The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-16
Took a Steamer for Europe in a
Most Mysterious Manner.
PACKED HIS TRUNK IN HASTE.
Dug Up Five Thousand Dollars in
Gold at the Last Momes,t.
ne Acts Like . Criminal. Deceiying
Even His Wife and Daughter, Yet
the Tacoma Bank Oncials Say Hfs
Accounts Are Straight.

surrounding the disappearance OF Banker Linus
T. Post. of Tacoma, has been clearee up He
has not been murdered, nor has he committed
suicide, and the present is not the first occasion
on which he has been mysteriousls missing.
MI Post was last seen alive, it now surns out,
IN doooken, where he took a steamer Tor Eu.
rope. There appears to have been no particular
reason Tor his secret departure, except TO escape
censure Tor cafelessness in his business. He
mas oeen OF some account in commercial circles
IN the West, because he was for two or three
years the personal agent of George w Wander
ollf, and handled large sums of money which
were invested in that region by Mr. Vanderbilt
Inc story OF Posts disappearance frss became
known In New York through dispatch dated
December 6, from Tacoma, which expressed So
lcitude for his welfare because he had not been
heard from since his arrival in New Yosk, three
weeks previously. The dispatch said:
Mr.. Post recently resigned the presidency Of a
bank controlled by the Vanderbilts, but his &C.
Der OF the National Democratic committee for
Washington, but was TUNED down by Hugh C.
wallace, who did the active work OF she cam
paign.
longer dispatch, stating that it was beiieved
that Mr.. Post had gone insane and hsd COM
mitted suicide in New York Chicago A long
account OF his financial relations with various
people followed. No further particulars bear-
Ing on his fate were then forthcoming
"A -'cW reporter ie6tueu t0Oay tnas Pest s OlS-
appearance was not quite so mysterious as it
had seemed. He arrived in New York on No
vember Is, and went to the Hotel Glenkam, on
Fifth avenue. near Twenty first street, asld reg.
lstered as 81. W. Jones, Portland, Gc," al
though the CLERK at the desk knew that Tsas not
his name, for Post had previously lodged at
the hotel. II don't care to have ANYBODY
know I'm here" said Post in explanation. "for
I've come down this time on very particular
business" He afterwards sent and received tel
egrams in his own name. On Novembe, 16 Mr..
Post wrote aud telegraphed to his wife in Ta-
coma that he would leave hers for home that
day. Since then it has been learned that Mr..
Post said in his letter that he was going to re-
turn BY way of Philadelphia, where he would
stop of to visit his friend, Rev. Dr. E. W. Hitch
cock. a Presbyterian clergyman of considerable
renOwn. At the hotel Mr.. Post made q similar
statement and exhibited his return ticket to
Tacoma.
As matter Of fact Post did not leave New
York on the 10th, because a steamer trunk and
hatbox which he had ordered were not de.
hvered In time. On the next day he paid his
bill, called cab and told the proprietor Of the
hotel that he was going over to the Pennsylvania
railroad depot in Jersey City to take the train
Tor Philadelphia on his way home. The cab
man has since been found and tells an inter.
esting story about the way his "fare' acted
For three hours they drove around town, while
Mr.. Post made purchases of clothing and other
articles to fill the steamer trunk. Incidentally
they stopped at the Mercantile Trust Comeany's
Office, at Broadway snd Cedar streets. When
Mr.. Post emerged he carried 5000 in gold.
Then he told the driver to take him to the Del
aware, Lackawanna & Western depot. in Hobo
ken Instead of having his trunk checkea on
the New York side it was taken over with
him, and the cabman told to :eave
his passenger and the trunk some diAtance
away from the buggsge-room and not far from
the wharf of the Hamburg American Packet
ho Irty
peculiar. Mr.. Post said it was a silly mistake
ior him to have directed the cabman to the
wrong station, and told him to tell Mr.. Barr, of
the Hotel Glenham, about it He did nos ask
the cabman to drive him to the right staf zion,
ana dismissed him with a 81 tip beside paving
the regular charge. The steamer Fuerst Bis
ularck sailed an hour later from the ne6. by
dock, and it is sscertained that this ship carried
Mr.. Post, his steamer trunk and his hat box.
Persons at work on the dock have been foeind
who saw him fluttering around, and they believe
he got aboard the steamer and sailed. Az he
took passage at such a late hour the passenger
lists at the company's Offices do not show any
record of his departure, and his friends believe
that he gave an assumed name No trip to
Philadelphia was made by Mr.. Post
Rev. DR.. Hitchcock, who is now in the city at
tending the heresy trial OF DR.. Briggs. was writ
ten to by Mrs. Post He made careful inquiries
at the hotels, depots and other places, but could
find no trace of the missing man. He continued
his inquiries in New York and reached a polne
yesterday where he thought it advisable to con-
suit with Superintendent Byrnes, but later de-
cided not to do 80. He became satisfied taat
Mr. Post was alive and had oply concluded to
disappear for time.
Banker Charles p. Mastersou. of Tacoma, who
is connected with the Pacific National bank in
that city, has been in town for some time, atld
he prosecuted an de?endent inquiry into rne
mysterious disappearance of Mr.. Post. The facts
al related OikcOyerct. and aim .4sf
conclusive evidence was obtained that Post had
sailed either on the Fuerst Bismarck or eae
Cremon, for Genoa No trace OF him anywhere
could be found after he was seen on the dock
Just before the Hamburg liner sailed.
Mr. Post left Brooklyn six years ago and went
to Tacoma. He 10 of medium height, thick set
weighs about $50 pounds and has a full rourd
face When last seen he wore full sanay
beard tinged with gray, for he is about +5 yeszs
old. His peraoual habits have not been perfecr,
and led to business di.appointm Until BE
left Tacoma, on Novem Der 9, he was the presi-
dent OF the Tacoma Thea,er Company anu o. TIE
Tacoma Building and Savings Association, ooln
of which corporations are controlled py Georse
W. Vanderbilt, OF this city. Mr.. Vanderbilt, Ga
his last trip West. became satisfied that pozt
was no; attending to business properly. and az
ranged for his retirement Meanwhile Pos:
came East TO purchase scenery for a new opera
house in Seattle. He also expected to make az
rangements for q theatrical circuit of which Ia
would he the manager in that region just whss
luc. he had nobody seems to know.
Rev. DIR. Hitchcock has received several letters
from Mrs. Post in which she says she is sure hez
husband has become dcranged o. has met wits
foul play. From what she says in these letter.
II appears that the family is left practically in 5
destitute condition. DR.. Hitchcock asked
TO show these letters, but declined TO do so. Ne
criminal charge has been made agains, Post
and it stated by friend OF his that this 10 the
thifd or fourth time he hss disappeared whs,f
business went sdverse.y. That he intended 10
disappear is shown byzsss action. but he exc
cuted his plans in a very clumsy way, for il wa.
easily discovered just what he did up TO tbs
point OF his departure for Europe. Where the
S5Soo in gold came from none of his friends seem
to know, as no charge OF crim!nahty has been
made against him They assume thaiis was a
nes; ezg which he had laid away
TACOMA, Dec. la-lspecial Mrs. L E. Post,
who is greatly distressed at the pro,rscte1 alb
sence of her husband in the East. said ton;g ht
regarding New York dispatch that Mr.. Post
had been seen a; Hoboksn and had sailed for
Europe:
have no information whatever regarding Mr..
Posts wherea bouts. II he had gone to Europe
our friends IN New York would no doubt have
notified us.
Mrs. Post aud Miss Fost, her daus inter-, are The
guests OF Mr.. and Mrs e. L Holmes, near
nsiSheosa MI. Holmes 10 . trustee o; ths ba0k