Evening star., 1898-09-05
PURS UlNG THE CLUE S
Friends of Thomas B. Ritchey, Missing Mer-
chant, Still Searching
Incident Upon Which Anncostfa
Police Rase u Special Investigation
No Important Disclosure.

Thomas B. Ritchey, the woodstock, Va.
merchant who disappeared from here two
! weeks ago. has not yet been heard from
| and his relatives and friends at his home
/ town are completely at sea about the mans
| continued absence. His brothers have had
| hospitals and other institutions searched
| but without result. This morning Dr. 8.
| o. Ritcbey. one Of the brothers of the
| missing man. called at police headquarters
and saw Inspector Mattingly. The doctor
| expressed himself as greatly pleased at
what the authorities had done for him.
| DR.. Ritchey Is of the opinion that his
| brother is either wandering about the coun-
| try or is somewhere in custody of people
| who may have picked MIN up on the Tues
day night of his disappearance.
A Woodstock paper in a. recent issue
published lengthy account about the
| merchants disappearance
Value of Goods Purchased.
1t concludes thus:
Before leaving Woodstock Mr.. Ritchey
had expressed the intention Of purchasing
some goods In New York, and, as he had
no acquaintance with the merchants of
that city. he carried with him two certified
checks of $3.50 each. and it Is known that
he purchased $500 worth Of goods in that
city.
Mr.. Ritchey was an attentive business
man, very careful. and enjoyed a large
share of the business of this place. For
years he had been prominent official
| member Of the Methodist Church and was
active in attending to his church duties.
He enjoyed the confidence of the people.
and his sudden disappearance has cast a
gloom as well as caused great anxiety
throughout the entire community His
business, from the most reliable informa-
ia N
Many rumors having no shadow of founda-
ton have been industrfously circulated and
nave been the offspring of the garrulity of
some and the malice of others"
An Alleged Clue.
The Anacostia police are today working
Upon an alleged clue to the disappearance
of Mr.. Ritchey. Last Thursday white
man. in strange dress and talking TO
himself fncessantly, wandered upon TIE
place of ]. E. Powell, Rose Croft" Prince
Georges county. Md. several miles from
AnacoStfd- He was regarded as being in
sane. for he could not speak intelIgently
Upon any subject, and he spoke of coming
| from some place with high walls around.
He also rnIsttered something about being
roughly handled by men who made him
exchange garments with them. The man
was attired in an Old blue coat, shabby
trousers of a dark pattern and wore an old
straw hat
in a wagon to ST. Elizabeths. where II was
learned at the gate by telephone from the
main building that no patient was missing.
Curry thereUpon drove out to the road with
his man. and, no. wishing to drive on any
further in the direction Of town, turned the
man over to a passing colored man, who
had a wagon, asking him to see that the
man was left at the Anacostia police sta
ton. This was never done, and the colored
man who took charge of him has not been
found.
From Curry's description. it is believed
tie colored man is truck farmer of Hills
dale. but If such is the case Policeman
Reagan was unable to find him last night
after thorough search. 1t is said that The
description given of the man found at
Powelrs does not tally In every respect
with that of Richey.
The Mysterious Note.
In conversation with a Star reporter DR..
Ritchey said the note sent to his niece az
Woodstock, as heretofore published in The
Star. was addressed in a woman's hand.
The person who got this note" he said,
must have gotten my brothers trunk
check"
He is satisfied that If his brother is The
victim OF others, there were at least two in
me plot, Dr. Ritchey said his brother paid
big bill in Baltimore.
A postal card received this morning by
Ritchsy's brother, written from 14SS SO h
street, stated that some information con-
Seinii46 tlle missing man might be received
by calling there. A Star reporter visited
the house, and after some trouble, found
that the sender of the communication was
Mrs NJ E. Coon Of 1894 36th street She
stated that medium-sized man. with a
sack coat and brown derby hat was In
| front of her house yesterday a week ago
and wanted to know where the woods were.
sayirg ne had been travelling and was
| tired. She was unable to guess the age of
the man, but stated that he looked as
though he was slmple-minded A neighhor,
VINO saw the same man, stated that mis-
age was about seventy or seventy-fiye and
that he was a German, judging by his ac-
cent. This practically settled the belief
that the wanderer was Ritchey.