Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-04-19
The Mysterious Disappearance of
John ". Lowe. a Prominent
Citizen Of this City.

The HERALD has this week duty
to perform as a faithful chronicler of
events of interest to the general pub
lie, which is a painful one to us. We
refer to the sudden absconding of
Capt. John w. Lowe, ex-Countv
Clerk, and until late, Mayor of Phil
ipsburg, in which place he has been
a prominent and respected citizen for
many years. It seems since he went
out Of the county clerks Office, about
four years. ago, he has been engaged
in a general real estate and loaning
business, and to the casual observer
seemed to be doing a reasonably re-
munerative business. Some time
ago he negotiated a loan Of $3.50. for
w. M. Colby, a farmer residing in
GlenwOOd township. There was al
ready mortgage of $500. on the
place. Mr.. Colby got Mr.. Lowe to
procure a loan of $3.50 and pay off
the mortgage of 800. and interest
and give him what was left of the
$780,, and cancel the first mortgage.
Mr.. Lowe seemed to transact the bus
mess all right, and Mr.. Colby had no
suspicious that anything was wrong
till quite recently he received a notice
from the parties who had held the
first mortgage, that another half
years interest was due. About the
same time an agent Of the Equitable
Mortgage Company came here to
transact some business and having
his suspicious aroused that something
was wrong, began an investigation of
the records, which developed the al
legged facts herein mentioned and
which brought to light many other
transactions pronounced crooked"
by those who have Investigated his
affairs.
It is claimed that P. J. Crookham
will lose $500, possibly 5000; Eliza
beth Bartlett, guardian of John L.
Grogg, $780,; Thos. j. Dorsey, $500. F.;
VIM. and Joseph Kennedy, $500, and
M. H. Gardner $1,000, in the same
way that W. M. Colby suffers a loss
Of $500; or, it is perhaps a more cor
rect expression to say alleged losses
as we believe those parties propose to
resist payment on the ground that
the lOaning companies should be held
responsible for the acts of their agent.
It is claimed that the total amount
of Capt. loves alleged misappropri-
atoms of money from various sources
will reach $4,000 or even much
larger sum than that.
It was the intention of Mr. Coburn,
agent of the Equitable Mortgage Co.,
to cause Mr.. loves arrest on Friday,
but he slept on his oars too long as
the Captain left early in the evening,
and though kilograms were sent in
every direction on Friday and since,
authorizing his arrest and detention,
no information has yet been received
as to his whereabouts. Mr.. Coburn,
believing that he had gone east, took
the train to Omaha with view to
heading him off if he was making his
way beyond the Missouri river. The
report has been in circulation that
Capt. Lowe drew out of bank at
Republican City $500. on Saturday
morning after he left Phillipsburg,
this sum being q new loan he had ne
gotiated with the Equitable Mort
gage Company, of Kansas City, on
800 acres of land. the title to which is
in his name but had already unsatis-
fed mortgages for about $780, We
have made dilligent enquiry to ascer-
tain if such report is correct, but at
this writing, while it is generally be
| ieved yet it lacks confirmation.
It is claimed by our attorneys and
others who have examined the rec
ords, that there is evidence reaching
back to 1885 of bogus abstracts, false
entries and other crooked work-that
in fact the evidence is overwhelming
ly damaging to Mr.. Lowe, but as he
may yet be apprehended and put on
trial, we would avoid prejudicing his
case by printing anything which
might prevent his having a far and
impartial trial. Many rumors regard
ing the alleged defalcation are afoat,
soma M dnrlnt 11r,fn,,naoI 81 800