New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
hardly be fainter than Delta for week or two
yet An opera glass will assist one in locating
and Sizing uD" these stars
MEN WHO DISAPPEAR.
MYSTERIES THAT BAFFLE SHREWD CITY
DETECTIN ES.
From The Chicago Tribune.

rI'H lUS tnlclgO Tribune.
Many queer tale more weird and interesting
tnan any penned by writer's OK fiction is hidden
away IN the records OF mysterious disappear
ances kept by the Chicago Police Department.
between three hundred and four hundred men
ana women drop oct of sight every year in this
city disappear as completely az if the earth
mad opened and swallowed them. What becomes
OF THESE people IL mystery few detectives care
10 attempt To explain Foul play Is the cXplana-
ton advanced by their relatives in nine cases out
OF ten, murder by fo0tpads being the customary
plea. but IN few instances are the facts such as
10 justify this conclusion.
Wholesale Killings for plumber could not go on
wear after year without detection. sooner or
later the bodies Of some Of the alleged victims
would turn up, nr stolen valuables would be
found in that market for all thieves. the pawn
shop. 1t is because Of lack Of developments Of
this Kind that officers experienced in criminal
matters scout the idea Of foul play. But people
keep IN disappearing at an alarming rate. and
the natural question Is, What becomes Of them?
Thcy are not embezzlers or OIL ers who have
known cause for hiding themselves. If the
ports received at Police headquarters are ac-
curatc. nearly all OF these missing people are in
iydGals free from financial Or domestic
happily situated in life.
Men do queer things at times said former
Captain Elliott, in discussing this subject, and
OF ali their freaks that Of mysterousIy dsap-
pearing is the oldest. Sometimes they really
become insane and actually lose their identity.
but as rule those who disappear are not
afflicted mentally. In nearly every instance
no murder has been committed, close investi-
CATION will disclose tho fact that he has some
real or fancied cause for getting out Of the way.
Wives are always positive their husbands love
them but | nave known instances in which
men who to all outward appearances were de-
voted husbands were really weary Of life with
their cnnjugal mat -. and quietly disappeared
in order To get rid Of them.
They would not face the scandal ~ the divorce
court. and. indeed. had cause to base an
action on Men sometimes become annoyed be-
"a hsir I'm IN M m 200
share and seek relief in voluntary retirement
Others. again are imbued with love Of adventure.
and after spending years in quiet domestic sur
roundinSs. suddenly become imbued with an UNI
conqucrahlc desire TO see other phases ~ life
II is possible and even probable that some OF
the people reported missing fall victims to
footpads, but the number is small. Crimes OF
this kind arc easily detected. and whilc the per-
petrators may not be caught in every instance.
the ideltity u the victim and the fact Of killing
are pretty sure To be quickly established
Sud len insanity accounts for many mys-
tcrous dslapearances. but as a general thing
YOU may charge them up to women. Many
men live double lives. and when the situation
gets distasteful 1t is only natural they should
70 better their condition by dropping out or
sight far Of their female partners is
zone II tho quoerest cases If mysterious dis
appearance with which the Chicago Police De
partWcnt has had II deal is that Of John w.
Matthews who quietly dropped out of sight in
this city last November and has never been
heard from. An unusually vigorous search
was made for Matthews because he was an in
'i'nat- friend II CAPITA in Campbell, secretary or
the apartment. and the latter interested him.
s..lf in s,.,.n. that the hunt was a thorough one
Matthews lived in Monmouth. H.. ana was a
man Of considerable wealth He came to Chi
cago about the middle II November, wearing Il
new suit ~ clothes and with 300 IN cash Here
h. met and talke1 with several friends. au or
whom aftcrwari remarked that he was in fine
health and spirits Two days later Matthews
Vas missing ana no trace Of MN was 10 Dr.
found
The police were baf'led when mind reader
gave them "A clew which led 10 strange disclos-
ures This person said Matthews had been sud
denly taken insane in Chicago and had gone Ia
4 hotel in Madison-st.. near Clark-st where NJ
Registered under his proper name but in an UNI
deciph.rable running hand, and had been as
signed To room On the fourth floor Before
bedtime however ne had taken car and gone
to the lake near Jackson Park. where ne
drowned himself Shortly after this. the mind
reader said the body was washed ashore IN the
Calumet region. whore II was found by a hsh-
erman who appropriated the money and valu-
ablcs and then TO himself trouble burin
the remains in the sands.
The hotci. the spot where the suicide oc-
CURED the appearance Of the fisherman and the
locality in which Matthews's body was washed
aShn,. were all Described with much minutcness
by the mind reader. His story caused great
d..al y r,errimept in police circles uniiI captain
Campbell insisted that it should be- looked into,
and all the essential facts were found I" be cor
rect Actual suicide and robbery Of m" b"dy
were never established. and many OF Matth"wsS
friends think he Is still ali"e but in other things
there was an exactitudc OF description that was
alarming
"Wasthcwss signature was found on the holel
register. and he had been assigned I" a four'i-
floor room which he had not occupied. search
oior~ the southern lake front revealed spot
Identical with that given by the nind-r'ad"r as
the place where Matthews had jumped INTO
The water ana in the Calumet country the ON
cars found the fisherman they were after. Thcrt.
also IL was easy to make out the mEd readers
picture 81 the Consc marked heach wh're III"
,odv had been cast up. Az the fisherman stout
~ denied having found such a body. however,
'y,J ,n ovidnnne could be had agaius! him. tho