The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-04-26
NO TRACE AS YET
Treasurer Rowland Of New
Bedford Still Missing.
The Funeral of Frank R. Hadley
Occurred Yesterday Afternoon.
Several Big Corporations on the Shoals
Dark Days For New Bedford's Mill Interests

New Bedford, Mass, April 26.-The
mystery of the disappearance OF Will
lam ID. Howland. the treasurer of the
HowIand, Rotch and New Bedford mills,
Is still unsilved, so far as New Bedford
is concerned, although clew is now, be-
ing followed out which may support
theory which has been advanced that
Mr.. Rowland, after remaining in one Of
the buildings near the wharf all day.
wandered off after nightfall and reached
Fall River. where he took train for
Providence.
Frank Haskell, a teamster of Dart
mouth, reports that on Friday afternoon,
about 3 o'clock, he fell in with a man on
the Tucker road, Dartmouth, answering
the DESCRIPTION of Mr.. Howland. The
man had been walking, and asked for
ride, saying he was very tired. The
teamster gave him a ride to the north
ward, and the man talked with him a
little about farming and general topics.
Haskell set the man down at the Smith
mills, and the man went in a nor ,herly
direction. The theory is If this was Mr..
Rowland, he was en- route for Fall River
and perhaps TO Providence.
The river is being dragged this morn
ing.
More and more evidence is accumulat-
ing to show that none of the banks in
the city will be at all affected by the mill
troubles. They are solid as a rock.
The expert is not through with the ex-
animation of the books, so nothing new
can be stated concerning the condition
OF the mills. The directors, at a meeting
Saturday afternoon, considered the sub
ject Of going into a receivers hands. The
stock may be reduced in order to meet
Indebtedness.
The missing man is IA years old, stands
S IT. in. in height and weighs 140 pounds.
His face is full blooded, and it's most
prominent feature Is a large. hooked
nose. He has an iron gray mustache, the
ends slightly curled. His eyes are large.
and dark gray In color. He has dark,
heavy eyebrows; has dark brown hair,
which curls slightly over the temples,
and is bald on top of his head. He was
dressed in sack suit of dark brown
cloth, and wore a spring overcoat of a
brownish color.
Last week was an awful one in the
mill history Of New Bedford. Five great
corporations, with total capitalization
confidence of the business world.
Two of them, the Columbia and Ben
nett mills, are badly wrecked, and their
building spirit, Frank B. Hadley, lies
dead in his magnificent home, carried
off by the grim reaper when the hand of
the law was about to descend on him for
perjury.
As for the Howlond, Rotch and New
Bedford mills. the troubles which sent
their treasurer off looking for oblivion
was inability to get funds to further
carry notes TO the amount of 81, ,000, 900.
The storm gathered when the Bennett
and Columbia mills went down. The
Boston and local banks which were hold
ing the paper OF three Rowland cor
porations told Treasurer Howland to
look for his funds. He left his beautiful
home on Ash street, knowing that the
crisis could not be STAYED off any longer.
An examination of only few hours
duration by an expert called upon by the
banks had disclosed that Mr.. Rowland
has misrepresented to the secretary Of
state the condition of his trusts. and the
directors of all the banks had decided
not to stand behind Mr.. Howland for the
indebtedness of the corporations.