September 14 Friday – In Elmira Sam was forced to cancel his appearance at the Chicago banquet. He telegraphed George W. Smith and also sent the letter he’d written on Sept. 12 [MTP]. Fifty-seven year old Theodore Crane had been ill since Sept. 5 [Sept. 15 to Pamela Moffett], and sometime during that period suffered a stroke. A diabetic, Crane was paralyzed on one side [Sept. 16 to Orion]. His survival was in question, but he did not die until July 3, 1889.

Sam wrote to Webster & Co., letter not extant but referred to in their Sept. 17 letter. Evidently Sam requested they put Orion and Pamela Moffett on the “free list” [MTP].