Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-19
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
The Singular Case of Purcell Missing
Man.

Almost every day, in some of the many
newspapers of the world, accounts appear Of
the unaccountable disappearance of people.
In fully half the cases. the veil of mystery Is
never lifted. Men drop out of sight sud-
denly. and their nearest friends are unable TO
trace the steps of their going. Sometimes
the sad secret is covered by the word "sui-
eide" again the unseating of reason leads the
man astray and into regions from which no
tidings OF him ever come. Sometimes
murder is the shroud that covers the
mystery, and makes it darker still, while
in other cases kidnapping, Strengthening or abb
duction serve to blot out individuals from the
community where known. Sacramento jour
mails bear the incomplete records of many
mysterious disappearances. Perhaps the
most unaceountsble was that of G. S. Coffin,
who left his bed in the night, and though
soon missed. has never since been heard of,
aud Of whose taking off not the slightest clue
has been found. How, and when, and
where, officer Chamberlain was done to his
death has never been told for certainty.
Then, there are men who disappear, OF whom
the general public have never heard. They
come into q city strangers they disappear,
and that is the last ever known Of them.
Often advertisements appear asking for in
formation of d missing son, or father.
or wife, OF daughter, and of these cases the
sequel is seldom made public.
One of the stransest cases OF disappearance
was that of Arthur O'Neil, a wel-known
citizen, who was seen one evening near the
corner of Fifth and L streets, and then had
in possession several hundred dollars. From
that moment he has never been heard OF.
Since then two thieves have been heard to
say that could a certain disreputable building
(si1ce destroyed by fre) speak, it would tell
where lay the bones of Arthur O'Neil. The
cellar of the building was dug over by direc-
ton of officers Jackson and Swift, on this
information, and people about the city were
led to believe that the digging was for hidden
treasure. It is remarkable that the informa-
ton leading TO this excavation came, as
stated, through two thieves, who gave the
first hint about the secret of the building
and these thieves made these statements
when far apart, one in Sacramento and one
in Elko, New, and to different persons
neither of whom knew of what knowledge of
that fact the other was possessed. This
comes very near being circumstance of the
positive order, which wears the significance
OF truth. But O'NeiPs body was not found,
and if it ever was hiddent there it was removed
before the officers got the scent.
Again the mysterious disappearance records |
opened and again an entry Is made in the |
fearful list a man named Thomas P. Pur- |
cell left Weaverville September s, 1879, to |
attend the State Fair at Sacramento. He |
has not been heard Of since, and is supposed |
to have been foully dealt with. He was |
known to have had several hundred dollars |
on his person, and it is also known that he
intended to buy into some active business.
He was about 50 years of age, was 3 feet Z |
inches high, and Of dark complexion. He /
was of temperate habits, never drank liquor,
and was of good family. He was devoted to
his family and friends. He was of
good address, well educated, and was
socially companionable man. He had
sister named Ella P. Purcell living
in Virginia City, New, also q married sister
living In San Francisco. He was in constant
correspondence with his sisters up TO the 23d
of September, 1879 The last trace of him
here was found to be on September &c, 1879
He left Weaverville with q small old-style
leather trunk, and also leather hat-box in
possession. Officer o. G. Jackson of the
Sacramento police force, has been working
up the case ever since September, 1879, and
is still on the search. He will pay a reward
of $50 for any information that will lead to
the discovery of the trunk and hat-bOx,
in the hope that there may prove to be clues.
Purcell received a check for S65 while in
and purchased bill of goods at prominent
dry goods store. and paid over to the mer-
chant the price asked. He left with the same
merchant SAG on deposit. which still stands
to his credit at that establishment. Officer
jackson advertised the missing man in the
RECORD UNION and sent his Photographic |
likeness to all the asylums and hospitals and |
police stations and leading officers in the |
State. His picture has been recog- |
H. GAovoH fbat of |
man who had written several letters in |
Fourth-street stationery and book store. |
These letters were address to the sister in |
Virginia City. Answers came to him adj |
dressed to the care of the stationer. One of |
these letters contained the sec before referred |
TO. The opinion of the officer now is that |
Purcell was Swallowed by some human |
vulture, murdered for his money, and his |
body successfully secreted, and that the muir
der took place ia this city.
The inquiry was naturally made of the |
officer yesterday why nothing beyond the adj |
vertisement which ran for two weeks or more
has ever been published concerning this case |
In reply, he SAYS that the family of Purcell /
knew of all the steps taken for his discovery, |
as well as several other citizens, but public |
ity was avoided in order to further the |
search. In this endeavor score or more of |
"jobs,p as officers term them, were put up to |
lead suspected parties into traps that |
would disclose clues in the case. In these |
proceedings tests were applied, without |
their knowledge, to all who saw or knew Pur- |
cell here, in order to evolve any possible |
facts. Purcell had been missing some months
before the fact was discovered that the man
who left deposit with the merchant was the !
missing man, and this fact was evolved by |
the discovery that the man who wrote the |
letters in the bookstore was Purcell, the |
sister having stated to whose care her letters
to her brother were addressed. Publicity Is |
now made of the case because officer jack |
SOP, Purcell's family and the Weaverville Of |
ficers confess that all their efforts to find the
man. or what became of his baggage, have |
come to nought His trunk was very pu-
culiar one and the leather hat-box, too, was
an old.fashioned affair, and unlike any other
under the sun. They hope now that the
facts are given to the public, that these arti-
eles may be turned up, and thereby pos
sible clue discovered.
a SURPRISE AND PREsENTAT1oN.-At 6
o'clock last evening Hook and Ladder Com
pany, No. 1, turned out of the truck-house,
on Fifth street, and went with rush to
Pioneer Hall in search of George A Putnam,
President of the Board Of Fire Commission
ers. They called MIR. Putnam out on the
excuse that one of the horses had been dis
abled, and fresh one must be supplied. 2.
F. Buckley then stepped forward and pre-
sented 70 the astonished Commissioner a
Pioneers solid gold badge, 1t consists
Of fve-pointed star, suspended from bar
bearing Mr.. Putnam's name. On the star,
in enamel is hook and ladder and the figure
l. with the letters below, rs. 2. i. d."
sacramento Paid Fire Department. 1t is
handsomely engraved, and is an exceedingly
nest and rich badge. Mr.. Buckley. in be-
half Of the company, made an appropriate
address. to which Mr. Putnam responded
with feeling He invited the "boys to
take something, but to the establishment of
the Oldest FIRE ladies they all unanimously
declined, but invited the President and by
ISLANDERS to come over to st. Paui's Church
and witness a drill, where the company went
through the Hook and Ladder manual
and movements with great celebrity, manifest
-. ,,-...fi ay,+ ,trifl end thorofloh efficiency