28, 2007: The Laying Out of Pelham Avenue From Fordham to Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Wed., Jul. 4, 2007: 1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of the Pelham Bridge.

Fri., Jul. 22, 2007: 1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of "Country Seat" at Pelham Bridge.

Fri., May 18, 2007: Celebration at Pelham Bridge in 1872.

Wed., May 16, 2007: Board of Supervisors of Westchester County Vote to Build New Iron Bridge to Replace Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Tue., May 15, 2007: The Owner of the Pelham Bridge Hotel Sold it for the Princely Sum of $22,000 in 1869.

Mon., May 14, 2007: Plans to Widen Shore Road in the Town of Pelham in 1869.

Fri., May 11, 2007: A Sad Attempted Suicide at Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Thu., Dec. 08, 2005: The First Stone Bridge Built Across Eastchester Creek in Pelham, 1814-1815.

Thu., Aug. 18, 2005: The Opening of the New Iron "Pelham Bridge" in 1871.

Tue., Aug. 9, 2005: Cock Fighting at Pelham Bridge in the 19th Century.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005: Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., Jun. 28, 2005: The Hotel and Bar Room at Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005: The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005: Prize Fighting at Pelham Bridge in 1884.

For more about the Pelham Bridge and its history, see Pelham Bridge, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham_Bridge (visited May 6, 2014).

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

The Ghostly Lantern-Bearer of Baychester and Pelham Bridge

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Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
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All Hallows' Eve will be celebrated in Pelham next Wednesday evening.  The following day will begin the dark half of the year.

As noted previously in these digital pages, perhaps no other town the size of our little Pelham (population about 12,000) has more ghost stories, more haunted territory, or more ghoulish legends. 

This should come as no surprise.  Pelham is an ancient hamlet, with European settlement as early as 1654 and Native American settlement extending back thousands of years earlier.  More than four dozen different ghost stories arising from the old Manor of Pelham have been documented so far, with many more, undoubtedly, yet to be uncovered.  

Today and on each of the following four business days including Halloween, Historic Pelham will document five additional ghost stories beginning with today's story:  "The Ghostly Lantern-Bearer of Baychester and Pelham Bridge."  This story involves the ghost of a man who can be identified and documented in 19th century records.

For much of his career, no one expected Andrew J. Parker to live a long life.  Over the years he worked as the "chief manager" of a number of dynamite manufacturing facilities in the Town of Pelham near the settlement of Bartow and also in the Baychester section near Pelham Bridge.  Indeed, over the years a number of workers were blown to smithereens during accidents while manufacturing blasting powder or working with the nitroglycerin that was made on the premises in Pelham and Baychester.  

Early in his career, during the 1870s, Parker was a chemist who lived in Bridgeport but worked at such a facility in Pelham.  The facility, named the "Neptune Powder Mill," was blown to bits on October 9, 1878 while workers were making nitroglycerin for use in the powder manufacturing process.  Parker was not on site at the time but two workers who were making the nitroglycerin observed it catch fire.  As they fled, the resultant explosion leveled the facility though both escaped with their lives.  

Yes, no one expected Andrew J. Parker to live a long life.

Parker, however, seems to have defied the odds.  By 1885 he had left the world of dynamite manufacturing and settled in a home with his wife in the Baychester section near Pelham Bridge not far from the Dittmar Powder Works.  

On September 26, 1885, however, Andrew J. Parker died "suddenly" and unexpectedly in his home.  Only days after Halloween a few weeks later, all of Baychester was abuzz.  Indeed, local newspapers reported that all of Baychester was "alarmed" and "much exercised" over the appearance of the ghost of Andrew J. Parker.

James Montgomery, an employee of the nearby Dittmar Powder Works, reportedly was the first to see the spirit.  The New York Herald of New York City reported that Montgomery had "obtained a fair and unobstructed view" of the ghost standing in the doorway of the house where Andrew J. Parker died a few weeks before.  

James Montgomery frequented the bar of a little nearby hotel called the "Baychester House" kept by William Jacobs.  William Jacobs seemed to have his own interest in the world of spirits and ghosts, perhaps because he had lost his own wife, Mary, who had died unexpectedly in her sleep in her bed in the Baychester House only a few months before.

James Montgomery was dumbfounded by the apparition he saw and told his story to his friends and acquaintances in the bar of the Baychester House.  He quickly found himself the butt of their jokes and mockery.  Indeed, any time he tried to describe what he had seen, everyone in the hotel would begin to whistle loudly to drown out his words and insult him.

Montgomery became so furious that he offered a $50 reward to anyone willing to stay in the Parker House all night on any night from 11:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m.  According to one account, Montgomery placed the promised $50 reward in escrow in the possession of William Jacobs of the Baychester House with instructions that Jacobs pay over the money to the first person who successfully stayed in the Parker house overnight, subject to various conditions.  Jacobs readily agreed to the arrangement.

Within a short time, the people of Baychester were being frightened frequently by the spirit of Andrew J. Parker.  The apparition was beginning to expand its range from the Parker home throughout the Baychester section all the way to Pelham Bridge and, as one report suggested, nearby City Island.  The people of Baychester became alarmed and even "much exercised."

Different witnesses in the region observed different things when they saw the apparition of Andrew J. Parker during those weeks in late 1885.  Some reportedly saw an apparition carrying what appeared to be a lantern while wandering at night "with no apparent purpose, and frightening those who see him out of their wits."  

As alarm spread, more and more people in the region saw the apparition.  Soon local residents were reporting that sometimes they saw the ghost "in the shape of a man with a lantern" while others saw the apparition in the shape of a woman.  

Some said that the ghost was "a production of Jacob's whiskey" at the Baychester House bar.  Others claimed the alarming spirit that wandered the region aimlessly was simply "flesh and blood, and so will be found when captured."  

Two things are certain, however.  First, James Montgomery knew what he saw in the doorway of the Parker house:  Andrew J. Parker weeks after he died.  Second, not one person ever took Montgomery up on his offer to pay $50 to the first person willing to stay overnight in the haunted Parker house for only five terrifying hours. . . . . . .

As you drive from Pelham toward the Bronx along Shore Road and cross the Pelham Bridge at night, look along the bridge.  Once across, look to your right into the distance.  If you can make out the shadowy outline of a man or a woman carrying a lantern and wandering aimlessly, say a silent prayer for the soul of poor Andrew J. Parker -- but whatever you do, don't stop or get out of your vehicle.  

*          *          *          *          *

Below are news accounts about Andrew J. Parker, his death, and his ghost that appeared in local newspapers in late 1885.  Andrew J. Parker is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn (Lot 5908, Section 9).  His will, dated January 17, 1885, left all his real and personal property to his son, Andrew D. Parker, and was proved through testimony provided by his wife, Helen, and another of his sons (Charles F. Parker) on February 2, 1888.  

"DIED. . . . 

PARKER. -- Suddenly, at Baychester, N. Y., September 26, 1885, ANDREW J. PARKER, in the 63d year of his age.

Funeral private.  Will be interred in Greenwood Cemetery."

Source:  DIED, N.Y. Herald, Sep. 27, 1885, No. 17,933, p. 15, cols. 1-2.  

"BAYCHESTER ALARMED. -- The people of this place are alarmed over the stories told of a 'spook' appearing in the vicinity of a building near the depot in which Andrew J. Parker formerly proprietor of the dynamite works, died.  His death had been very sudden.  The 'spook' is said to appear with a lantern, and wanders about at night with no apparent purpose, and frightening those who see him out of their wits.  After dark now the people of this place go to and from the depot by a roundabout way."

Source:  BAYCHESTER ALARMED, The Yonkers Statesman, Nov. 13, 1885, Vol. III, No. 617, p. 1, col. 4.  

"LOCAL INTELLIGENCE. . . . 

-- The people of Baychester are much exercised over the reported appearance of an apparition in the neighborhood of a house in which Andrew J. Parker died recently.  Some persons saw it in the shape of a man with a lantern, and others maintain that it is a woman."

Source:  LOCAL INTELLIGENCE, New Rochelle Pioneer, Nov. 14, 1885, p. 3, cols. 1-2.  See also [Untitled], The Recorder [Mount Kisco, NY], Nov. 13, 1885, Vol. XII, No. 32, p. 8, col. 2 (same text).  

"THE GHOST AND THE DYNAMITER.
-----

Considerable mirth has been occasioned in the vicinity of Baychester recently on account of the presence of an alleged ghost, said to have made his appearance in the doorway of the house where A. J. Parker died a few weeks ago.  James Montgomery, an employé of a dynamite manufactory, is the only man who has obtained a fair and unobstructed view of his ghostship, but whenever Montgomery commences to talk about the ghost in the little Baychester hotel kept by Mr. Jacobs all hands commence to whistle.  This has so angered Mr. Montgomery that he has offered $50 reward for anybody who will stay in the house from eleven o'clock until four in the morning.  There are plenty of young men ready to earn the money, but Mr. Montgomery, it is said, places such restrictions upon them that they do not care to accept.  It is not likely that much more will be said about the ghost."

Source:  THE GHOST AND THE DYNAMITER, N. Y. Herald, Nov. 18, 1885, No. 17, 985, p. 8, col. 6.  

"THEY DO NOT WANT TO SEE IT. -- The 'spook' stories continue to interest the people of Baychester and City Island, and in order to test the spunk of the community James Montgomery has deposited $50 with Mr. Jacobs, the proprietor of the Baychester House, to be paid to any one who will submit to being locked in the house in which A. J. Parker died, and which is said to be haunted by his ghost, from 11 o'clock p. m. till 4 a. m.  Thus far there are no callers for the prize."

Source:  THEY DO NOT WANT TO SEE IT, The Yonkers Statesman, Nov. 18, 1885, Vol. III, No. 621, p. 1, col. 4.  

"WESTCHESTER.

The Baychester ghost is one of flesh and blood, and so will be found when captured. . . . 

It is currently reported that Mr. Montgomery Howe has deposited with Mr. Jacobs, of the Baychester House, near Pelham Bridge, $50 to be paid to anyone who will submit to being locked in the house said to be haunted by the spirit of the late A. J. Parker.  The party accepting must consent to be locked in from 11 P. M. till 4 A. M.  At present there doesn't appear to be any takers, and probably won't be.  It is the general impression that the ghost is a production of Jacob's whiskey, and the only wonder is that devils have not been seen instead of ghosts.

Source:  WESTCHESTER, Chronicle Supplement, Nov. 20, 1885, p. 1, cols. 2-3 (one-page supplement to the November 20, 1885 issue of The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Vol. XVII, No. 844).  

"COUNTY ITEMS. . . . 

-- Mrs. Mary Jacobs, wife of William Jacobs, who keeps the Baychester House, on the Sound, was found dead in bed Sunday morning.  She is supposed to have died of neuralgia of the heart, from which she had been suffering for some time.  She was fifty-five years old.  Coroner Tice held an inquest."

Source:  COUNTY ITEMS, Supplement to Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], June 5, 1885, p. 1, col. 3.

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I have collected ghost stories and legends relating to the Town of Pelham for two decades.  To read more examples that now total in the several dozens, see: 

Bell, Blake A., Pelham's Ghosts, Goblins and Legends, The Pelham Weekly, Oct. 25, 2002, p. 1, col. 1. 

Bell, Blake A., More Ghosts, Goblins of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 43, Oct. 29, 2004, p. 12, col. 1. 

Bell, Blake A., Archive of HistoricPelham.com Web Site:  Pelham's Ghosts, Goblins and Legends (Oct. 2002). 

Bell, Blake A., Bibliography of Pelham's Ghost Stories and Legends (Oct. 2002).

Thu., Oct. 25, 2018:  The Ghostly Lantern-Bearer of Baychester and Pelham Bridge.

Tue., Oct. 31, 2017:  An Eyewitness Account of the Headless Apparitions of the Haunted Cedar Knoll in Pelham.

Mon., Oct. 30, 2017:  The Ghost of Captain Kidd Guards His Treasure on an Island Off Pelham.

Fri., Oct. 27, 2017:  An Unusual Account of the Dark Spirit of the Devil and His Stepping Stones: A Pelham Legend.

Thu., Oct. 26, 2017:  The Cow Rustler Ghosts of Pelham Road.

Mon., Oct. 31, 2016:  Pelham Was Overrun by Ghosts for a Few Months in the Winter of 1887-1888.

Fri., Oct. 28, 2016:  The Old Stone House Has At Least One More Ghost -- The Ghost of Mrs. Parrish is Not Alone.

Thu., Oct. 27, 2016:  Did Google Maps Camera Capture the Ghost of the Elegant Lady of the Old Stone House at 463 First Avenue?

Wed., Oct. 26, 2016:  The Ghost of the Murdered Traveler Who Wanders the Bartow-Pell Grounds.

Tue., Oct. 25, 2016:  The Suicidal Specter of Manger Circle.

Mon., Oct. 24, 2016:  The Fiery-Eyed Phantom of Pelham Heights.

Mon., Sep. 19, 2016:  The Dark Spirit of the Devil and His Stepping Stones: A Pelham Legend.

Fri., Oct. 30, 2015:  The Shrieking Ghosts of Execution Rocks: Yet Another Pelham Ghost Story.

Thu., Oct. 29, 2015:  The Apparition of Wolfs Lane:  Another Pelham Ghost Story.

Wed., Oct. 28, 2015:  The Shadowy Specter of James Street:  A Pelham Manor Ghost Story.

Tue., Oct. 27, 2015:  The Ghostly Gardener of Bolton Priory:  A Pelham Apparition.

Mon., Oct. 26, 2015:  The Ghostly Matron of the Manor Club:  Even a Ghost Whisperer's Nightmare!

Fri., Oct. 31, 2014:  Ghosts in Pelham! Yet Another of Many Accounts of the Haunted Cedar Knoll.

Mon., Sep. 08, 2014:  In 1888, The "Ghost of City Island" Upset the Town of Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 17, 2014: The Phantom Bell Ringer of Christ Church in Pelham Manor.

Fri., Jan. 30, 2009:  Article Published in 1901 Detailed Ghost Stories and Legends of Pelham.

Mon., Feb. 19, 2007:  Another Manor of Pelham Ghost Story: The Whispering Bell.

Fri., Aug. 18, 2006:  The Ghost Gunship of Pelham: A Revolutionary War Ghost Story.

Wed., May 03, 2006:  Another Pelham, New York Ghost Story.

Thu., Oct. 13, 2005:  Two More Pelham Ghost Stories.  

Wed., Oct. 14, 2009:  1879 News Account Provides Additional Basis for Some Facts Underlying Ghost Story of Old Stone House in Pelhamville.

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The Story of Mary Blizzard, a Pelham Squatter on an Island in Eastchester Creek

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In about 1867, Mary A. Blizzard took over a tiny little island in Eastchester Creek.  She didn't own the one-acre island and made no pretense to try to gain title to the land.  She simply began building on the island adjacent to Pelham Bridge.  No one seemed to object.  She built several buildings including a hotel and connected buildings on the southern end of the island and a boat-house on the northern end.

The little hotel and boathouse became a destination for anglers and sporting types who came to Pelham, usually from New York City, to fish and hunt.  As the years passed, Mary Blizzard continued to improve the island, the hotel, and the boathouse.  

Members of the Blizzard family owned a good deal of land in the region from today's Westchester Square through much of the Pelham Bay area.  Indeed, David Blizzard operated a hotel built on pilings adjacent to Pelham Bridge during the 1870s.  Known colloquially as "Blizzard's," the establishment became known as the Grand View Hotel.  It seems likely that the hotel Mary A. Blizzard and Blizzard's (aka the Grand View Hotel) were one and the same, but extensive research efforts have not yet resolved this issue which remains confused because there were a surprisingly large number of hotels situated at the Pelham Bridge during the late 19th century.

Another important clue that suggests the two may have been one and the same is the following.  Mary A. Blizzard was an aunt of a man well known to readers of the Historic Pelham Blog:  William John "Jack" Elliott.  Jack Elliott managed the Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge for a time.  To learn more about Jack Elliott and the Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge, see:

Tue., Aug. 02, 2016:  More Research Regarding the 19th Century Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jan. 21, 2016:  Research Regarding David Blizzard's 19th Century Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge. 

Fri., Jul. 29, 2016: Shooting Death at the Grand View Hotel at Pelham Bridge in 1892.

In the 1880s, of course, New York City began assembling the lands necessary to form Pelham Bay Park.  Among those lands was the tiny little island on which Mary Blizzard's hotel and boathouse stood.

Because Mary Blizzard could not establish title to the island, the Commissioner of Estimate charged with valuing such properties and awarding the fair value for the properties taken by New York City to the properties' owners valued the island and its buildings but awarded the estimated amount to "unknown persons."  The Commissioner of Estimate valued the land of the island at $5,000 and the buildings that stood on the island at $8,350 for a total of $13,350 (about $450,000 in today's dollars).  Mary A. Blizzard immediately filed a petition seeking an award of the $13,350.

A referee heard the matter and concluded that Mary's possession of the property for more than twenty years constituted sufficient evidence that she was the rightful owner for purposes of receiving the money.  Mary Blizzard then petitioned the New York Supreme Court, General Term in the First Department seeking a confirmation of the referee's report in her favor.

The Court denied the petition, thereby ruling in favor of New York City.  The Court found that Mary Blizzard was a mere "squatter" whose use of the island failed to rise to the level necessary to establish the requirements of "adverse possession" under New York law -- a doctrine whereby someone who takes possession of another's real estate and claims title to the real estate exclusive of the right of any other actually takes title to the property after the passage of a sufficient period of time.  The Court ruled "It appears from the evidence taken in this proceeding that the taking of possession by the petitioner was not, in its commencement, hostile to the true title, and it does not appear when the petitioner commenced to claim title to the premium exclusive of any other right, if she ever did so; and as under no circumstances can possession be deemed adverse until this condition of affairs is made to appear, it is not in proof that there was any adverse possession of the petitioner for 20 years."

Mary Blizzard and her lawyer immediately turned to the State of New York where they were able to obtain special legislation entitled "AN ACT for the relief of Mary A. Blizzard" passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the Governor on May 2, 1892.  The act required the Comptroller of the City of New York to advertise for seven weeks seeking to have anyone else who claimed and could prove title to the little island to come forward and so prove or the money would be paid to Mary Blizzard.

Eventually Mary Blizzard received substantial compensation not only for her little island and hotel, but also for other properties she owned that were taken by New York City as part of the creation of Pelham Bay Park.  Mary Blizzard became a wealthy woman with an estate worth $110,000 at the time of her death in July, 1912 (about $2.84 million in today's dollars).

Mary's story did not end with her death.  Mary left her entire estate to her "favorite nephew," Jack Elliott.  Jack went on one of the greatest benders ever seen in the history of Pelham -- indeed, a bender that may have killed him!  

Despite his past, by 1912 Jack Elliott was known as a responsible family man -- married with two sons.  When he received the fruits of his aunt's estate he took off, leaving his wife and sons behind.  He spent profligately.  He moved from roadhouse to roadhouse buying drinks for all and leaving tips of hundreds of dollars for barkeeps, cabbies, and others everywhere he went.  In only two months, Jack Elliott spent $75,000 (about $1.93 million in today's dollars).  Within a short time thereafter, Elliott spent $90,000 of the money left to him by his aunt.  Elliott was known to pick up a $150 bar tab for his pals, toss a $500 bill at the bar tender, then walk out without waiting for change.

Elliott's wife and sons, of course, were aghast and resorted to the courts.  They filed every conceivable claim they could muster against Jack Elliott.  They charged him with "abandonment, non-support, insanity, and everything else they could think of."  However, first they had to serve Jack Elliott with process.

Eventually, they used an army of process servers to present Jack Elliott with legal papers.  Elliott slipped out the back doors of many roadhouses avoiding such process servers.  By attaching various bank accounts, the family was able to slow Elliott's spending, but he maintained so many accounts that they could not stop his reckless ways.  


Finally, the army of process servers closed in on William John "Jack" Elliott.  According to one account, the process servers "established a line across Westchester County, particularly over the Pelham Parkway.  Guards were doubled and the party began to close in."  

The process servers, however, never got to Jack Elliott.  One fine morning they tracked the happy fellow to a roadhouse known as Bradley's only to learn that Jack Elliott had dropped dead of "apoplexy" (i.e., a stroke) at the age of 50.  Jack Elliott's days of profligate spending were over.  
     

Detail from Engraving Published in 1884 Showing Pelham Bridge. Structures

in the Background May Possibly Include Blizzard's Grand View Hotel, But This

Is Not Known With Certainty. Source: "PELHAM PARK, NEW YORK. --

DRAWN BY CHARLES GRAHAM.", Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXVIII, No. 1442,

1884, pp. 514 & 521. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

"In re MAYOR, ETC., OF CITY OF NEW YORK.
In re BLIZZARD.
(Supreme Court, General Term, First Department.  February 18, 1892.)

ADVERSE POSSESSION -- RIGHTS OF SQUATTER.

A woman, finding a small island in Westchester creek [sic], near New York city, unoccupied, entered thereon without claim or color of title, record or otherwise, erected buildings thereon, and remained in possession for 20 years.  Held that, being a mere squatter, she could not obtain title by adverse possession.

Proceedings by the mayor, alderman, and commonalty of the city of New York to acquire lands under Laws N. Y. 1884, c. 512.  Mary A. Blizzard filed a petition therein, claiming a portion of moneys awarded by the commissioner of estimate to unknown persons.  Petitioner moves to confirm the report of a referee in her favor.  Denied.

Argued before VAN BRUNT, P. J., and BARRETT, J.

W. R. Lambertson, for petitioner.  C. D. Allendorf, for the city.

VAN BRUNT, P. J.  The commissioners of estimate, by their report in this proceeding, awarded the sum of $13,350 to unknown owners for parcel 691, in Pelham Bay park.  Of this, $5,000 was made for the land, and the balance, $8,350, for the buildings.  The petitioner claims to have been the owner of parcel 691 at the time of the confirmation, and of the report of the commissioners in said proceedings, and the referee has so found.  Her claim of ownership is not based upon any record title to said premises, but is founded wholly upon possession and occupancy of said property for a period of more than 20 years.  The parcel stands in an island in Westchester creek [sic], and is divided into two parts, which may be described as the northerly and southerly parts of the island, the dividing line being a public highway extending the whole length of the island, upon each side of which highway there is and was at the time the claimant went into possession a substantial stone wall or fence.  The petitioner went into possession of the southerly portion of the island more than 20 years prior to the confirmation of the report, and erected an hotel and buildings connected therewith, and has ever since remained in possession thereof.  Her entry does not seem to have been under any claim of title, and her occupation has been that of a squatter.  It is true that upon her examination she stated that she took possession of this property, claiming title thereto.  But it is apparent from her cross-examination that she made no claim of title at the time of her entry; but, to use her own language, she 'just squatted there, as it were.'  It further appeared that she had no record title to said premises, either by way of deed, grant, devise, or writing of any kind.  Her only acts of ownership in respect to the northerly portion of the island consisted in building a boat-house, and planting oysters and clams in the waters adjacent to the island.  Upon these facts the referee reported that the petitioner was entitled to the award made for the island in question.  In this, we think, he clearly erred.  It is plain that whatever the possession of the petitioner was, it was not under any claim of title, nor does it appear that she ever asserted ownership except by being in possession.  Under the definition of adverse possession, such possession, to be adverse, must be under claim of title; and naked possession, unaccompanied by such claim, can never ripen into a good title.  It necessarily follows that, where possession is under a claim of title, it must be made under some distinct claim of title, and not by a mere general assertion of ownership, without reference to any source from which such ownership can arise.  In other words, a mere squatter can never obtain title by adverse possession.  In order that possession of land shall be adverse, it must be shown that the land is held in hostility to the true owner's claim of title thereto.  It appears from the evidence taken in this proceeding that the taking of possession by the petitioner was not, in its commencement, hostile to the true title, and it does not appear when the petitioner commenced to claim title to the premium exclusive of any other right, if she ever did so; and as under no circumstances can possession be deemed adverse until this condition of affairs is made to appear, it is not in proof that there was any adverse possession of the petitioner for 20 years.  In view of the conclusion at which we have arrived in regard to the main question involved, it is not necessary to discuss the distinction between the nature of the possession of the northerly and southerly half of the island.  Upon the whole case we think that the claim of the petitioner is defective in establishing a right to the moneys which have been awarded for the taking of the premises in question."

Source:  In re Blizzard, 18 N.Y. Supp. 82-84 (Gen. Term, 1st Dep't, Feb. 18, 1892).  

"CHAP. 430.

AN ACT for the relief of Mary A. Blizzard.

APPROVED by the Governor May 2, 1892.  Passed, three-fifths being present.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Advertising for claimants to awards.

SECTION 1.  The comptroller of the city of New York is hereby directed to advertise once in each week for seven successive weeks, as soon as practicable after the passage of this act, in a daily newspaper published in the said city for claimants to the awards now in his custody made for the parcel known as parcel number six hundred and ninety-one, Pelham Bay Park, made to 'unknown owners,' by the commissioners of estimated appointed under and pursuant to the provisions of chapter five hundred and twenty-two of the laws of eighteen hundred and eighty-four.

Payment of amount to M. A. Blizzard

[SECTION] 2.  If no other claimant shall appeal and prove title to the said awards to the satisfaction of the said comptroller within three months after the first publication of said notice, then the said comptroller is hereby authorized and directed to pay over the amount of said awards to Mary A. Blizzard of the town of Pelham, the present occupant of the said premises.

Release of city from liability.  Suits, etc., against city barred

[SECTION] 3.  Upon the completion of the advertising, as herein provided for, and upon the expiration of the said limitation, and upon the payment of the said awards to Mary A. Blizzard, the mayor, aldermen, and commonalty of the city of New York shall be forever released and discharged from any liability to any person or persons whomsoever for the said award or any part thereof, and any suit, action or special proceeding which may thereafter be brought against the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York to recover the said awards or any part thereof shall be deemed to be barred by the limitations of this act.

[Section] 4.  This act shall take effect immediately."

Source:  CHAP. 430 -- AN ACT for the relief of Mary A. Blizzard, The General Statutes of the State of New York for the Year 1892, p. 1035 (Albany, NY:  Weed, Parsons and Co., 1892).  

"A WOMAN SQUATTER.
-----
She Occupies an Island, Builds a Hotel and Tries to Sell the Property.

Mrs. Mary A. Blizzard is in a fair way to acquire property rather easily obtained.  More than twenty-five years ago she squatted on an island in Eastchester Creek, about an acre in area.  This land is now in Pelham Bay Park.  She built a hotel there valued at $8,350, the surrounding land being set down as worth $5,000.  When the city took possession of the Pelham Bay Park property Mrs. Blizzard put in a claim for payment of $13,350, but as she could give no title, the city refused to settle with her.  She brought suit in the courts, relying on her undisputed possession of over twenty years, but the general term decided against her.  A bill was passed by the last Legislature for Mrs. Blizzard's relief.  Under it the comptroller will advertise for owners.  If no one but Mrs. Blizzard appears her claim will be paid."

Source:  A WOMAN SQUATTER -- She Occupies an Island, Builds a Hotel and Tries to Sell the Property, The Hartford Courant [Hartford, CT], May 6, 1892, p. 7, cols. 1-2. 

"SUDDENLY RICH, SPENT $75,000 IN 2 MONTHS
-----
Widow Appointed Executrix of $25,000 Estate 'Jack' Elliott Left.
-----

In an effort to save for his family the remainder of the estate of William J. Elliott, better known as 'Jack' Elliott, who spent $75,000 in two months, his widow was appointed executrix yesterday.  Elliott reduced a fortune of $100,000 to $25,000 by lavish spending.  

Elliott died suddenly of apoplexy on Friday last in a roadhouse in Port Chester just before a warrant was to be served on him for abandonment.  He was buried the Sunday following in the Blizzard homestead, Pelham Bay.  Other legal proceedings having failed to check Elliott in his mania for throwing away money, his wife had decided to have him arrested for abandonment in hope of having him removed to a sanatorium.

Until last July, when Elliott's aunt, Mary Blizzard, died, he was a model as a family man.  He, his wife and two sons lived happily in the Pelham Bay homestead.  By the death of his aunt he inherited the greater part of her fortune.  Then came a whirlwind change in Elliott's life.

Frequented by Astor.

Six or seven years ago 'Jack' Elliott owned and conducted the Pelham Bay Park Hotel, a roadhouse frequented by Colonel John Jacob Astor and others who figured in finance and society.  He made hundreds of friends.

About April, 1912, Elliott's aunt was awarded $75,000 from the city for Pelham Bay property.  She died in July.

On August 1 Elliott got $40,000 in cash, part being the city's award money and part from his aunt.  In less than fifteen days this money was nearly all gone.  He is said to have spent $500 a night, his wine bill for a week running over $1,000.  At different times he drew on his inheritance liberally.

Elliott's relatives and friends became alarmed.  Bennett E. Siegelstein, attorney, in No. 90 Nassau street, formerly Assemblyman from the old Eighth district, was engaged by Mrs. Elliott to see what could be done.  Three writs of attachment failed of their purpose.

Entertained the 'Boys.'

Elliott disappeared from his home, but his sons found he was living in the Colonial Hotel, Eighth avenue and 125th street.  Automobile trips from the hotel to roadhouses were features of entertainment for the boys as he called his friends.

In September, Siegelstein got a writ for the appointment of a receiver and an injunction to tie up the property Elliott kept him busy trying to find him.

Elliott deposited in the Nassau Trust Company on August 9 $26,000, but by the time the lawyer could get an attachment against the bank $14,000 had been drawn and spent by Elliott.

Elliott's widow was Sarah E. Doherty.  She was wealthy in her own right."

Source:  SUDDENLY RICH, SPENT $75,000 IN 2 MONTHS -- Widow Appointed Executrix of $25,000 Estate "Jack" Elliott Left, N.Y. Press, Sep. 25, 1912, p. 7, col. 5.  

"SPENT $90,000 IN TEN MONTHS, THEN HE DIED.
-----
Jack Elliott Didn't Go Near White Light District With His Roll.  --  Windfall From His Aunt.
-----

How to spend $90,000 in New York City in ten months and not go near Broadway and Forty-second street was told in detail last Tuesday about the time letters of administration in the estate of William J. Elliott were awarded to Sarah E. Elliott, the widow.

Elliott, universally known as Jack, was the man who did the spending.  He dropped dead at Bradley's roadhouse, Port Chester, September 20.

Bennett E. Siegelstein, attorney for the estate, told the story after the letters had been awarded.  He undid a large bundle of papers and pointed to about five check books which had been reduced almost to the covers.

'Those check books and the balanced bank books tell the story of how Jack Elliott spent $90,000 in this short space of time,' he said, 'and they show that out of $110,000 cash a year ago not more than $15,000 remains.  It also shows that at the moment he dropped dead he was just drawing another check for $500, which had become his average daily expenditure.'

Then Mr. Siegelstein illuminated his subject, Jack Elliott, about 50 years of age, was a member of the Blizzard family, which owned much of Pelham Bay  conjointly with the Doherty family.  He married Sarah E. Doherty nearly thirty years ago.  Elliott for years ran the Pelham Bay roadhouse, known to automobilists and drivers.  He was a steady family man.

Elliott had two sons, David, now 25, and Julian J., 20 years old.  The sole living representative of the old Blizzard family up to April of this year was Miss Mary A. Blizzard, and Jack Elliott was her favorite nephew.

When the city took part of the property for Westchester Square and then took some more for the bridge she got about $110,000 in cash, leaving more to come.

Miss Blizzard turned this money over to Jack, and when she died in April her will left everything to him.  At the time he got the money Elliott was living with his family in the old Doherty homestead up on the bay.  He started out to drink wine and to have all his friends and neighbors drink with him.

The family remonstrated and Elliott left home.  They complained, and he got a revolver threatening to use it on anyone who tried to stop him.  Inside of three months he was going strong and at the end of six months he was the most popular man from Port Chester to 125th street.  He had wine before he got up for breakfast, between meals and at all meals.  Also every one who came near him had it.

One night he went into the Colonial, according to Mr. Siegelstein, and ordered wine for everybody.  The bill ws $150.  He tossed over a $500 bill and walked out without waiting for change.  He had a regular arrangement with the taxicab men, who would charge him $25 for going from the Colonial to a Pelham Bay roadhouse.  His usual procedure was to tell the chauffeur to keep the change out of a $100 bill.

Elliott, it is said, met some Italian labors one day working on a new building.  He got their dinner buckets and filled them with champagne by permission of the owners.  The Contractor had his bricks laid to grand opera the rest of the day, and the inspector condemned the job at that.

His family got after the man in real earnest about the end of July.  They went to court and Mr. Siegelstein got an order to show cause why he should not be restrained from spending his money.  They wanted him locked up for observation.  A process server could not get within half a mile of him.  A process server would come in the front door and Elliott would take a taxicab from the back door to go whizzing to the next roadhouse.

The sons who led in the search came upon their father one day and tried to get him to go with them.  They were holding him by conversation until an officer could arrive.  He gave them $1,500 and told them to buy a motorboat, then vanished.  A process server chased the man down to a house in East Eighty-fourth street owned by the estate, but not yet turned into money.  The process server was greeted by a dog which bit him.  While the process server was attending to the dog, Elliott was flying uptown in a convenient taxi.

Then the family got real busy.  They got a summons, a warrant, an injunction, a mandamus and a few other writs in the hope of getting the man on something.  They charged him with abandonment, non-support, insanity, and everything else they could think of.  The company of process servers did not fare any better than the original scouts.  They were always close on the trail, but the man was ahead of them.

Finally they established a line across Westchester County, particularly over the Pelham Parkway.  Guards were doubled and the party began to close in.  They arrived at Bradley's that morning of the 20th to find the search ended.  The doctors said that apoplexy had ended the man's career.

Nobody seems to have been particularly hurt by the man's weird career of prodigality.  The estate is still large in property.  The city still owes $15,000 and Mrs. Elliott has the Doherty estate in addition."

Source:  SPENT $90,000 IN TEN MONTHS, THEN HE DIED -- Jack Elliott Didn't Go Near White Light District With His Roll  --  Windfall From His Aunt, Dobbs Ferry Register [Dobbs Ferry, NY], Sep. 27, 1912, Vol. XXX, No. 39, p. 5, col. 3.  

"Spent $75,000 In Two Months.

New York, Oct. 15.  --  In an effort to save for his family the remainder of the estate of William J. Elliott, better known as 'Jack' Elliott, who spent $75,000 in two months, his widow was appointed executrix.  Elliott reduced a fortune of $100,000 to $25,000 by lavish spending.

Elliott died suddenly of apoplexy in a roadhouse in Port Chester just before a warrant was to be served on him for abandonment.  He was buried the Sunday following in the Blizzard homestead, Pelham Bay.  Other legal proceedings having failed to check Elliott in his mania for throwing away money, his wife had decided to have him arrested for abandonment in hope of having him removed to a sanatorium.

Until last July, when Elliott's aunt, Mary Blizzard, died, he was a model as a family man.  He, his wife, and two sons lived happily in the Pelham Bay homestead.  By the death of his aunt, he inherited the greater part of her fortune.  Then came a whirlwind change in Elliott's life."

Source:  Spent $75,000 In Two Months, Journal and Republican and Lowville Times [Lowville, NY], Oct. 17, 1912, Vol. 53, No. 49, Sec. 2, p. 9, col. 2.

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