River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-06-06
The Fate of Mr.. Leatherby.

u SOi1-CNiAG1 NIoAA
following advertisement has been standing
in two Of the leading Chicago and St.
Louis papers:
Mysterious isappeaTance-$5O0 re-
ward. On the evening of the Sd of De-
cember, Mr. Jerome r. Leatiierby left his
home on North Fifth street, Burlington,
for the purpose, as he stated of visiting
friends in the city. He has never since
been seen, and nothing heard of him, the
missing man is forty years OF age, i've
feet and seven inches high, with blue
eyes and light hair, close cut beard
was very particular in his dress; speaks
very deliberately and in deep voice; is
short sighted and wears glasses, and
has deep scar on the back of the right
hand. $500 will be paid by his relatives
at Burlington FOR any information that
will lead to is recovery, if living, or the
recovery of his body, if dead Here fol-
lnRs the address OF the adviser.
to this paragraph, pTesuming that it was
one of those ordinary cases of disappearance
In which the disappeared will reappeaI
of his own accord, if his friends vii. only
have patience and wait until he has spent
all his money. But as time passed on
and the absent Mr.. Leatherbv did not
turn up, we became interested, examined
the description of the missing man more
carefully, and, after making few In
quiries, took the liberty of writing to the
journals to which reference has been
made, AMI ordering the discontinuance
Of the advertisement without consulting
the interested parties, confident that we
could throw a flood of light upon the
mystery, and knowing that the advertise
ment was hereafter useless.
On the evening of December Sd, the
date of Mr.. LeatheTby's sudden and
mysterious disappearance, for 1t is to
be remarked, in passing, that all mys-
ferrous disappearances are sudden; no
one ever heard or read an article about
a gradual and mysterious disappear
ance of anybody; on the night of the
Sd of December, we were sitting in the
sanctum Of the Hark-Ege when knock
at the door announced a visitor, whom
we somewhat angrily called unon to
come i'm 1t always anuOys an editor
to hear a knock at the sanctum door.
The only people who knock are people
who have charity subscriptions, ball
tickets for sale, favors to ask, original
poetry to publish, or advice to give
away We must confess that our anger
not only passed away, but that we felt
somewhat ashamed of it when the visitor
entered. As we recall his gentlemanly
address, his respectable appearance, the
mild blue eyes, the well-kept beard, the
deliberate, impressive utterance of our
visitor, we can see the very man de-
scribed so infinitely in the advertisement,
which is herein placed before our
readers. Our interview with the stranger
was not long one, bat there are cir
cumstances connected with it which in
dell5iy stamped the image of Its principal
actor in our memory, and lend an abid-
ing interest to what otherwise might,
and indeed would, have been bat tire
some, ordinary, everyday incideng of a
newspaper Office.
After few moments conversation on
general topics, tie stranger drew from a
vest pocket small scrap, which appeared
to be a newspaper clipping. Il have
here" he remarked, with the slightest
trace of hesitation, which was lost in the
air of eagerness and interest which at
once took possession of his manner, 81
have here probably one of the most inter.
est.ng and remarkable little literary waits
that has ever come to my notice. 1t is
very old, and its we'll authenticated anti
guilty dating back as far as 1859, and
the remarkable prophecies which it makes,
and most ofwhich have in our own time
been so infinitely fulfilled, lend it an
air of interest that nothing else in Eng
lish literature can claim. 1t IS called
Mother Symptoms Prophecy and reads
as follows:
an twice two-hundred years the Bear
The Crescent shall assail;
Bat il the Cock and Bull unite,
The Bear shall not prevail
Pat look; in twice ten years"
Save bv ourselves the office was desert
ell the hour was late; the provOcation
was maddening; the temptation irresist-
lille. 1t is not for us to pry into myster
les of that awful Sd of December. We
can only say it is useless to advertise for
the missing Mr.. Leatherby. We can only
say that no one can ever come forward to
claim the reward, under either OF the con-
ditions set forth in the advertisement. 1t
is our firm belief that jerome r. Leather
by never completed his reading of 'Moth-
er Sbipton's Prophecy" 1t is our can
did opinion that deep and awful mys-
terv surrounds the events which immedi
dteiN SuCCcBUtO HIS lut6iA u1tCd 1CAuiAlS
on the hideous night. Further tran what
we have already said, we will never say.
We will only say to those who mourn for
the missing man to waste no time and
money in fir, itless advertising, but go
right ahead and administer upon the es-
tate with neatness and dispatch. There
will be no trouble about 1T. No man who
comes into this office with a copy of
Mother Symptoms Prophecy" for publica-
ton, will be very likely to interfere with
aav settlement of his estate that his
heirs at law and their legal advisers may
see fit to make This is an uncertain
world, but nothing in it is more certain
than that that man will, at all times sub
sequent &c that date in his career, be a
patient, quiet, peaceable citizen, never
given 10 quoting poetry or talking poll
ties, and very much addicted to staying
right where they lay him.
IN Make a Good Wife VnhaDDy.