The Wahpeton times., 1891-02-05
DROPPED ouroF SIGHT.
Persons Whose Whereabouts Re-
main Forever a Mystery.

Persons Whose Whereabouts Re-
main Forever Mystery.
"Mister, kin yo' find my ole MANI"
She was amiddle-aged colored wom
stnand she had slouchcd into the police
station to report her husbands dis
appearance,saysth the Washington Post.
had not been home for ten days and
she had an idea he had jumped into
the river. The police station keeper
took the "ole man's' name and de-
scription, and it was telephoned over
the city and read to the policemen
when they went on duty that night.
This was one OF the many cases of
missing men that are reported to the
police every month. Usually the
missing have merely been off on a
drunk, but sometimes this report OF q
disappearance is the opening chapter
OF romance or a tragedy.
Every one remembers the disappear
ance OF Benjamin A. Jones, the trust
ed clerk to Paymaster Goodloe, OF the
marine corps. He was quiet man, OF
systematic habits, but of bad health.
In the discharge of his duties he
handled considerable sums OF govern
ment money, though he was not Il
bonded officer. About the time it was
discovered that he was q def,,ulter it
was also apparent that he had disap-
peared. He went away from home
about Christmas time year ago, and
was never again seen alive. He was
not to be found around the saloon
where he used to play cribbage for an
hour or SO each evening. His family
supposed he had committed suicide.
and his hat was found on the bank of
the Eastern Branch. The police were
skeptical about this, though, and
thought he had absconded. Finally
his body was found and identified and
then buried by his family, after the
police had been looking for him for
weeks.
The mysterious disappearance that
attracted most attention OF all OF re-
cent years was that of Belle Brown,
the pretty Fourteenth street girl,
whose case filled columns of the news
papers at the time, and which every
one will remember. Her father, after
many days OF suspense and anxiety,
found her living in New York as
companion to q lady in easy circum-
stances.
Until he is heard from the missing
man is always an interesting subject
for conjecture. The case that came to
the notice OF the police some years ago
was q very romantic affair, and was a
brilliant example OF the cleverness of
the love that laughs at locksmiths. A
young man had for years been infatu-
ated with q woman who was, unfor-
tunately, married, and she seemed
equally interested in her unlawful
lover. The woman's husband travel
ed about the country with his wife to
elude her paramour, and finally sue
ceeded in keeping them separated for
months. They communicated through
servants, however, and evolved bril-
liant plan. The lover engaged himself
to young girl OF respectable family
and announced broadcast the date OF
his marriage with her. The woman's
husband was thrown off his guard,
and for several weeks the newly-made
bridegroom saw great deal of his
inamorata. The parents OF the girl
he had married took her back home
at last, and then the woman's hus-
bands eyes were opened. But it was
too late, and before he could carry
out his plans for his wife's seclusion-
he was an anti-divorce crank-she
had eloped with her old lover. They
We're reported as having mysteriously
disappeared, but the police could not
have done any thing about it if they had
known where to find them, for they
had violated no criminal law in the
district so far as any one could
testify.
Sometimes man mysteriously dis
appears, and the reason is tragedy.
Every one remembers the Andrews
case, which is still to some extent a
a mystery. Mr.. Andrews was fin charge
OF the Washington branch of q Balti-
more firms business, and one day he
disappeared. There was a small
amount of insurance on his life, and
it was thought at one time that he
might have attempted to defraud the
insurance company. He was last
seen in the part of town called the
Division" and was drunk. What
became of him after he left the region
of mercenary sirene, and how he met
his death have remained a mystery.
His family never subscribed to the
suicide theory, and seemed to think
that he was robbed and murdered.
The police doubted this, however, be-
cause he had been unable to.
pay for wine he had ordered
in q house he visited the night
of his disappearance. All that is
known is that the body was found in
the river, and after being buried I'M
recognized in the potter's field it was
exhumed and identified as Mr.. An
drews by q Baltimore dentist, who
recognized some work he had done on
Andrews teeth. The dead mans
family ia was also positive in the identi-
Old residents of Washington will re-
member the case of Captain Howgate,
OF the signal service. whose disappear
ance created such asensation, though
it could scarcely be called mysterious.
Captain Howgate was arrested.
for malfeasance and was locked
up in jail. One day, in charge