Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-05-12
MYSTERIOUS
Disappearance of q Promi-
nent Ottumwa business
Man. 20
Every Effort Made to Find
Him. Proves Futile.
Fears that he has been EoulIy
Dealt With.

DGktAU w 1sA.
Mr.. John w. La Force, for some
years resident and pEominen. bust
ness man of Ot;umwa, LETT the city
on the 2Sth of March !or Salem, Mis-
souri,, where he has, in connection
with Mr.. Morse, his partners dry
goods store. He left there on the I,h
of April Tor ST. Louis, on business for
the firm OF liz Force & Morse. lie
got to ST Louis on the 9th, and regis.
tered until tie night Of the nh OF
April at the Everett House, and his
friends here have no. heard from him
since that time. fstS
He had, when he left the city. BE-.
tween $500 and $500, and Mr.. Morse
sent him by express about 5000. He
also got $500 or $500 at Salem, Mis-.
souri,. He was in Missouri looking
after real estate, and went TO 81. Louis
to buy bill OF goods Tor their house
in this city. Mr.. Morse has heard Of
no real estate transactions made by
Mr.. La Force since the time mentions
ed. His destination was West Plains,
Howell county, but he never got there.
lie bought . bill Of goods in St. I.onis'
and they were shipped on his order to
the firm in this city and were received
by them at the time they were ex.
peeted. He went as far as Salem as
above stated, and found he would not
have the ume 10 60 to West Plaips and
back to 81 Louis,to buy the goods a.
intended, and returned from Salem to
st. Louis.
4 The fact in regard to his being miss
ed came about as follows: Mr.. Morse
kept writing to Mr.. LaForce at Salem,
and their clerk at Salem finding the
letters following him to that place
came to the conclusion that as Mr.. L.
had not returned 10 Salem, as expeot-
cd, the query Arose as to where he
could be. He thsns sent . telegram to
Nj. Morse In this city making inquiry
IS to his (La Force's) whereabouts, and
thus the discovery was made that he
was missing AZ soon as the above
facts became known Mr.. Morse left
this city. 10 try and ind some trace Of
him.. lie went 70 Salem and from
there back to st. Louis, and every
where else Mr.. Il Force was likely to
go, and finally employed the best de-
tectiye talent 10 the city OF st. Louis
to look him up, bnt up to this writing
without svail. &.
Mt. Morse entertaius the idea THAI
La Force has been either foully dealt
with, or Is laboring under temporary
ALTERATION OF mind, and can explain
the matter no other way. 4
Mr.. La Force has been resident Of
Wapello county number Of years
and IL well konwn to every person In
the county almost. He was about 40
or A years Of age, about 5 feet inches
high, dark completed, dark eyes, wore
full black whiskers and moustache,
slightly tinged with gray. He had on
when he left dark suit of clothes and
also wore DARK blue orer coat and
silk hat and sewed boots. His fore.
head was rather prominent and bis
head a little tending toward badness
He wore no jewelry. but had large
quantity of papers ssd documents that
would fully identify him. He was a
sociable, pleasant spoken man, and one
very easily to get acquainted with.
II any person residing this item,
should know of any clew that would
lead to his discovery. either dead or
alive, they will be amply compens-
ased by addressinx Mr.- Morse Of this
city. a.
Mr.. La Force has a-wifc and a
brother residing here, ana Ifs mys.
ferrous disappearance canscs them IN
speakable anguish. In their sad az
Fiction they have the sympathy of the
entire community, and it is the hope
and wish of oil who know him and
them that he may again be speedily
restored to his family and fficnds.
Newspapers throughout The west
will do a generous action in calling at
tention to ,he disappearance Of Mr..
La Force.