The Irish standard., 1886-06-26
MYsTER1oUsLY MISSING.
People Who are Suddenly Swallowed
!. Up I'm the City. s s

People Who are Suddenly Swallowed
uptn the City.
Every week or two the police are asked
to look out for some one who has mysteri-
ously disappeared from home. A portrait
of the man or woman who has been sud-
denly swallowed up is sent to all the po-
lice stations Of all the large cities of the
country. But usually nothing is ever
again heard from one marked ''missing''
on the police record
The disappearance of Alex. F. Oakley is
one of the mysteries of the time. He was a
young man of good family and education,
and had made a reputation as an artist
and designer. He was well known in art
circles. After protracted tour OF study
abroad Oakley returned to this country
and married the daughter Of ex-senator
Spraxue, of Buffalo. He settled In New
York, where his art work and arcitect-
ural designs procured him q situation
with Tiffany & Co., with whom he WAS
engaged at the time of his disappear
ance. This occurred one Saturday evening
after Oakley had been visiting his family
who were sulnmering at Bellport, L. l.
No reason could be found for his commit
ting suicide and his family relations were
Of the most happy nature.
A similar case occurred at Syracuse. N.
Y, William M. Rapalje, a well-known artist
and architect of that city, was missed sud
denly. He was twenty-one years old and,
like Oakley, had studied and travelled ex-
tensively. No cause can be given for his
disappearance, as both his business and
social relations were agreeable.
Another case Is that of young Thomas
W. Fisher, son of Thomas j. Fisher, q
40 n
ton. For some time young Fisher, who
was i'll partre rship with his father, was at.
tentive to weil-known Baltimore belle. 1t
was his custom in the evening after busi'
ness hours to take the fast express tC
Baltimore and spend the evening with the
young lady, returning home at midnight
The young people were engaged, and Fisher
spent all his spare time at her home.
One evening Fisher went as usual to
call upon his intended bride. During his
stay a trivial disE,ute arose. and the young
lady in moment Of pique declared the
engagement broken off Fisher Left the
house without q ward.
The strange disappearance OF S. S.
Conant is still fresh in every ones mind,
Another interesting case was that OF
Theophilus YoMngs, who was missed from
Boston in 1875 He was a man OF wealth
and the usual efforts were made in every
direction to discover his whereabouts
The search WAS kept up untiringly by his
wife until 1881, when she abandoned the
matter and applied for letters of admins
tration ON the estate. This move brought
out man who claimed to be the missing
one, but Mrs Youngs refused to recognize
him save as am imposter. A long suit fol
lowed oves the possession Of the dead
mans estate, which was finally cornpro
missed.
In addition to these very strange dis
appearances, each one Of which created 9
sensation at the time, there are count
less others. On each occasion rewards
have been offered and every endeavor has
been made to find the lost one. But the
police Seem powerlese to trace these miss
Ing persons That well-kncwn man.
with hosts of friends and acquaintances
can SO absolutely disappear from the
community seems almost Ill impossiellity
But that such is the case the frequent
disappearance in all metropolitan cities
show. The number Of mysterious disap
pearances in London alone can be deter
| mined from report i'm 1882, of the Com
missioner of Police, Which shows, that ia
men and women suddenly sunk out q
sight,