The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-15

Yank Owens Is no more one Of the Wlch-
| itans.
Day before yesterday he left the city and
his sudden disappearance taken 10 conDec-
ton with other circumstances is causing
some speculation among his friends.
For three or four days the old man
looked gloomy and Respondent and evil
IDENTIFY something very serious troubled his
mind. He couldn'5 sleep wink and
would get up in the middle of the night
aud wander around the streets in search OF
some agreeable spirit to talk with. II be
couldn't find any be would turn up at
! police headquarters to talk with the night
clerk.
His friends think there is something
very mysterious in his disappearance.
Day before yesterday he chartered one OF
James Towards hacks to take him to
Valley Center, where he took the train for
California So far as his friends could see
there was no reason why be could Dot take
the train here. The old man owed no
debts, and If be did no one would prevent
his departure or bother him. for be has al
ways been a privileged character III the
city and be was liked by rybodY. he
did not have an enemy in the world so lar
as anybody knew.
The opinion is that somebody Is inter
ested in his departure and that he served
them by going into voluntary exile. That
he did not like TO leave Wichita is evil
denced by the fact that when be was going
he went around TO an old and trusted
friend of his, aud while bidding
little child and sobbed something
that was not ineligible. he would not
give any reason for his departure but
almost broke down every time he was
asked about il. He often told an EAGLE
reporter that be would never leave Wich-
ita as he wanted his bones to rest where
his friends were.
An event of this character always breeds
manifold suggestions and suspicious. A
theory is advanced that "Yank," while
notary public, acknowledged some docu-
ment that made him an important witness
aud that he did not want to testify He
always was u trusted notary aud did
good deal of business in quiet way. This
theory is backed uD by the fact that when
he paid his carriage fare TO Val
ley Center he had in his posses.
sion about $50 1t Was known that
he had no money himself aud hence be
must have been given that sum 10 enable
him to 90 away 30 some distant part OF
the country That the affair, whatever it
was, was coming TO crisis and that it was
necessary for him to leave the state soou
is evidenced by the fact that he went to
California, If that WAS bis real destination,
by way of Kansas City aud Omaha.
Developments are eagerly watched for
by the few OF his friends who are aware Of
bis departure and the circumstances at
tending it.
Whatever has been his object in leaving,
Wichita has lost one OF her conspicuous
characters. He was known and
liked by everybody. He was
man of intelligence and dormant good
judgment. He was fine historical
scholar and Napoleon was to him what
Julius Caesar is TO Judge Reed. He
could tell every event in the life of the
great little man whose sun rose at Austen
liz and set at Waterloo, from the cradle
TO the grave and his estimate OF Napoleon
as & general and his achievements as such.
would compare favordbly with some OF the
best military critics. He was very fond of
quoting the eulogy on Napoleon by the
gifted Charles Phillips. He followed every
move the little corporal made in his career
from Brienne to Versailles, from there
around the lips TO Italy and on through
the checker board of his military move
ments to the fatal field Of Waterloo. 1ank
was a hero worshiper and among his most
cherished idols was John l.. Sullivan the
prize fighter. When that gentleman came
here Yank was one of the two men who
gained access to his room, and 1t Is said
that his quaint WAYS and Yankee en-
thusiasm for Yankee heroes caught the
fancy of the deposed fistic monarch. Daisy
and John Fisher made him the butt OK
their numerous and varied jokes, but both
of them almost cried when they heard OF
his departure.
Investigations will be made to see
whether the old man was in any way i'm
posed upon.