Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-18
FELL OFF THE EDGE.
Patrick Cassidy Mysteriously Lost
From the Face of the Earth.
HENRY MOTIFS DROPS OUT OF VIEW.
The Strange Disappearance of Little
Joseph Quinlan.
DRAGGING A REsERyOIR,FoR LUNATIC

q Pittsburg is bound to be metropolitan, no
matter what it costs. 1t has now commenced
to earn a reputation as jumping-of place
for peonle who mysteriously disappear.
One of the saddest disappearances is that
OF Patrick Cassidy. His aged wife is fast
failing as the result of continued anxiety as
to her husbands fate, while her sons are
leaving no stone unturned to find some trace
of their father. Yesterday one of the sons
made another tour of all the public institu-
tions in the county, In hope of finding
some clew to the old gentleman.
Patrick Cassidy is one OF the best known
men in Lawrenceville, where he has lived
for Is years. He was a sober, honest and
upright man, with never-failing iund of
good humor and jest for every one he met
For the past ten years he has been employed
ct II. K. Porter's Locomotive Works, and
during that time has never lost day ex-
cept through sickness. He was 60 years old,
but looked 10 or II years younger, his hair
being black. his figure straight and his
complexion clear.
Disappeared From Sight Forever.
On Christmas Day Cassidy left his home,
at the corner Of Maryland and Forty-sixth
streets, to visit his brother-in-law, on Fifty
fourth street. He had dollar or two in
his pocket, and was neatly dressed in a
black suit and blue overcoat. On the road
he stopped to gossip little with old friends.
but finally reached his destination, where he
spent pleasant, quiet evening.
About 10 o'clock Cassidy started for home.
His brother-iE-law wanted him to stay until
morning, for the night was stormy. Cassidy
would not listen to the proposition. He
said: 'I've been married 40 years and L
never stayed away from home one night in
all that time. and I'm not going to begin
now."
Cassidy's sister-in-law started to see the
old gentleman on his road, and walked with
him to the corner of Fiitv-fourth and Butler
streets, and there bade him goodnight. He
has never been seen since. Although there
were hundreds of people who knew him we'll
on Butler street at that time, not one can re-
member seeing him. He was simply oblit-
Grated from the moment he turned the cor
ner of Fifty-fourth street.
No Trace of the Missing Man.
The next morning, when Cassidy failed to
return home, his sous started to search for
him. They notified the police, visited every
hospital and penal institution in the county,
wrote TO all his friends whom he might have
gone to visit, telegraphed to points down
the river and left no stone unturned. No
news has been received of his father, and
vile and children mourn for him with a
deeper grief than if he was dead and they
had the poor satisfaction of visiting his
grave.
The character of the man, and the fact
that he had but little money and no valua-
bles on his person, preclude the possibility
o; his having left the city wi<:l deliberation.
If he had been assaulted and robbed, or even
murdered, his body would have been found.
He WIS not arrested. nor did he meet with
an accident on land, or be would have been
found in some penal institution or hospital.
The only theory left, and that is rather I'M
probable, is that, blinded by the storm, he
mlstook his road. and wandering down to
the Allegheny river. fell in and was carried
of bv the high water. " I2
Another peculiar case is that Of 6-year-old
Joseph Quinlan. In October last the little
boy left his home on Webster avenue to join
some little playmates on the street. He has
not been seen since by his parents, who are
almost distracted by their child's absence.
Both Woman and Child Gone.
Superintendent Dean, of the Anti-Cruelty
Society, heard of the case, and located boz
answering the description of little Joseph,
living with woman on the Southside. He
notified the parents. but when they went to
look for the woman, both she and the child
had disappeared, and no trace of either has
since been found.
John Gunmerson, Swede, has been miss
ing from McKeesport for the past two
weeks. He was about 80 years old and had
become partially insane as the result of
sickness. On this account it was supposed
he had committed suicide, and as he was
last seen near the water works reservoir,
many persons hesitated when lifting q glass
OF the crystal fluid to their lips and won
dered whether the bubbles which rose TO the
surface we're animated by the disembodied
spirit of the missing Swede. Finally pub
lie feeling rose to such height, that the
authorities decided that something must be
done at once or the cause OF temperance in
McKeesport would be set back at least half
a century.
Dragging the Reservoir.
Yesterdays force of men were put to work
cutting the ice in the reservoir, to allow of
dragging the bottom Of the reservoir for the
body OF the missing man. The work was
long and arduous, but after several hours
endeavor to find human body in the water
supply it was determined that no body was
there, and the work was stopped. Still,
many residents of Mckeesport were dubious,
and the aversion to water as beverage
was hourly growing stronger, when the ten
sion was relieved by the finding of Gunner
sons body in the Youghiogheny river. 1t was
lying In the water within short distance
OF the infuent pipe of the waterworks, so
that many persons still feel that they were
right in looking askance at the water.
The night that Gunmerson disappeared,
and, it is supposed, suicided, his friends
were preparing to place him in lunatc
asylum.
He Cared No aIore for Life.
There is considerable talk in the Tenth
ward over the Disappearance of Henry
Motifs. resident 6f that neighborhood.
Motifs lived on Penn avenue, near Sixteenth
street. He was the father of five children.
and earned his livelihood as All employe on
the streets. A few days before Christmas
his wife died, and the result had a peculiar
effect on Motifs. He commenced to drink
rather heavily, and acted toward his family
in a peculiar manner. Shortly after the
death of his wife he turned his children from
his house and left himself. Since then moth
ing has been heard of him.
Motifs was one of the oldest residents of
the Tenth ward, and had many peculiarities
which gave him quite a reputation among
those who knew him as being eccentric. He
is 65 years OF age.
NO WORD FROM ELMIRA.
Allegheny Detectives Anxious to Hear From
tl,a Forloru Saloon X eeper