Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-12
z. Z. STONE DISAPPEARS.

| The strange disappearance of Mr.. F. r.
Stone residing at 105S north Lawrence
avenue, former councilman from tine
Fourth ward, has caused 10 end of talk on
the streets for the past two days. He was
last seen on Saturday afternoon and at the
time nothing unusual was noticed in his
demeanor. No uneasiness was felt con-
| corning him until late Saturday evening
when his friends began to look for him.
Not finding him, however, in the most
likely places they gave up the search
naturally concluding that he had hid him.
self away for the night. Although this
course was not at all in accordance with
his disposition, it had been learned that he
was drinking very freely during
the day, Saturday, and it was
supposed that shame might prevent his
going home until after the effect Of the Ii
quor had passed off. Assuming that he
had gone and secured a room the matter
was dropped until Sunday. AS Sunday
passed and no tidings could be learned of
the missing man, serious fears were enter
tanned for his safety and regular search
was instituted and kept up all day Mon
day. Up to the present writing no clue
whatever has been discovered and his
whereabouts is purely matter of conjec-
ture. He has one son % years of age who
is away from home and wife living here.
The wife at first was afraid that in de-
spondent mood aggravated by liquor he
had done himself some bodily harm, but
as nothing whatever has developed to
strengthen that suspicion that idea
has been abandoned. She has not the
faintest conception of what he has done or
where he would be likely to go. 1t is pos
sible of course, that he met with foul play
but this view of the case is not considered
at all probable by any of his frie nds. His
business affairs so far as his wife's knowl-
edge goes are not in particularly bad
shape. He has some debts but has some
good property in the third block from
Douglas on Main beside his homestead
He was a contractor and had done the plas-
tering on the Fletcher block which in some
way involved him in more or less financial
difficulty. Although he frequently refer
red to this trouble IN conversation
with his friends none of them
learned enough of the details to
understand just how the case stood. 1t
was supposed that he would lose about
two thousand dollars on account of some
technical flaw in his contract He has
seemed to be low-sprited of late, mainly
on account of this loss that was iminent,
but not sufficiently so to cause any I'M
easiness on the part of his friends or ac-
quaintances. On Saturday he borrowed
$500, and collected what rents and bills he
could; probably amounting to $1,000 in all
He told several OF his tenants that he in
tended leaving the city on Saturday night,
but they were unable to say whether he
was serious at the time or if it was SUBJ
terfuge to get his money promptly. There
was no good reason apparent why be
should have gone away privately, and yet
his friends think that he must have
fancied that some such reasons existed
No one pretends to be able to advance any
reasonable theory concerning the matter,
and large circle OF friends deeply sympa-
thize with the distressed wife