The morning call., 1893-07-10
BROTHERS MEET.
Mystery of McLaughlin's
Disappearance.
1T IS SOLVED AT LAST.
After Thirty Years. Separation One
Brother Finds the Other in an
Insane Asylum.

disappearance of Patrick Mclaughlin on
the g. n of April last from his residence at
1917 Perry street has been cleared up.
A dispatch from Stockton in yesterdays
CALL announced that Mclaughlin had
been found in the Insane asylum at that
place on Saturday and that his brother
would take the demented man TO his old
home in Boston.
The Boston man, Daniel Mclaughlin.
secured the release OF his brother and
brought him to this city instead of going
directly East and was seen at the Brooklyn
Hotel by CALL reporter yesterday after
noon.
81 did not state" said Mr.. Mclaughlin.
''that my brother Patrick was wealthy a
year ago. as the Stockton dispatch quotes
me, but did say that he came to Cali
fornia thirty years ago and that he was
well OH few years ago.
Il arrived on the coast few days since
in answer to letter from the people
whom he roomed with in this city. They
stated that he suddenly disappeared from
their house and could not be found. They
thought he had committed suicide or
had been made way willis as they could
get no trace of him.
ION my arrival in San Francisco I
lives and they told me on Friday they
thought they had located my brother in
the Stockton asylum. l went there yes
terday and recognized him al once
"He was sent there from this city on the
10th Of last April. just four days after he
left the Perry-street house. The commit
ment shows that he threatened the life Of
some one. but there is only one witness
mentioned. and he is a policeman. so l am
at loss to know WHY he was sent to the
insane asylum. The only mystery in the
case is why was he sent 81 the asylum, for
while he is little weak he is not luna
tic. The detectives are at work IN the
matter. and I will get legal advice to-mor-
row. Until then / do not wish to talk on
the subject. will say. however. that so
far as can discover he has no real estate
l have not yet examined his room on Perry
street, and all / know about the min in G
stock spoken of in the dispatch is what
was told me in the letter from Patrick S
landlord. Edwin McColdgan."
At 1917 Perry street the landlord and
his wife were found to be quite laxative.
Mr.. McColdgan and Patrick Mclaughlin
came to California in 1865 and have been
together most of the time since. Nc
Laughlin has been employed as laborer
ana Waterman BY the gas company during
his residence in this city. During the past
six years he has rO0med with the McCOld-
ganS constantly.
In February last Mclaughlin, who was
65 years old, was taken sick with la grippe
and had to give up his place as watchman
at the works of the San Francisco Gas and
Lighting Company OH the corner OF First
and Howard. streets.
At the time, according TO the McCold-
CAMS, he was quite sick and seemed to be
childish. He visited A doctor several
times and seemed to improve, but his
fria 10
wrote to his brother in Boston and advised
him to come out and look after the old
man.
The McColdgans say they took the best
of care OF him. out allowed him to come
and g. as he pleased.
On the morning of the 9th of April Nc
Laughln got up early. dressed in his best
suit of clothes, and said he was going to
church. he returned in the afternoon and
donned his everyday clothes. AT 7o'clOck
in the evening he left his room and started
downstairs, when Mrs. McColdgan asked
him to have something to eat, as the family
was just setting down to the evening meal
He refused, saying that he had just been
to a restaurant. but took seat In the
dining-roOm and remained until 1880. when
he got up and walked out of the house
without saying word.
That was the last ever seen of Patrick
Mclaughlin in his lodging-house.
The family thought nothing Of the matter
until the next day. when he did not return
and they could hear nothing of him a his
usual haunts.
In the afternoon McColGgan called at
the police station and notified the police
Everything possible was done to find him,
but the McColdgans heard nothing until
the lost mans brother from Boston called
and informed them that Patrick had been
found In the Stockton asylum.
-fN a
Coldgan. land | cannot understand why
the police waited until Pats brother came
out from the East before they found him.
| gave them a full description of him, and
l am told now that they picked him up at
Golden Gate Park two days after he left
my house and two DAYS after his arrest he
was sent to the asylum.
II do not know who could have been at
the bottom of sending him to the asylum
and keeping the matter quiet, for there
was nothing to be gained that l know Of.
There is something strange about the
whole affair.
III Pat has any property, with the ex
ception Of 100 shares of mining stock,
don't know where it Is. The stock is now
in his room with the rest of his belong
ings. We have not disturbed n thing in
his room. Three or four detectives have
been in the room. but nothing has been
taken out. He has dealt in mining stocks
for some years, but l do not khow whether
he was ever rich. lie never talked about
his business. He earned So 80 day, and
as he was single man. and was never ex-
travagant, so far as l know. he may have
saved money.
"As far as l know, he was never mar
ried. He never seemed to care about
women, aud when he was not at his work
he was In his room reading. He was a
great student, and believe the secluded
life he led caused his trouble.
Jus, before he disappeared he got 1t
into his head that somebody wanted to rob
him. This caused him to be suspicious OF
every one."
II Mclaughlin had bank account his
brother and the detectives have not been
able to discover it. They have not given
up the search yet. however, and from the
careful manner in which Daniel Nc
Lauehlin speaks of his unfortunate
brother he evidently expects to throw
some light on the subject within the next
few days. Patrick has not yet been qups-
toned, and Daniel says he will not allow
any one to examine him and will not talk
to him himself until his mind is clearer.
The meeting of the two brothers at
Stockton on Saturday last, after separa-
ton OF thirty years, was most pathetic.
and Daniel had not yet recovered when
seen at his hotel yesterday.