St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-25
SUICIDE IS FEARED.
Unaccountable Disappear
ance OF a Young Rail-
road Agent.
The Twin Cities Torn Up Over
the Absence Of John
B. Metz.
Letters Which Give the I'M
preston tie Man Leans
Suicide.
His Accounts All Perfect, and
No Cause Can Be As
signed.


Tunnel Fast Freight line, has disap-
peared under most mysterious circum-
Stances. He has been absent from his
Office, room IL, chamber of commerce
building, Minneapolis, since last Sun
day. All efforts made since that time
by relatives and friends TO discover his
whereabouts have proved unavailing.
The young man has disappeared as eff
fectually as though the earth had
opened and swallowed him bodily. The
only clue left to work OH for the discov-
cry of Mr.. Metz whereabouts are two
letters which he wrote last Sunday on
the backs of Western Union telegraph
blanks. and which were found on his
desk last Monday at O'Clock by Level
Ign Metz. his brother. The letters read
as follows:
Mr.. Wilson: Come up TO Minneapolis and
take care of my business. have Quit for
good. am crazy. j. b. NJ.
coming to me give TO LlewelIyn; also this
diamond. will write To him and explain
all. j.. NJ
These letters were written to William
+, Wilson, agent of the West Shore IL
HooSac Tunnel line in st. Paul and
Met2's superior officer. MIR. Wilson's
office is at l67 East Third street, i'll the
basement of the Merchants hotel. They
were cad by that gentleman with the
utmost surprise. Metz had been the
company's agent in Minneapolis for
eight years, and was regarded as one of
its SteadleSt and
Most Reliable Employees.
The diamond referred to in the last
letter was shirt stud the young man
bad worn for years. He had screwed it
through the paper on which the notes
we're written and left the whole in his
desk. The most profound astoniShment
was created all over this city and Min
neapolis yesterday when the facts re-
gardIng MIR. Metz absence leaked out.
the behavior of his subordinate, of
whose conduct in the past he
speaks in terms of high praise.
Liewellyn r. Metz, storekeeper
OF the Northern Pacific dining car de-
partment, and Brother of the missing
man, Is mari led and resides i'll st. Paul
at liz York street. He has held his
present position for twelve years. hav-
ing come TO st. Paul FROM Jersey City in
1855, at the same time as his brother.
He Was seen last evening by GLOBE
representative, but could throw no
light OH the subject. he had made
every effort to find him, and was still
prosecuting diligent search. but could
discover ND clue to where he had gone.
When asked what meaning he attached
to the sentence written by Metz, Il
am crazy" lie replied that he believed
his brother was suffering from
Mental Alteration.
He has no reason for believing his
brother to have been under alcoholic IN
fuence when he wrote the letters, as he
was not drinking man. He had had
several Illnesses, and had been temper
arily insane during their progress. 1t
might be that relapse had occurred.
During his eight years of service for
the company. John Metz has been I'M
plicitly trusted. The agents here are
convinced that there is no reason for his
fight SO far as his relations with
the company are concerned. His ac-
counts are in order and up to date.
Metz had no female connection SO far as
Known. His brother asserts positively
that he had none. He lived Iatterly
for over a year at the Wessex hotel.
Minneapolis. Nj. brennan, confidential
clerk for Frank Mackey. of Mime
apOlis. was his roommate at the hotel.
That gentleman said yesterday that
Metz was addicted to no vices. lie
had seen nothing in his behavior
recently which foreshadowed the
Present State of Affairs.
A week ago yesterday Metz called at
W. F. Wilson's Office on Third street,
talked business nationally and returned
to Minneapolis. The opinion is ex-
pressed i'll some quarters that Metz COM
United suicide in a tit of insanity. but
this theory is discreuited by those who
know him best. There is perhaps no
young man in the two cities who is more
widely known at both ends of the short
line than John b. Metz. He was for
merly member of Company d, Mime
sofa National Guards, but transferred
from that regiment Dee. 9, 1885. to Com
pany A, First regiment. from which
he was honorably discharged. The
description OF the young man given in
his discharge papers, refers to him as
five feet eight inches high, with brown
eyes and brown hair. Mr.. Metz is also
a member in gu0d standing OF Damon
lodge, Knights of Pythias. Every eff, TT
will be made to unravel tile mystery
surrounding the disappearance. The
police in every city in this part of the
country have been instructed to look
out for the young man. 1t is understood
that the HooSac Tunnel Line company
Will inaugurate search on its own ac-
count, Metz having been a valued en-
ploye, and one upon whom great de-
pendence was placed.
A Double SurDriSe