The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-20
THEY FLED TO OBSCURlTY
Strange Stories of Men Who Have Mys-
teriously Disappeared from Ken.
How PRESLEY O'Bannon Was FOund-New
Facts Developed in the Case of William
Gregg-Dick BeaIs and Miller.


to his family. by whom he was amicabIy
received and resumed his old way of life.
He had left home offended by some trivial
occurrence. perhaps intending 10 pique his
wife by days absence, but days had
heightened into weeks and weeks into
years. Even the cause of oflense. il there
had been any. was forgotten. He had not
removed to distance, but had merely
passed into a neigh boring street. yet was
more completely lost i'll the multitude than
had he gone to foreign land.
The records of the Masonic Mutual Bene-
fit Association. of this city. contain the
skeleton of a story strange and romantic
enough fer novel OF a drama. In May.
1872, there lived at Fredonia, a village near
Leavenworth. Crawford county, this State
ayoung man named Presley OBannon. He
had knowledge of law, had been q justice
of the peace. and was looked upon as likely
10 rise in the world. Hewas married and
had two children. His homo coDjugal
surroundings were pleasant, and be had
the confidence and esteem of his neighbOrs
Unfortunately he had taken to drink.
and the habit was growing upon
him. He was frequently intoxicated. and
his friends vainly tried to reclaim him.
1t was at this time that charges for drunk
enness were preferred against him in the
Masonic Lodge at Leavenworth. of which
he was q member. He had been cited TO
appear TO answer. ana on the night set for
trial he rode to the city, and, hitchiDg his
horse In a shed, went to the lodge. When
he appeared there he was so dlsmally drunk
that proceedings were postponed. and he
Of Afaon in ha 6ari
ness. 1t was rough night OF wind and
rain.
From the moment he stepped from the
lodge-rOom nothing was heard OF PRESLEY
OBannOn. He had disappeared as COM
pletely from all who knew him as though
he had been swept from existence. lie was
insured in the Masonic Mutual Benefit AS
socIatiOn. and iii April, 1879. within ore
month of seven years after his disappear
ance. Mrs. OBannon brought suit to re-
cover the insurance. 1t was claimed by the
family and friends that while intoxicated
he had fallen into the Ohio river and been
drowned, while the association claimed
him to be yet alive. After the lapse of
seven years it would devOlve upon the as
ISOLATION to produce OBannon. and failing
SO TO do iG would have TO pay the insurance
money.
1t was about this time when the days of
grace of the ASSOCIATION were rapidly neari q g
an end that DR.. h. X. HOwn, afterward
Secretary of State, who was a member of
the association received letter from an
old friend and army comrade OF the Forty
ninth Indiana. of which the Doctor had
been surgeon. The letter was from Tun-
mel Hill, johnson county, Illinois, and
asked if any body desired information as to
OBannOn, who had been a soldier in that
regiment. This inquiry the Doctor COM
municated to the association In this city,
and was by return mail commissioned to in
vestlgate.
He went to Tunnel Hill, where he found
his former comrade engaged in the drug
business He told the doctor his story. He
said that short time before he had been
indicted for selling liquor without a license
ana had gone 10 the county seat, q place
called Vienna. and appeared in court to
answer to the charge. He was surprised to
recognize in the judge his old comrade.
Presley OBannon. and , had adj
mad coldIy told him he was mis-
taken: such was not his name; he had
never served in the Forty-ninth Indiana,
and capped the climax by laying the high
est penalty In the way OF fine known to the
law upon the unfortunate druggist. He
assured tho Doctor he could not he mis-
taken in his man. and when the Doctor
told him the nature of his search the drug
gIst was ready to shut up shop and so with
him to the county-seat.
This they did. They called upon the
county clerk, who advised them to be quite
sure of their man, who stood very high
in the community, had q fine wife and an
interesting family. The clerk narrated
the rise of the Judge in the community. He
had come to the place about seven years
before, ragged and dirty but had gone to
work manfully in cOoper's shop. In q
little while 1t was discovered that he was
q man of large information, sober, indus
trious and with talent at politics. He
was elected constable. soon after that W as
made city marshal, and. constantly grow
ing In the esteem of the people. had some
time previously been elected county judge.
The clerk, however, accompanied the
Doctor and the druggist 10 the judges
hOuse. 1t was night and he had retired.
but recognizing the clerks voice admitted
them. On entering the house the Doctor
recognized the Judge as OBannOn. as tho
druggist had done. and the judge acknowl-
edged his identity. The Doctor explained
his business. that unless he appeared the
association would have to pay. and then
charged upon him that he had disappeared
with intent to defraud the association in
favor of his wife.
The Judge assured him tina. he never had
such thought; that he had left FredOnia
In order To leave bad associations and bad
habits: that he desired to make n man of
himself and that he had done so. The Doc
tor then asked him how he hoped 10 escape
punishment for bigamy. To this the Judge
replied no such charge could be mnde
against HIM; that the woman with whom he
was living had been a tramp. as no had
been: no marriage ceremony had been per-
formed and chance had thrown them both
into the little town of Vienna at the same
time.
His remembrance of how he left Leavep
worth was not clear. He thought he must
have been at the wharf when boat pass
ing down the Ohio had touched at that
place; that he got upon the boat and was
carried some distance down the river
where. having nomoney 10 paw his fare, he
was put on shore. He wander "a inland 10
Vienna and from that time h history was
as before given. Vienna is III the second
tier OF counties back from the Ohio river
who might know him. 1t was the acct
dent of the heavy fine he laid upon the Of
Tending druggist that brought about his
detection and downfall.
The Masonic Mutual Benefit Association
saved its money. Mrs. O'Bannon applied
for u divorce and probably got it. As To
what became of the judge the records of
the association do not state.
81 think L can add something to Police
Sergeant Longs account of the disappear.
ance of William ~. Gregg. published in
last Sundays Journal" remarked MIR.
Samuel III. Hoshour. of Cambridge City.
1T took place in the early part of the fall
of 1855. Gregg was at that time the agent
Central railway. now the Panhandle. aud
also OF the American Express Company.
His disappearance was shock TO every
one. and his friends, who had the utmost
confidence In him, cOuid not but believe
that he had been murdered"
Mr.. Hoshour here stopped 10 indulge in a