The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-11


appear as completely as n the earth
had opened and swallowed them What
becomes OF these people IL a mystery
few detectives care TO attempt 20 ex-
plain. Foul play Il the explanation
advanced by their relatives In nine
cases out Of ten. murder by iootpads
being the customary plea, but In few
instances are the facts such a. TO
Justify this conclusion.
Men DO queer things At times" said
former Captain Elliott In discussing
this subject. "and Of all their freaks
that OF mysieriousiy disappearing is
the oldest Sometimes they really be-
come insane and actually lose their
Identity. but as a rule those who drop
out OF sight are not afilcted mentally.
In nearly every instance where a man
u sound mind dlsappears. and no muir
der has been committed. close invesii-
cation OF The conditions will disclose
the fact that he has some real or
faneied cause for getting out Of the
way. Wives are always positive their
husbands love them. but ! have known
instances In which men who 20 all
outward appearances were devoted
husbands were really weary Of life with
heir coniugal mates and quietly dis
appeared In order 10 get r,d Of them.
zone OF the Queorest cases OF mys-
lerious disappearance with which the
Chicago police department has had 10
deal Il that OF John W. Matthews. who
iuietly dropped ont Of sight In this city
ast November and has never been
heard from. An unusually vigorous
search was made for Matthews because
he was an intimate friend Of Captain
Campbell. secretary Of the department
and the latter interested himself II
seeing that the hunt was a thorough
one. Matthews lived In Monmouth
H.. and was a man Of considerable
wealth. Ne came TO Chicago about IN
middle OF November. wearing a ney
suit Of clothes and with 500 In cash
Here he met and talked with severa
friends. an Of whom afierward re
marked that he was In fne health an
spirits. Two days later Matthews wa
missing and no trace Of him was 70 b
found.
The police were bafled. when
mlndreader gave them a clue whlc
led 10 strange disclosures. This per
son said Matthews had been suddenl
taken insane In Chicago and had gon
10 a hotel In Madison street. nea
Clark. where he registered under HI
proper name. but In an undeolpherabl
running hand. and had been asslgne
10 a room on the fourth floor Befor
bedtime. however. he had taken q ca
and gone to the lake near Jackso
Park. where he drowned himself
shortly after this. 20 the mindreade
sald. the body was washed ashore 4
the Calumet region. where q wa
found BY a fisherman. who approprial
ed the money and valuables. and the
10 save himself trouble buried the r,
mains In the sand.
The hotel. the spot where the su
eide occurred. the appearance Of N
fisherman aud the locality In whie
Matthew body was washed asher
were an described with much minute
ness by the mlndroader His stoI
caused a great deal OF merrimcnt
I police circles until Captain Camphe
. Insisted Il should be looked into. an
, an the essential facts were found
4 b. correct. Actual suicide and robhoi
, OF the body were never established. an
A many Of Matthews friends think .
d still alive. but In other things the
was an exactliude Of description M
! was alarming
4 Matthews signature was found Z
the hotel register. and he had been a
signed 20 a fourth noor room. viii,
he had not occupied. Search alor
the southern lake front revealed a sp
Identical with that given BY the min
reader a. the place where MATTHEW
had jumped into the water. and In u
Calumet country the officers found q
fisherman they were after. There. ais
Il was easy to make out the min
readers picture Of the corpsc-mark
beach where the body had been ca
up. A. the fisherman stoutly denll
having found such a body. howevs
and no evidence could be had again
him. the matter was dropped.