Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-12-05

ttfff--s- NAAAA lit iAlAALA come. me after
noon IN the summer Of 1873 a shoemaker
named o Neil, the founder of the Sixth
aNeace firm which still bears his name.
told one OF his clerks that he had business
down town and boarded a passenger car
From that day to this no one who knew
him has ever laid eyes upon him. He was
doing a good business, he was sober and
industrious, his private life was happy. he
had never been afflicted with any mental
disorder. But the most liberal rewards
Che most persistent efforts of the detectives
failed to solve the mystery.
A few years later another prosperous
New York business man, James Digman.
grocer on Third avenue, told his wife he
was going to see a friend and would be
back IN few minutes, as he had an en-
gagement at home. The friend never laid
eyes on him, the gentleman who CALLED
according to appointment never saw him.
he disappeared as utterly as if the earth
had opened and swallowed HIM M. Rabbi
Keller. a well-kuown journalist. was an as
sistant editor of the Atlantic Monthly in
1872. He had made all his arrangements 10
go to Cuba and write up that island for
his superior, Mr.. w d. Howells, sent his
baggage to the steamer, babe good-by to a
large circle of friends and started for the
wharf. He never reached the wharf OF
has never been seen or heard of since.
The husband of Mrs Margaret +. Sangster,
the present editor of Harper's Bazaar, was
a thriving lawyer and lived in BROOKLYN.
On July 4, 1870, he complained that the
din Of the fre-crackers had given him q
headache and went out on the front stoop
of his hoL'a at in the evening to get a
little fresh air He was clad in a dressing
gown and smoking cap As he remained
out for some time, Mrs. Sangster went
out to the front door to call him. He was
not on the stoop. He was never seen again.
One might have supposed that the sight of
a man on the street in a dressing gown and
smoking cap would have excited some at
tention, yet no one could furnish a clue as
to his whereabouts. This case is all the
more striking because Harper's establish
ment contains another lady editor. Mrs.
Helen s. Conant who knows not if she be
nant, editor of Harper's Weekly, left his
office for home one summer evening in the
early part 1885 and was never seen again
Three weeks later dead body was found
in the Jersey swamps, which was at first
thought to be that of the missing editor.
but the widow failed to identify it, and
the best efforts If the police were exhausted
in vain.
A very strange story, and vet an appar-
emily well authenticated one. is that Of the
of Charles Ashmore. He was
a young man, living with his parents on
farm near Quinsey, ILL., On November 9.
1873, at about 9 IN the evening he started
ont with a tin bucket TO get some water
from the spring Minutes passed quar-
ter Of an hour, and still he did not return.
His father called repeatedly and received
no answer, Then the old man lighted a
lantern and went in search with his daugh-
ter Martha. A light snow had fallen, OBJ
literating the path but every footprint in
the young man trail was plainly defined
Suddenly, at a distance of some seventy
yards, the trail abruptly ended The last
footprints were as distinct as any, the
very nail marks could be readily seen if
the lantern was held close to them, but all
beyond was smooth, unbroken snow. Mr..
Ashmore looked upward. The stars were
out; there was not cloud in the sky; he
was denied the explanation that suggested
itself a snowfall with limit SO abruptly
defined Yet the trail had come to a full
stop. Careful search revealed no other
tracks The morning light showed moth
ing more. Smooth, spotess. absolutely
the shallow snow lay everywhere
-Four days later the grief-striken mother
went to the spring for water. She came
back in great excitement and told how, on
passing the spot where the tracks had end
ed, she had heard her sons voice and
had answered it. going hither and thither
as she fanCied the voice to be in one place
or another, until she was utterly exhaust
ed She could not tell what the voice had
said, yet the words. she insisted. were per
fectly distinct. In a moment the entire
family were at the place, but nothing
further was heard They decided the
voice must be d hallicunation, due to the
mothers disordered nerves. But they
were soon converted Next day and for
mon his afterwards, at regular intervals Of
several days the voice was heard not only
by the mother, but by various members of
the family and also by their friends All
agreed that it was unmistakably the voice
of Charles Ashmore; that it seemed to come
from great distance, family, but with
perfect distinctness Of articulation Yet
none could determine its direction or re,
peat its words The intervals of silence
grew longer and longer, the voice fainter
and fainter; by midsummer it was heard
no more
WILLIAM 5. WASH.