The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-27
IS IT MURDER ?
.p,oUs DISAPPEARANCE OF
JOHN n. FORDACE'
,a,e Oils Trip to Kan.
an a Cattle speculation
All Trace of Him Lost.
srsp,,ION OF FOUL PLAY.
,aence OF the Register.

,-,.aDondence OI ZIG Nos4
o0 CAMBRIDGE, o., March 26.
Mao, unessineSs hss existed in this
n,ri,y for the past three weeks as
ov.Ifs1s of John N. Fordyce, the
,,ep. Of the Baltimore and ONO rail-
=, this ststion. We have hitherto
,t..;nsd from any mention of the mat
=, the request OF Mr.. Fordyce's
lands, who hoped sgslnst hspe that ne
i.,, be found, and did not wish to
.as,a.,ly alarm his wife, who had just
..,,owsd her mother 10 the grave. But
vbep il is reasonably certain that
INA terrible calamity has overtaken
,;u i, becomes our duty to present all
-. fact. 10 the public. Six weeks ago
-, Sunday Mr.. Ford,ce started West
hn.;ness relating to 8 cattle specula-
Il seems that during Mr.. For
.,ca'. yi.i. to the West, last summer, ne
ma, man by the name OF NJ. T. Swan,
.,, clsined 70 be one Of the wealthy
..,ls drovers OF Wyoming territory.
r,s. ance Mr.. FOrdyce's return from
that triy he hss been receiving letters
.4 ,,,nosss from this man Swan, who
D.o,e..ed 70 have a large government
.,,,rse, for the delivery OF cattle. For
t,cs apally consented to go in with him
:. ana opers,ion. When he left Cam
h,;dcs six weeks ago it was with the in
,,n,ion of meeting Swan at Omaha
From tbst city they expected TO go to
v,,.,c4'. arm in Kansas where Fordyce
h.t three hundred fat cattle. Aler put
,,.y these title into the contract For.
d,c. proposed going to Texas to buy
.,o,her drove and bring them North.
Wien Mr. FOrdyce lett Cambridge be
r,o,seded TO Chicago. where he sold some
,inothy ard clover seeds snd drew about
uOJO He then went TO Council Bluffs,
from which place he telegraphed to the
F-r Ns.iOusl Bank Of Cambridge for
$500 10 be cent oy express in care OF
IA. .,cn! ST Omaha. He received the
money and proceeded to Kansas City
Oa February 18th, be sent 5000 from
K.nsu City TO the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad company. This is the last clew
tbs. hss been obtained OF his where
,bouu. Over month hiss elapsed and
NO trace of him can be discovered. Mr..
fordycs was 8 very prompt business
man. and when away from home
nsvsr allowed week TO pass
rithoa, writing two or three
letters 70 his friends at home. His
brother George went West TO search for
him, but returned on Sunday last with
ou. discovering single fact that throws
the es,. light on the matter. AT ksn-
tn City be found the name OF j. \. For
dyce ou the register o. hotel, but,
strange TO ssv. the name had been almost
entirely erased, and could only be de-
epbered bv 4 person intimately acqsinted
With the signature. Samuel Fordyce, OF
Spencers StsuoD, another brother OF
John, left on Tuesday for Kansas City
viii the purpose, il possible, Of solving
the mystery.
As John intended to go direct from
Kansas City to his farm IN Kansas, and
m be never rese I'D the farm, 1t is feared
that be hiss been murdered either IN Kan
su City or somewhere between that city
and his farm. The amount OF money he
nsd 10 hs possession renders stronger
the presumption Of foul play. He never
freGusnled Questionable resorts; never
drank sny Intoxicating liquors, and WAS
s,s OF the bee. young men in this COM
muniiy, srd wss held IN high favor by
tie Bs.irore and Ohio Railroad Com
psny, in whose employ he had been for
many years. Everybody loved him for
bis .msbllity and uprightnees. so
there cs1 be no other theory OF his mys-
n'iOu' disappearance than that OF foul
pay.
TIE Me many rumors aaoat, but IN The
Above We have given what we believe to
BE- The facts 10 the case. In addition We
would say that many people believe that
tie man Swan is in some way connected
With the sudden and mysterious dissp-
psarsnce OF Mr.. Fordyce. Some 60 30
i,r As 10 believe ihs, Fordyce VAS the
victim o; conspiracy, and that be ""
lurst 10 the West and then murdered for
he money he had with him. OF course,
this is merely CO. lecture. However 1t
may De, the disappearance IN thi. wsy OF
\ man like Jonn \. Fordyce is calculated
70 excite the greatest uneasiness IN the
niads OF his friends aud neighbors. The
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Of
Ihis pIsce, OF which Mr.. Fordyce WAS
member in high standing, is making
strenuous AIertious 10 discover the true
history Of the disappearance.