Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1880-01-01
A1iyc. but Mourned as Dead.

-rIIy,:. -.',.. -. = H..-u
utiiolueu Ill " coutv Vi Jaw, III tue uAo"'I
OF October, 1873, Mr.. Randolph Payne was
living apparently IN content with his par
ents at Moulsey ON the lhames. There
was no presumption OF his being In debt
or dlilleultles, and, as was natural IN the
case OF tree and single man, he one day
announced his intention OF running down
to wales Tor short holiday. lie did not
conceal hls object or his destination, and
ne promised faithfully TO be BACK on a GER
tam uay IN order 10 keep MS mother
birthday at home. lie arrived mt Bar
mouth on Saturday night, and putting
up at hotel, he renamed IDLY lounging
about untl! the monday, morning, when
he was seen leaving the house very early
IN order to bathe In the sea, There was
no mystery or concealment whatever. lie
lett his watch ardt trinkets on the dressing
table OF MS room, good and ub'tantlaI
breakfast had been ordered to await hlm
on hls return, and he was seen going
down to the sea clad IN long lister coat
and swinging his bathing towel; Later
IN the day, at a secluded spot on the beach
were found the clothes OF Randolph Payne,
left where he had put them oft, and, as
nothing more was seen OF HIM, the only
conclusion that could be arrived at was
the very natural one that the bather had
been drowned. Careful search was made
but no body was discovered: The par
ents were communicated with, and in n
state OF great mental distress they came
downto yarmouth to identity the clothes
found on the beach and the trinkets left
IN the room. That birthday which was to
have been so happy at home, with the at
tectlonate mother was spent IN mourning
for lost son; advertisements OF the death
were inserted in the newspapers, and the
lega. representatives., after a decent inter
val, proceeded to the distribution Of the
supposed dead mans effects. Among
these were certain policies OF insurance.
and 1t became necessary for the father to
apply on the lst CT April OF the present
year. or SIX months after the disappear.
ance, fora grant OF administration on
presumption OF death. Insurance compan.
les are notoUously-and perhaps Justly
SensltlSe IN paying uppollce' without the
actual proof OF death, which IN this In
't''HN' -" "N' A'i l'''' ~ W 'l'llN ~ Hhl
The sea delivered up It's dead. But the
facts appeared to be so clear to the Court,
and the details OF the case were so distress
,lng that the grant OF administration was
accorded. The natural supposltlon was
that the man was drowned, and the presl-
dent OF the court, IN spite Of a previous
case trled before the late Chief Baron, in
which the insurance company resisted n
clam, and the Jury found for the plaintiff
under almost precisely similar circum-
stances did not hesitate to give the legal
representatives. the benefit otthe doubt.
Here end the trst act OF the drama
The scene changes IN July OF the present
wear to San Francisco, where there arrived
Mr.. Donald Drysdalc, Il merchant of
Mlncing lane, who, having known the
| Payne family intimately, was able to re-
cognl2e the form and features OF their Ia
vorlte SOM and almost the first person MI.
Drysdae met in San Francisco was Ran
dOlph Payne. There was odisguise; the
recognition was instant and complete.
The city merchant had left his old friends
in England mourning for their boy; he
had probably read the obituary advertise.
ment ana seen the commemorative head
stone; he might well have added his gen.
erous comfort to soothn thenatural sorrow
Of the distressed mother; he was tamilia'
with the convincing details Of the cIothe,
left on the shore, the watch and ring,
found in the room, the ordered breakfast
and MI the presumptive evidence OF IN
accident; while all the time mere was
Randolph Payne, the truaTt, living under
an assumed name in San Francisco, care
less Of the agony he had caused, and sat
isHed with the death and life" which hC
bad wilfully and deliberately assumed
The explanation Of this strange proceed
ing was very simple. The runaway wa
pecunlary difficulties, and unabletO fac,
the exposure Of commercial disgrace
What he did was done deliberately ant
with Consummate art. The morning bath
the deserted iewelry and the anticipate,
breakfast were all parts of a skllIuly ar
ranged plot, while Il double sult Of clothes
both hidden under the ulster when tn
bather went down to the sea, complete,
, the materials for deception. There GIL
! bc no doubt that every trick Of the kin,
is attended with certain risks. No man
for instance, who was habitually attendo
z bv servant, or whose wardrobe was per-
odically overlooked, could wisely have at
tempted such an imposition. II dependc
70" success on an assumed Ignorance G
his personal property on the part c
t others. If an observant attendant q
t the hotel had remarked the contents q
. the portmanteau, or any one at home ha
. missed n familiar suit. Ran1Olph Pawn