St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-05
never BEHELO AGAIN.
Story Of an Old-Time Mys-
teriouS Disappear
ance.
Prominent Figure in Profess
sional and Political
Circles.
Many Theories of Chancellor
Lansing's Depart
up6.
Went to New York and
Never Was Seen
Again.

men OF the number GLASSES WIN Hahlol
utterly from their families and friends
for no diScoverable reason or cause.
Time and again inquiries come to New
York police headquarters from other
cities and towns asking for some man,
perbaps of considerable Importance
in his own neghbOrhood, who
started for New York on business and
has not since been heard of. 1t is fair
to suppose that the larger number or
these disappearance IS due to some
thing in the lives Of the vanished that
makes them feel the eXpedlency or adj
vantage of a change of identity. But
there are, no douOt, many disappear
ances which mean that the missing
persons have died from strange acct
dent or foul play.
10 this class belongs the historic dis
appearance Of James Lansing Jr., eX-
chancellor Of the state of New OK, 0ne
of the most eminent lawyers at the bar
when Hamilton and Burr and Van
Vechten were still alive, one OF the
most eminent citizens of this country III
his time. 1t was siXty-three years
ago Dec. ~ last that he was seen
alive for the last time. His disappear
days' wonder. and for at least six months
the most careful search was made for
trace of him. But never was the slight
est clue found. His vanishing is as
great a mystery as ever.
Lansing was born in Albany Jan. 20,
1854. He graduated from the Kings
college, and studied law with Robert
Yates, and afterward James Duane. He
went into the Revolutionary war and
fought with bravery and earned dis
tinction. After the war he began to
practice law. and soon gained position
next 10 Van Nechten, then the foremost
lawyer of the state. He was member
of the assembly several times, ana also
of congress under the articles of con-
federation. And when the consttu-
tional convention was called he was
chosen one of New York's three dele
gates. Hamilton and Yates being the
other two.
He and Yates opposed the constitu-
ton, and withdrew from the conven-
tion. But this did not affect his popu-
Iarity. When Chief Justice Yates was
retired from the bench of the supreme
court under the sXty-year limit Lam
sing was chosen to succeed HIM. For
thirteen years he was chief justice, and
got for himself an uneXcelled reputa-
ton as an able, upright and learned
judge.
When Robert Livingston retired from
the chancellOrship on account OF age,
Lansing was at once appointed to sue
ceed him. His judgments in this court
of equity made him famous as one OF
the three great chancellOrs of the state
of New York. His reputation was no
less than that of Livingston, who pre-
ceded him, or of Kent, who followed
him.
There was one case which came before
him with which all lawyers are familiar.
He arrested and imprisoned IN the AL
Dany Jail John Van Ness Yates. an emil
nent lawyer, for bringing a suit in the
name Of another person, as that person
afterWard said, without his knowledge
or consent, Yates engaged Thomas Adds
Emmett TO defend him, and was released
on writ of habeaS corpus returnable
to the supreme court. Chancellor Lam
sing disregarded the decision OF the
supreme court, and at once ordered the
rearrest ana reimprlSonment OF Yates.
Yates was again released by the SUI
preme court, andt then began a battle
between the supreme court and
the court of chapcery, which
lasted for several years. There
was great bitterness on both sides, and
were brought into the contest on one
side or the other. Yates finally got
free, but, when lie sued the chancellor
for damages, lost the suit.
On Oct 8, 1914, Chancellor Lansing,
having reached the age of sixty years,
was retired from his position. But he
continued active in his profession and
in politics. lie was still erect and
strong, after the manner of so many
young men of sixty and seventy and
even eighty in this day. His eloquence
was as persuasive as ever, his mind had
lost none of its grasp, his memory was
as much the admiration of his contem-
poraries as were the brightness of his
ewes and the Youthfuiness of his voice.
He was a regent of Columbia college,
and, having business in New York in
connection with it. came down from
Albany, and early on the morning Of
Dec. y. 1929, registered and breakfaSted
at the City motel. This date takes us
back to the New YOrk of 1900 inhab
itants, with Union square still
meadow and Madison square farm in
the far country.
The City hotel was on Broadway, be-
tween Cedar and Thames streets. A
guide to New York, issued in 1928, has a
good deal TO say about the City hotel,
which was the fashionable hotel of the
day. 1t occupied a whole block, the
blocks b6ing then exceedingly short,
then as now. 1t had 100 parlOrS ana
bedrooms. and was in the very center of
uptown New York life. The large re-
tail shops were near at hand, and the
most fashionable residence quarter,
State street, fronting the Battery, was
not far below il.
After dinner-dinner was still mid
day meal-the eX-cnancellor received
several friends, among them Robert
Ray, distinguished society person in
the New York of that time. Mr.. Ray
invited him TO dine, or rather take
supper, at his house. and the eX-chan-
crllur accepted. Toward o'clock he
Withdrew to his room in the hotel and
wrote several letters. Some time be-
tween 5:l5 and 5:45 O'Clock he came
down stairs and went out, presumably
TO keep his engagement at the house
of Mir. Ray, which was at No.
20 Markettield street, fronting the
Battery. He had on an oYercoat and
carried an umbrella, for it was very
stormy night, the rain pouring from the
lale afternoon until early the next morn
ing, with a gale driving 1t after the
fashion still known in New York. He
passed OUT Of the hotel door into the
night and lie was never seen again.
I he proclamation winch was issued a
few days afterWard described how he
was dressed. lie was dressed" says
this proclamation, still to be seen in the
brown, dusty and muSty newspaper files,
''in black, and wore powder in his hair
His surtout coat was made of dark
mixed broadol0th. He wore an
old-fashioned English gold watch, the
case of which mad been lost. A large
.,,,l 4. IL
Grain or ribbon of the watch. He car
RED in his pocket large magnifying
glass, which he used in reading, in
stead of spectacles. His name was
written in his hat and on his umbrella.
His tight-bodied black coat was cut in
the old-fashioned style such as the
Quakers wore"
absence from the hotel and his
fa.aie to appear at Mr.. Rays house
caused no inquiry that night. But late
the neat morning his friends began to