The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-13
is HARRY A SWINDLER2
A Rather Interesting Problem for
the Authorities,
4 TALE OF IWOCITIES FAR APART.
A Missing Californian for whom a
Large Reward is offered Alleged to
Have been Located by . Wheeling
Man-,The San Francisco Detectives
Suspect him anu heis Interviewed
by tho Officers Here.

Day before yesterday Chief of Police
McNichols received from San Francisco
a telegram which seems to be the key
note to a good story, but ali the details
cannot yet be furnished from the
Wheeling end Of the line.
The telegram referred to read as fol-
iows'
SAN Francisco, CAL, JGn.ll,
Chief Of Police, lpheslNg,
Harry Melville telegraphs that he has located
Dr., Thomls lyman, missing from California,
and wants tl75 wired him for tickets 70 bring
lyman and himself ont here. Ascertain II Mel
vile Is fraud, Melville VIII call az W; Y; Lele'
graph office for telegram from Ms: H. + lyman
tomorrow interview him, learn what he knows
about lyman, OF, II no Is . beat Mrs, lyman
lyman aud detaiR him until she gels on aud
meets him, AnsWcrat my expense, ..,
Chief Detective,
When the officers heard this read,
one OF them remembered that he had
seen somewhere a reference to DR.,
Tynan's disappearance, and after con-
siderable searching q copy Of The Detec'
tipe, OF Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was found,
in which appeared the following adver-
tisement:
Q1 OOOREwARD-I WILL
9 1.sOOO pay sloeo 2 ANYONE g ~
Inv lniprmation Of the Whereabouts u DT;
lead me to find him or his romans. He mystic
riousiy disappeared from San Francisco, Caiiior'
mia, on or about October u, 1892, Had written
to his home In Modesto on October 10 that he
time nothing definite Is known ,oi him. Some
suppose he went east, Others that he met with
Dr. Tyner Is about 7j years Of age; hair and
beard white; rather small light'blue eyes; COM
plexion ruddy; height about feet inches;
weight about 100 pounds; heavy built; FiEht
shoulder little stopped; right arm broken
above olbow aud swings rather nimlessly uses
left hand almost altogether ,,,.,.... Co..
DR., Tyner was m old pioneer OF Modesto, stan.
islaus county, California. aud has large property
interests In TINT place: His disappearance ts q
sid mystery 10 his family mud friends No
known cause for his disappearance except sian
derous reports without, any foundation. which
may have proyed upon his mind, II would DO
well to visit hospitals and insane lSylums. Adj
dress all information through Wells Fargo 4 Co.
MRS 7, L. lyman, Modesto, Cal.
Reference First National bank, Modesto.
Grangers' Bank, san Francisco
Officers were detailed yesterday to
WATCH bu6 w esleIl OlllVA bALS9s SnOAt
vigil was rewarded when man called
at the window and asked for a telegram
for Harry Melville.
ol'tAIe you Harry MelvilleH" he was
asked.
ayes, am"
Officer I4akens stepped out and said:
''Then want you"
The man was taken to the city build.
ing, where no was recognized by officers.
His mother, q colored woman, lives
here, and his name Is not Melville, but
he has gone by that name for years
while on the road with circuses.
When questioned he said he had
actually located DR.. lyman, and that he
had been kidnapped by circus people
and was held for revenge. He acci-
dentally came into contact with the
man, and learned his story, and was
actuated by motives Of humanity in
communicating with his vito.
He would not tell where the missing
man was, but promised to produce evil
denee Of the truth Of his story ut II
o'clock yesterday forenoon. At that
hour he did not appear, and he has not
been seen since.
The question, is, is he a swindler, or
has he gone to make sure that nobody
else gets the reward2
Probably he is a rank fraud.