Morning journal and courier., 1891-07-29
HINmAN STILL MISSING.

In the Opinion of His Fam
fly-Other Views of the Case-Seen
in Custom House Square Sunday
Night Five Minutes Before Train
Time.
The whereabouts or fate of John s.
Hinman of this city, who disappeared
from his home on Sunday night, still re-
main mystery. From the letter he left,
which was published yesterday morning
exclusively in the JOURNAL AND COURIER,
it would appear that he has committed
suicide by drowning. The family of the
missing man believe that he has carried
out his threat, and that his body is now
beneath the water in some locality about
New Haven.
The disappearance has given rise to
many rumors. An investigation Of these
rumors has furnished no decisive key TO
the mystery. It is learned, however, from
reliable information-a merchant of this
city, who is member of one of the lodges
which the missing man belongs to-that
he saw Mr. Human Sunday evening about
five minutes before the train for New York
was to leave. He accosted Mr.. Hinman,
and Mr.. Hinman recognized him by
nodding and answering him with a word
of friendly salutation and passed on in the
direction of the train.
The home of Mr.. Hinman, on Bradley
street, near Orange street, is a model of
comfort and is not only owned by him,
but is free from eneumbrance. The house
is completely furnished with all tnat tends
to make home enjoyable. In addition to
this residence, Mr.. Human owns con-
siderable other property, among which is
valuable land in West Haven. This pre-
cludes the idea of his leaving homea on ac-
count of financial troubles. His family re-
lations are said to have been all that could
be desired. His domestic life appears to
have been SO pleasant that his absence can
not be attributed to family troubles.
In the opinion of many who are familiar
with the case, the most plausible theory
is that he has committed suicide in fit
of dependency and temporary alteration
of mind. 1t is stated that he has on pre-
vious occasions shown symptoms which
strengthen this belief.
There are others who think that Hinman
is still alive.
When Detective Brewer first read the
letter left by Mr.. Hinman he believed that
he had made way with himself, but as he
studied it more carefully he has made up
his mind that Human oyerdid his de-
scription" of the manner in which he
should seek death, and in this very effort
to impress upon the minds of his family
his purpose, has given rise to the sus-
picion that it was simply a blind and
that he in reality intended to do no such
thing. There are other causes added to
this which Detective Brewer declines to
make public and which tends to confirm
the theory.
However, as is stated above no evidence
has been found indicating that Human
left the city on Sunday night it is argued
that it is extremely easy for person to
leave the city and avoid Identification, and
he could have left the city and no one
been the wiser.
The statement in the letter in relation
to his life insurance is regarded as some
what important in view Of his other state
ments He first says he will drown him
self, where his body will never be found
and then that there will be no trouble
about his insurance. It is argued that he
must have known that his wife could not
secure his insurance until proof was forth
coming as to his death and if he intended
to die where his body was never to be
found, how could that proof be established?
The affair is certainly mysterious.
Aoo1oAoSy . Ao11AOh lSopuOAlCaA onJbs
"Mr. Hinman resided in Meriden up to ten
years ago, when he moved to New Haven
to accept the position he held up to the
time of his disappearance. While in this
city he was foreman of the coffin trim
ming department at the Meriden Britannia
factory. He was employed in that capaci-
ty for years, and many men who worked
under him are still in the employ of the
company. Alderman Golden, speaking of
Mr. Human this noon, remarked that he
was in the coffin trimming department a
short time during Mr.. Humans residence
in this city. He was a jovial, good ma
tured person, who went through the room
singing, the last man the alderman would
consider a victim of melancholia.
Charles L. Human, doorkeeper at the
State street entrance to the Britannia shop,
is brother of the missing man. Mr.. Hin
man was not at the factory to-day, having
left Monday noon to attend the funeral of
a brother, Louis Terry, who died at Gull
ford Sunday"