Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-02-23
SHE WAITED IN VAIN
Mysterious Disappearance of . a Bridegroom.
NO CHEW TO HIS WHEREABOUTS.
RumOrs of Kidnapping and Murder by an
 Infatuated Woman Current.

Said That the Woman Had Threatened
 to Kill Him if He Married Her Rival
 English Society People Agitated Over
 the Mystery-Rewards Offered for InFOr-
 nation That Will Lead to His Discovery.
 LONDON, Feb. 23.-The details of @ case which is surrounded with much mystery, and which has caused considerable com ment, have been received in this city from Ilminster, a town of Somerset County, on the He, about ten miles from Taunton.
 It appears that Mir. W. R. Liddesdale, prominent banker, and who was 8 leader in the business and social circles of the town, disappeared from Ilminster during the first part of January last. Mir Liddesdale had become engaged to an estimable lady and all the prepara- tions had been completed for the wedding and invitations to the ceremony had been sent to the large number of friends. It promised to be one of the social events of the season in the town.
 But on the eve of the day set for the marriage the expectant bride, the rela- tives of the couple and their host of friends were thrown into a state of con sternation when the fact was made known that Mir. Liddesdale had suddenly left the place without giving the least | intimation to any one that he was going away or any clew which would give an inkling to his whereabouts.
 The liancee of the banker had at first refused to believe that she had been de- serted at the last hour by the man to whom she had given her heart, but when the time set for the wedding had come and gone without her lover appearing, she was at last forced to admit the cruel fact that she had deen desertrd.
 | When some days had passed without any word from the missing man, it began to be whispered about that probably he had not been true to the trusts of his clients, and that his secret departure
 from the town was Occasioned by the misapprOpriatiop of funds intruSted to
 his care and his inability to face the charges which would be brought against him. This rumOr was soon proven to be without foundation, however, as a thorough investigation was made of Mr.
 Liddesdale's books and papers, and it was found that all his accounts were ) correct.
 ,I Some light was finally thrown on the mystery when a number of letters were discovered which upon perusal were
 found to have been sent to MT. Liddes- dale by an American woman residing in |, the w eStmlnSCer building ana WhO, It
 was ascertained, has been an intimate of the banker. It was seen from these } letters that the woman had been thor oughly infatuated with MT. Liddesdale and that when she heard of his intended marriage with the uminster lady she had become infuriated and had determined } that he should not give her up for another.
 She upbraided him for casting her off, and threatened that she would never per init him to marry he rival; that rather than allow him to carry out his design
 of wedding the other woman she would
 kill him.
 The family and solicitors of Mir. Lid
 desdale, when the contents of these threatening letters were learned, came 3 to the conclusion that the missing man was either dead or had been kidnapped
 at the instigation of the woman whose
 bitter animosity he had aroused, and so = confident are, they in this belief that they ] have now issued an advertisement offer, ing large reward for information as to Mir. Liddesdale's whereabouts if living or l a certificate of his death.
 3 The American woman mentioned in the case owns a yacht, and it is supposed
 that she lured Liddesdale aboard it and is keeping him there.