The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-12-21
OHIO, FRIDAY, DECEMBER q, 1860.
Mysterious Disappearance Of Mer-
chant.


Mysterious Disappearance Of Mcr-
VI chant.
Some years since o gentlem al
I well known in the business circle,
, of this city suddenly disappeared
. without any apparent cause, aDc
without intinatiug 10 any one tha
he had reason to be dissatisfied, ei
ther with his domestic relations Of
| financial affairs. Indeed, his wifi,
, seemed to be the most devoted O
women, and his children we're re-
garded-particularly by the moth
er - as perfect prodigies. In his
business he had been remarkably
| prosperous, having accumulated, il
not fortune, at least II competence,
and bis affairs were never in a more
prosperous condition than at the time
NJ hiO dopa, tuIe.
His sudden disappearance creotod
a profound sensation at the time
His partner, who placed the mos,
implicit reliance in his integrity and
capacity. suspended busines tempo.
rarily, and aiterward settled up the
affairs Of the firm permanently, sat-
isfied he was no longer alive.
The first impression entertained
by the community was that he had
been murdered; but by whom, or for
what object, no one could conjecture.
lie had no enemies, and the amount
OF money he was known to keep up
on his person was hardly sufficient
to tempt the avsrice OF even the most
hardened criminal, to degree that
would prompt him to take life; that
he had committed suicide, was like,
wise dismissed as unreasonable, for
he had never exhibited any evidence
OF insanity, or even extraordinary
discontentinent.
But though the perplexity OF his
friends WAS great. that Of his family
was grerter. Ills wife could not
endure the idea that he had been
murdered, or that he had committed
snicide, and the supposition that he
had willully abandoned her, WAS so
contrary to the whole course of his
previous conduct, that it would have
been q crime to have entertained il
for moment.
At length rumor became current
that he had been accidently drowned.
and Immediately a number OF his
friends commenced tracing 1t to it's
source, and were informed that on
the day he was first missed, a man,
whose appearance in all resp cts
coniorined to the printed description,
had been seen to leave the shore of
the river in n oL: ~. .-i.:-'
ran into the wake of O steamboat.
and was, by accident, sunk; and
since that time neither the man nor
craft had been seen. The mi, rmants
were so minute in giving circun,.
stances, and 80 exact in the descrip
tion OF the unfortunate man tina. no
doubt could be entertained that he
had been accidentally drowned; for
it did not once occur how easy it is
for those who learn all tie circum-
stances from the newspapers, to not
only deceive others, but themselves.
Days, weeks, months, and years
passed on, and no other solution of
the mystery presented itself, and all
became so confirmed in the opinion
that he had come to his death in the
manner narrated, that it was spoken
OF as an indisputable fact.
This conviction having become
firmly established, affairs went on rs
it was natural they should. The
deep mourning-dress Of his widow
faded by degrees, until she once
more became the gayest votary Of
fashion in the circle in which she
moved. His partner, as we have
already stated, settled up tho bust
ness OF the firm; his creditors pre-
sen'ed their claims, and as there re-
mained no doubts of his death, ap.
plicstion was made for letters of
administration on the estate, which
were duly granted. Another year
passed by, and still another, and the
administrators made their final set
tlement, and paid into Court the
money in their hands.
Nor was this the only nor evtn
the most important event that trans.
pired. The widow, obeying the in'
junction 10 be comfcrtcd in afiliction,
entered a second time into matri
monial alliance; and this, in turn
gave rise to an additional complica.
ton.
Thus matters proceeded till last
week. when the missing man entered
the store formerly occupied by him
sely and partner, and not wishing to
make himself Immediately known,
inquired if that was the business
house OF M-& T, and
received for answer that NJ
had been drowned many years be.
fore, and that T had left the
city. He then inquired about other
matters. pretending that he had been
an old friend Of the members OF its
former firm, until he ascertained
everything about the marriage and
administration.
He next presented himself at the
door Of his residence, and was met
by a female whom he knew to he his
vile. Without any emotion he ask.
ed il NJ resided there, and re.
ceived for q reply that he had been
dead number Of years.
The tone employed in imparting
the information fully satisfied him
that whatever grief his wife nigh,
once have entertained, 1t had long
since departed; and to an invitation