The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-14
Of Strange Disappearance.

one OF the strangest disappearances which
Il has ever been the lot Of the Boston police
TO unravel is that Of Grace Stevenson. a
4 young woman . years of age, VINO three
months ago walked from her home in Brook
! lyn into mystery. The painstakins work Of
| weeks has failed to obtain the fa.ntest clue
! as TO her whereabouts or whether she is
living or dead. Her parents claim she had
! no more than s. on which to depend for
beard and lodging when she left home. The
! case has been so widely advertised that
most people are familiar with its outlines.
! but not so with some parallel cases which
are the property of the past
If stories of other disappearance may be
relied on. the girl may be alive and well.
and may reveal herself in years TO come, for
many years ago in London very char ming
well-born girl, just Miss Stevenson's age,
suddenly and mysteriously left her fathers
home through no motive that could be
fathomed. Her father was wealthy man
and spent thousands of dollars IN the
search for her. but no knowledge ever came
to him. More than forty years afterward
brother Of the lady, who was not born
when she disappeared, emigrated TO Aus
tralia, and on arriving at Sydney had his
name inserted in the journals in the list OF
his hotel al breakfast he was informed that
lady below desired to speak with him.
When his visitor entered he saw she was
old, though still in robust health. Instead
of explaining her business. she abruptly in
qured whether or not he was the son of
gentleman whom she named, together with
locality in which ne had resided in Lon
don. Upon being answered in the affirma-
tive, she said: Then am your sister"
She explained that the day she left her
homo she had married a man much her in
fertor in rank, who sailed with her to Aus
traEa the following day. He opened
hotel, realized a fortune and a few years
prior 10 the brothers arrival died, leaving
his wife TO carry on the hotel, which had
become celebrated hostelry. 1t was a
queer pride which led her 10 inlet months
OF unhappiness and misery on her family
rather than acknowledge an honorable love
Tor man beneath her in station.
one OF the oldest disappearance which
ever stirred London was that of man
named Howe Seven or eight years after
he married he arose one morning al an I'M
usually early hour and left the house on
important business. At noon his wife re-
ce.ved note telling her he had sailed for
Holland and would be gone three or four
weeks. This absence continued for seven
teen years, during which time she never
heard from him. During his absence their
two children died and a special act of par
pliament was passed to enable Mrs Howe
TO administer the estate, as her husbands
death was a matter OF uncertainty One
evening after seventeen years of silence
Mrs. Howe received note without sigma
ture requesting her TO meet the writer in ST.
James park at a designated place She
went, accompanied by friends, and found
Mr.. Howe waiting for her. and they lived
together in great harmony from that time |
But here comes the curious part of the |
story. When Howe left his wife the cou- |
pie lived in house in Jermyn street. He |
went no further than a little street in !
Westminster. where he took room, for |
which he paid or 6 shillings a week He |
his name, and being a fair-haired |
man, disguised himself by wearing a black |
wig. In this habitation he remained dur |
ing his absence. When at the end of ten |
years Mrs. Howe moved to another house
Howe managed to make the acquaintance |
Of a bachelor named Salt living opposite
her and used to dine with him every week
n d room overlooking her dining ROOM
and Salt frequently joked Howe about his
admiration for the widow. Howe never
made known the cause of his queer disap-
oearance.