The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-25

,olution, probably, as 1t ever will be. The
committee which has bad the matter in
charge since the day after Mr.. MoColloch 30
disappeared have concluded to
drop the matter, pay their bills and disband.
They held a sort OF an informal meeting yes.
terday afternoon, at which full and com.
plete statement Of their operations was made.
The committee, with the aid OF q member
Of Pinkerton's detective force, O. Z. Stanley,
selves OF some facts about the case, while
other features Of themy stery they have never
been able to explain.
AREsuME OF THE CASE.
Mr.. McColloch was last seen in Wheeling
on the night Of Friday, November 16. He
had been busily engaged all day working at
his duties as Clerk OF the Circuit Courts, and
instead OF going to his home in the country
at supper time, as was his custom, took tea
with his brother-in-law, DR.. George Baird,
and afterwards returned TO work at his office
in the court house, where he remained until
House, and was there seen by Judge Melvin
atler o'clock. BE also bought two Cinoin-
natl papers, proceeding not at all usual for
him. he made some little purchases, such
as yeast and the like, which indicated his in
tention to go home. he was probably last
seen aud recognized by Constable Steve Will
cox, who passed aim on Market street, going
south, about the time he Is supposed to have
left the Mcclure House. 5,...y
&c did not come to the Office the next day,
but nothing was thought Of this by his clerk,
John Roemer, until Mrs. McColloch called
at the office about noon on Saturday 10 see
her husband. It then became evident that
something waa wrong. DR.. Baird was tele-
phoned to, but could offer no satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION Of the affair. The report rapidly
spread that Clerk MoColloch was missing,
and at once foul play was suspected.
Then followed search OF the various
routes the missing man might have taken In
going home, which, as DIR. Baird once remark
ed, was SO careful and thorough that had q
hair been left as a clue 1t must have been
found. But 1t was ell In vain. The creek
was dragged, onlyerts searched, and every
nook where body could be concealed was
examined, but no trace OF the missing man
found. t
THE COMMITTEE TAKES HOLD.
On the Monday following the disappear
ance nesting OF the bar was held, ut which
Messrs. a. NJ. Ruslsll, Robert White and
William Erskine were appointed committee
to conduct search for Mr.. McCollooh. The
next day, In accordance with suggestion
from this meeting, the Board OF Com.
misdoners also met, appropriated Sl,00O TO
defray the expenses OF the search, aad ap.
pointed President Woods and Joseph speidel
q committee TO act with the bar committee.
The latter committee had also q fund Of
nearly $500at Its disposal, raised by subscrip-
tion at the meeting. The joint committee at
once telegraphed to gentleman in Chicago,
well known here, 10 employ competent
detective to work on the case. Mr.. @. d.
Stanley, OF whose qualifications for the work
the members OF the committee speak most
highly, reported to the committee the next
day, aud his work commenced at once.
II must be remembered that the city police
force and the friends OF Clerk McColloch had
already done all they could toward solving
the mystery. Every clue which offered was
seized hold OF, and some good detective work
was done, particularly by Chief Of Police
Bennett. Volunteer assistants for any ser.
vice that was wanted were not lacking, and
as was often remarked, never did any event
OF the kind awake suoh general public
interest. Much Of this was due to the missing
mans personal popularity, but as much
more to the fact that an important meeting OF
the Circuit Court Of which he was clerk was
TO open on the Monday following his dis
appearance.
ANEW BEGINNING. ,4.
When Mr.. s,snley began to work on the
case he commenced at the beginning taking
results OF no former Investigation, but going
10 first hands for every seeming clue and
RAINING down every chain Of circumstances
that seemed to offer any hope, and a good
many that seemed to offer none. He worked
for several days, and was then as much at a
loss as ever, and as much at sea as anybody.
No motive Of any character, pecunialy, fam:
lily or secisl, could be discovered for Mr..
McColloch's voluntary departure, no object
ia removing him iorcibly or inducing him TO
der art could be imsgined on the part OF any
one, and 1t was not believed he could have
been murdered without leaving come trace.
Even yet nothing has been discovered that
would induce reasonable man to 50
away, and so far as any motive for Mr.. Nc
ColIoch's departure Is concerned the com:
mittee and Mr.. Stanley are "a much in the
dark to-day as ever.
In the work Of the committee and the de-
tectiye, the aid OF the city police force was
found yalusblp. Captain Bennett kindly
offered any aaaistan 70 within his power, and
be and officer Bob Junkins, at the request oil
the committee, did some good work on the
case, Junkins spending several days in Pitts
burgh looking tp clue which proved to be
without foundation.
The theory OF foul play, was, as already re-
marked, abandoned early in the search. The
disappearance, member OF the committee
said yesterday, was the only circumstance
that pointed to q crime, and short but care
ful invest CATION led to the conclusion that
none had been committed.
qHE RIGHT LEAD. 81
In the course Of his investigations Mr..
Stanley learned enough TO suspect that Nc
Colloch had left the city on the sleeping car
attached to the B. & o. train leaving the city
at l1:l6 P. N. Itso happened that change
In the running Of trains was made on eatur.
day, November II, the day after the disap.
pearance, by which the sleeper was taken of
Of this train. Therefore, when an inquiry
was made OF the Baltimore and Ohio depot,
the information was given that no sleeper
left at 11:l5 This threw the detective of the
track, but Mr.. speidel, OF the Committee.
hearing OF this, explained the matter, and
further investigation showed that a sleeping
car was attached to the 11:16 train on Friday
night for the last time.
This confirmed Mr.. SANKEY'S suspicious,
aud be ct once DEVOTED his attention to work.
ing on this clue, and found plain sailing.
comparatively speaking, for q number Of
days. -'ll...-
he first saw the sleeping.car porter, col
ored man named George P. Kelly, who was
highly spoken OF by railroad men, and he
told a very straight story. BE said stranger
came aboard OF his car while It was lying in
the baltimore & Ohio depot here, between
hali-past nine pnd half:psst ten on the night
OF the 18th, and said he was very tired and
would like to go to bed right away. Hegave
Kelly q $40 bill 10 buy him . ticket TO 90,
lumbuB, and inquired very particularly
about connections there for Cincinnati. The
porter told him Panhandle train left
shortly after his train arrived, he thought
for Cincinnati. He made up the stranger's
berth at once, the latter constantly hurrying
him, noel Of the time standing impatiently
by him, and when the work was done at
once retired. - e. -. ,..tGs
IT WAS SAN M'coI1ocH.
From The description given by the porter,
there can be little doubt that this was Mr..
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