New-York tribune., 1879-04-28
LOOPING FOR COLONEL GROESBECK.
HIS FRIENDS THINK HE WILL RETURN.

| HIS REVOLVER BOX POUND EMPTY - GhNhhhL
BooKER's AND ALGERNoN s. sULIIvANs VIEWS
| COLONEL GROEsBECK's FAMILY RELATIONS.
The mysterious disappearance of Colonel John
Groesbeck, which was published exclusively In HE
| TRIBUNE, was the subject of general discussion IN
| Wall-st circles on Saturday IL had been known
previously to only few personal friends. Colonel
Groesbeck for nearly two years had ceased to be an
| operator in stocks. and like many others
who had met heavy reyerses, his move
ments ceased to attract special attention,
| 1t was universally conceded that his losses
eliminated in the Summer of 1877, when the tele-
| graph companies effected their pooling arrange
! ments. He suddenly found himself short" of
Western Union stock and suffered loss of $780,
600. which took all his ready money and left him
heavily in debt
Colonel Groesbeck was very fond of his daughter,
and her recent triumph in an amateur operate
performance a of great pleasure to him.
His friends in this city said on Saturday that no
credence was given to the theory Of suicide, as he
was man who never acted from impulse, being
methOdica in all his transactions. They expressed
the belief that he had quietly sought fields In
which to retrieve his broken fortune, and that he
would return and make good all his losses here AT
the Fifth Avenue Hotel it was stated that he
had borrowed small sums from personal friends,
being proud to apply to his relatives for assist
ance and that his relatives who had been here dld
not believe that he had committed suicide or he
come a victim to violence The matter was not
brought to the notice of the police authorities, the
family preferring to seek him and to render him
assistance quietly
An empty box has been found in Colonel Groes-
beck's room at the hotel, which had contained a
large RemiugtO revolver, with barrels of the same
size as the cartridges winch were previously DIS
covered. Ii stated last night by gentleman
intimate with Colonel GroesbecRs affairs: " lie
was lust the man TO have deliberately taken his
L. had bppu lpuregSeU
time on account of his heavy losses, and
rather than be burden upon his relatives
he would prefer death. lt is known that
an application TO his brother, the Hon. w:
S. GrOesbeck, for aid refused. The Colonel
was deeply attached to MS daughter, who Is with
Mrs. Wilson,, his mother-ln-law. believe that
Colonel GToesbeck has wandered off TO some unfre
Quented place and taken his lite by sending bullet
through his brains; and IN tn nope that his body
NAV not be found and recognized be has spared his
daughter the ignOminy by not leaving her parting
message before his rash act Word has been sent To
his brother William ;. GrOesbeck, OF the fears enter
tanned, and he is expected IN the city IN few
days"
WHAT GENERAL HOOKER THINKS.
Major-General Joseph Hooker Colonel Groes-
beck's brother-n-aw. is living at Garden City, L.
l. He said on Saturday 81 do not believe that Col
Onel John has committed suicide He isn't the sort
of man to do that. 1t Is the last supposilon that
/ should entertain respecting HIM. AN surprised
to learn that lie has lost his money. | thought he
knew enough to keep that. But Wall-st. gets the
best of every one who ventures in it, If he only
stays long enough. 1t is like whiskey in that
spect and tanges man at last ii he doesn't leave
il. Colonel GTOesbeck was in the Army and
acquitted himself well. do not recall that
he was Shiloh any other famous battle, but he
was in several skirmishes, and displayed much
bravery. But he somewhat eccentric, and left
the Army i'll 1862, returning to Cincinnati, where
he married Miss Wilson, very accomplished
wOman but owing to some social reasons his sisters
would not recognize her. This has prevented me
from knowing much of the Colonel as | other
| al,.. hlG IA hIE homo gala
saw ms daughter, when an infant.
"The Groesbeck family consisted Of four sisters
and two brothers One of the sisters was married
TO Colonel Burnett, of Cincinnati another to Mr.
GAYLORD, of Philadelphia the third to AlgenOn S.
Sullivan, of New-York and the fourth married.
| remember that the feeling between John
and his sisters was very strong When /
| brought my wife home from Europe she
was very sick with consumption. sent him
word that she would not live, but he did not come
to see her. His brother always visited him when
in the city, and they were ON the most friendly
| terms. lie was passlonatey fond of his daughter
who 49, am told very beautiful and accom-
plished young woman. believed that she was all
he was living for, and that he was doing all he could
TO educate her. He sent her to the best schools
am sorry he has lost his money. Why, when be
pulled up stakes and left Clncinnati-and he has
never been back there, think-he had $500, 900
His father had left HIM large fortune, and he
| realized handsomely from some houses he built. l
used to meet HIM on the street in NewYork, and
we always greeted each other cordially. renlem-
Der once that met him IN picture gallery and we
had long talk. His family has not known much of
him, as he very proud and reticent. lie may
have gone away hoping 20 retrieve his losses, but
don't think he has made way with himself. IL is
possible that the reports of the new mines in Utah.
near Salt Lake, and at Leadvllle, Colorado have
Influenced him TO West to try to make his fortune
in mining stocks. 1 hopewe may soon learn how
and where he Is"
VIEWS OF ALGERNoS S. SULLIVAN.
AlgernOn S. sullivan, another brother-in. law of
the missing man, was visited yesterday at his resi-
dence No. "a West Eeventh-st. Mr.. Sullivan said:
81 have no theory respecting his disappearance
but scout the idea of suicide-it is utterly foreign
to his nature. lie very moral and upright
man. Although lenent to the failings of Others he
had no charity for faults or moral delinquency. /
think he was somewhat cynical. and thought so
ciety was too easy with men, and overlooked too
much. lie somewhat eccentric; not odd, in the
sense that his mental state not all right, but he
had many pecullarities / cannot reconcile the
thought that he entertained the idea of self
destruction with my knowledge of the man, unless
mental depression from his losses had caused q
masdy of which that is the result. This is some
times the The Colonel was the picture of
health. Although over sixty years old he was re-
markaby we-preseryed, looking not more than
ffty His brown hair had no tnge of gray.
81 saw him on the day before he was last seem
two weeks ago Friday, think. was going in the
hotel by the private entrance and met him coming
out. He looked very well, and was, thought, re-
spect to his personal affairs but astonished at
the account of his Impoverished condition. had
heard the rumoT that he had been cleaned OUT "a
they say on the street, but supposed that he had
at least moderate competence left. 1T Is painful
surprise t. know how 1t / think he las gone
away to better his fortunes"
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