Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-21
THE PURCELL Mystery.

Thomas P. Purcell, who arrived in Sacra
meneo from Weaverville September $, 1879
and on the 10Th of the same month dropped
out of sight and has never since been heart
of. His correct habits, his possession OF
considerable sum of money, his attachment
to his family, his rather reticent habits, MI
regular correspondence with his sister, al
led his friends to believe that he had beer
foully dealt WITH and that he had not volun
tarily absented himself and had not secreteC
himself. There was in his case no known
motive for suicide, no reason to rur
away, no earthly reason for yelling hi
whereabouts in obscurity. No other theory
could be taken up except that which involves
the doctrine Of the case being one in which
murder has been done. Officer jackson wa;
called into the case early, and his search Of
nearly two years utterly fails to reveal any
facts to lead to change of belief as to what
has become Of Thomas 2. Purcell. In order
to give full understanding of the facts
which have developed since Saturday. brlei
resume of the case is necessary. Purcell ar
rived here September s, 1879, to attend the
State Fair and TO buy into some business
he had considerable sum of money. he
was sober, not given to picking up &C
quaintances at hsphazard, was of good hab'
and devoted correspondent with his sisters.
One Of these lives in Virginia City. While here
lie wrote letters in ststioner's store and
received letters in care of that store. be
went to a dry goods house and bought and
paid for S66 worth Of goods, and for some m
scrutable reason he left at that store on de-
post S45. He went to the Capital Savings
Bank and cashed check drawn in his favor
by his sister for about the sum the goods
cost. He was properly identified at the
bank The stationer's clerk recognizes his
photograph. The bank books show that he
was in the bank in person. This was Sep
TENDER Goth. Since that day he has not
been heard of. He brought to the city an
old-fashioned hair trunk and a peculiar old
styled leather hat-box, which up TO Saturday
Mr.. jackson had been utterly unable to find.
Saturday morning Jacob Schmid, who keeps
the Mechanics Exchange Hotel, on l street,
near Front, read the account of Purcelis
disappearance in the RECORD UNION, and
as soon as he saw the description of the bag
gage he recognized it, and Immediately pro-
ceeded to Chief of Police Karcher and told
him he believed that baggage was then in his
hotel. Mr.. Karcher at once proceeded to the
hotel and found the trunk and hat-box of
Purcell. They were slowed away in the
baggage room, and were covered thickly with
dust, and had evidently been undisturbed
since their receipt at the hotel. Mr.. Schmid
said that all he knew of the baggage was that
it had been brought TO his house-accsrding
to the statement of his clerk-Septembe 10,
1879. That date the clerk marked on the
tag attached to the trunk. The clerk says
that all he knows of it is, that
q wagon drove to the hotel and
the driver deposited the baggage in the
hotel, saying he was instructed to do SO.
Purcell never registered at Schmid's house,
has never been there, is unknown to anyone
connected with the hotel. and no one has
called for the baggage or asked to see it since
the day of its deposit. It is not the custom
of this house to sell unclaimed baggage, and
the officers believe that fact must have been
known to whomsoever sent it there, for it
now develops that it came from house that
does sell unclaimed baggage, TO wit the
Western Hotel. Mr.. Land, the proprietor
of this house, finds from his records that
G. NJ. Purcell registered at the West
ern September s. 1873 but no Thomas
P. Purcell ever registered there. g. NJ
Purcell had bed in the hall and left the
baggage described, and the baggage-master
pasted on the trunk Western Hotel label,
by which the fact that it came from the
Western to the Mechanics Hotel was dis
covered. After such deposit and registry
PARCEL was never heard of at the Western.
How his baggage came to be taken
to the Mechanics is mystery. Many
people, it is found, however, give baggage
checks to hotel.runners, and subsequently
order the baggage from the hotel to other
points, without registering at the hotel.
This is, indeed, very common. Mr.. Land
says the name &c. M. Purcell" is on the
register in his handwriting. and he don't
think that he could have made such a mistake
as to write G. 3. for Thos P, but he might
have done so. The tags on the baggage
bear the name Thos. Purcell The writing
is poor /; it is not Purcel's Had he have
written it he would not have omitted the
initial "P., =" as it was his custom, always, to
use it. One of the tags is blank CONNER
cial tag, the other is a Mechanics Hotel
card, but these cards are distributed freely
elsewhere than at the hotel. The hand
writing on both tags is the same. The bag
gage driver at the Western thinks, but is not
be took the packages to the Me-
chanics, but has no memory as to who gave
the order. John A. Robinson was then
clerk at the Western and had charge of all
baggage. He is now in Benson, A. T.,
and was yesterday written to. 1t is
exceedingly desirable to know now if
any express wagon driver in Sacramento
remembers having carried that baggage, or
if any driver remembers having had
the checks for it, in possession. A new mys-
terry now surrounds the case: where was Pur-
cell from September 18th to September 26th.
that he paid no attention to his baggage
Indeed, why did he neglect it from Septem-
Der 9Th to September Doth? He arrived Sep.
TENDER 9Th he cashed the check and bought
the goods and disappeared September 265h /;
but September 18th his baggage was trans
ferred as stated. Chief Karcher and officer
Jackson opened the trunk and hat-box Sat
urday. In the trunk was found full lot of
gentleman's wearing apparel, under and outer
wear, white shirts, etc., all in as perfect con-
dition as when packed. Among the lot is
very fine full. dress suit, from shoes to "swal-
low-tair' coat and silk scarf. In the hat-box
is good beaver hat, lot of good collars, an
opsn-faced silver watch and a silver chain, a
carte de visite photograph of Purcell, and a
lot of letters from Purcell's sisters. Tied to
the hat.box is a sack, apd in it is a miners
working suit. There are other facts con-
nected with the case, publication of which is
not deemed expsdient just now. The search
for Purcell has begun afresh, and that must
suffice for the present.
METROPOLITAN THEATER. : The Capital
Theater troupe appeared again at the Metro
politan Thester Saturday afternoon and
evening. The matinee was but lightly at
tended. At night good house greeted the
company. The programme preceding the
play was much like that already noticed.
The actors were more at ease, and the
specialties were given with success. Mason,
Cummings and Dingle especially were success
full in entertaining the audience The play,
Rose; or, Deadwood's Pet" closed the
evenings entertainment, and presented
prominently Miss Vernon and Messrs. Mason,
Nall Dinnln and Rraa AIicS Nnnro., IA