Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-03-02
STRANGELY DISAPPEARED.
Romantic Sentiment or Foul Play Takes
Frank MCGOWAN from Home.

NEW YORK March 1.-One of the most
mysterious disappearances ever reported
to the police is that of Frank MCGOWAN.
who was last seen on January -, when he
boarded Christopher street car on his
way to his home in Orange. \. J. For ten
years MCGOWAN has been in the employ of
Thomas A. Edison. He was the hero of
the remarkable series of adventures that
befell the expedition sent to South Ameri-
ca by Edison in search of a peculiar kind
of bamboo to be used in his electric light
system. McGowan, who was q protege of
the great inventor. endeared himself TO
Edison by succeeding in DANGEROUS IN
dertaking when other efforts had
failed. So indispensable was this
kind of bamboo fibre that Edi-
son sent two expeditions to scOur the
world in search of it. When they both re-
turned unsuccessful, MCGOWAN volun-
teered to head party. After a hunt of
TWO years, during which he endured hard
ships enough to kill common man, he
reached the growing place of the bamboo
and returned home, after traverslhg nearly
the whole of South and Central America.
His health was completely shattered and
he felt discouraged, for, while his search
had been successful, it was SO protracted
that Edison'S fertile mind had had time TO
invent substitute for the peculiar species
of bamboo that he had ventured so much
- discover. Edison remembered his
achievement by the present of s., 600 and a
block of stock in his company, and Mellow
IN went to Battery beach for the summer
in search of health. This he apparently
regained, for he had grown as robust as
EVER when be went TO Orange last Septem-
Der and superintended the erection of some
buildings that Edison was putting up.
On January IS MCGOWAN called at the
rigar mandatory of Ernst T. Reau, i3
Clinton Place, and after transacting some
business there left for his home. Since
then nothing has been seen or heard of
him. When it became known for sure he
was lost Mr.. BatchelOr, OF the firm OF f1dI-
son, Bachelor & Johnson, started sys-
tematical search for MCGOWAN. All the
hospitals asyumS and other public lnsti-
rutionS within 100 miles We're visited: Cir
cularS containing a description of the
missing man were distributed, three of
Pinkerton's detectives were employed and
Inspector Byrnes sent out the fourth, but
so far no trace of McGowan has been dis
covered.
John +. McGowan, the missing mans
cousin, knows more about Frank than
any one else, but ne is altogether in the
dark as the reason of his strange disap-
pearance He is of the opinion that the
man has been murdered for his money
lie TO which paid little attention but |
low see it might possibly account for his
strange disappearance. He contracted
fever while in South America and when
at the point of death II beautiful native
girl took pity on the young American ana
nursed him back 10 life. Frank
never tired of telling OF this
girls devotion TO him. He
said he had seen many beautiful women
during his voyages around the world, but
lie had never met one who was quite rs
lovely rs his little nurse. | used to laugh
at him for his sentiment, but he merely
smiled and went on singing her praises.
1t might be that he felt a longing to see
his preserver again and started off on the
spur of the moment, but that is very inn
probable. There was no reason for his
employing any secrecy about such Il step.
No one wou!d have tried 10 prevent his
going and none knew better than he the
folly of making such step without the
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