Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-25
NORwALK,s SENSATION,
An Absconding DoctOr-Mementoes of
 Financial Irregularities Left Behind

An Abscondfng DoctOr-Mementoes of Financial Irregularities Left Behind A Stir in Prominent Society Circles. Norwalk is so much interested over the sudden departure of a well known physician this week that nothing else is talked about there at present. This great interest is owing to the supposition that the absconding doc tor had been deeply interested in certain la dies, and he has left financial cloud. The physician in question is Dr. Lockwood, a Yale graduate, who has been practicing his
 profession in Norwalk for 15 years He
 has moved in the best society and is respec- tably connected and belongs to one of the wealthiest families. The Bridgeport Stand dard yesterday says: His only son, aged
 about fifteen, received Monday by mail, as is rumored, 8 note written by his father an-
 nouncing the departure and that he did not expect to come back This confirmed the rumors af1oat and caused excitement through out the town and vicinity and even in Dan
 bury, where he had practised his profession, and it was intensified when the contents of the letter were made public. Various stories
 were started, explaining the causes impelling
 the departure, but the following may be ac-
 cepted as very near the truth of the matter: About two years ago the absent one pur-
 chased seat in the Petroleum Exchange,
 New York. Others here had done so, and
 the doctor thought he might as well try his
 hand. He did so, and speculated largely,
 and for a time successful. Eventually
 however, he lost all he put in and large
 sum besides. To make this amount good
 he borrowed of the Fairfield County Nation
 al bank, on borrowed notes drawn by his late
 wife's mother, $11 ,00O. Doubts were yester-
 l 1 IL
 signatures of the mother-in-law, and when
 bank director was questioned for an opinion
 on the matter ho refused to answer. These
 notes have lain in the bank more than year,
 have been frequently renewed, but have not
 been materially reduced by payments. In view
 of tk9 well known financial standing
 of the drawer of the notes, the
 high position of the doctor and his fam
 fly, no fears were entertained by the bank
 that loss was likely to ensue. Up to recent
 period the doctor had an enormous practice
 and was believed by everybody to be making
 money. He drove fast horses, moved in the
 best circles, and was accepted as exem-
 plary wel1-to-do citizen. Of late however
 it has been observed that his practice had
 declined and while he was riding about town
 a good deal, there was nothing real back of it, but he was simply going through the mo- tions, as it were, of business for the sake of
 keeping up appearances. Coupled with this
 decline it was noticed that he was cultivating
 the acquaintance of many of the fair sex,
 both in Norwalk and towns adjacent. This
 went on to such an extent as to cause re- mark. In1882 he lost his wife by death, and
 to that extent being free man, less was
 thought of his movements than would have
 been under other circumstances. A short time ago in Westport a wealthy citizen for bid the doctor coming again to his house on the ground of undue intimacies with members of his family, and strong rumors come from two other quarters in that town where there had been alleged indiscretions his part. From one family of the highest respect ability in the borough comes the state ment that his intimacies there had been of such 8 character as to call forth one day last week from an outraged husband the threat that if the doctor did Tot leave the State at once he would shoot him at sight In South Norwalk Mrs. Harriet F. Tryon, a widow, who received $16,000 from her late husband, died July 12; and was buried two days later. She had no children. For about a year she had suffered from chronic dis ease, and the doctor attended her. There was great friendship between the two, and it from her the sum of $5, 900. This sum was used in speculation, and lost. Mrs. Tryon, as is alleged, made the doctor executor of her estate, and that he carried away with him document to that effect. Since her decease search by friends has been made for the evidences of money estate which consist ed of bonds and securities, but nothing has been found and the theory is freely expressed that his sudden fight may be sort of key to what under ordinary circumstances, would be boldly denominated hypothecation.
 The departure and accompanying circum- stances are the talk of the town, and specu- Iation is indulged to determine whether tnan-
 cial troubles, threatened shooting, fair sex complications or all combined, caused it.
 This vicinity was never favored with more skillful physician, and his services were ire quently called to complicat@a cases in the hands of other doctors, and in New York.