The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa Thursday, November 7, 1907 The following was sent out from Chariton to the State papers: Chariton, Iowa, Nov. 1. -- A woman's curiosity would have saved the life of FRANK R. CROCKER Wednesday night. But it failed at the time for action. JESSIE, the 19 year old daughter of the dead man, looked for a moment at the death message addressed to his absent son, GUILFORD, before she finally retired. She handled the note that spoke of suicide. She commented upon the strangeness of her father writing a note to his absent son and leaving it at home. She was tempted to open it and read. But she did not. And the one chance in all the world that would have saved the father was lost by the daughter as she tiptoed back to her room, worried, but not curious enough to solve what she yet felt to be a mystery. For two days and a night she has paid in grief. For a lifetime she will pay for it in regret. But she will never forget that the failure of her woman's curiosity lost her the chance to save the life most dear to her. MR. CROCKER contemplated suicide. He had in his possession for some days the bottle containing sixty grains of morphine crystals. He went Wednesday night to the Jones Drug Store on Main Street for capsules. He bought eight containing quinine which he emptied and filled with the deadly powder. The dead banker was reputed to be worth a quarter of a million dollars. His interests were scattered all over the country and he was interested in many business enterprises at Chariton. His family is well provided for as he carried $60,000 insurance in an old line company. MR. CROCKER was manager of the MALLORY Estate; MRS. MALLORY and her daughter, MRS. THAYER, are now in Egypt, and just how much of the estate is involved in MR. CROCKER's failure cannot be told until she reaches home. He had $300,000 borrowed from the M.W. of A., but the lodge has ample security and will not lose one dollar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert October 17, 2004 [email protected]