The evening times., 1898-09-06
P1cHEY SPIRITED AWAY.
Relatives Relieve the Missing Man LIS
couceoied Sunfnst His Will.


Thomas B. Richey, alive or dead Is
concealed where his friends cannot ma
him. That Is the theory of his orother'
DR.. Stephen o. Richey, who has beeh
untiring IN his efforts TO locate the MISS
ing man. Every clew possible leading TO
the. theory of murder has been developed
with no result. and now DR.. Richey be-
lieves that some one has spirited his
brother away and secured his trunk
There was more than one in IL. ne
said this morning TO The Times reporter.
II am certain of that, and what hap
pened was in the vicinity of the Howard
House and the Pennsylvania depot. VINO
ever was with him got the trunk cheek.
| guess he wrote the letter 10 his niece
in pencil and then put il in Howard
House envelope to mail. Before he got
chance TO drop it in the box somebody
got hold of him. and then when they
found the letter on him they opened II.
Seeing that il did not amount TO any
thing they re-addressed II. The address
looked like a womans writing.
This morning DR. Richey received
postal card furnishing another clew. The
writer signed herself Mrs. NJ. c." and
gave her address at l43S Thirty-sixtn
Street, and claimed to have seen man
answering Mr.. Richey's description Au
gust 2S, be,wee L and J O'Clock, in the
vicinity of her home. He was inquiring
the way 70 the woods. and said he want
ed 4 place to rest.
From what can be learned in Wood
stock Mr.. Richey was an excellent busi-
ness man. He was a churchman and
closely identified with all public affairs.
Mr.. John II. Grabill. editor of the Shen-
andoah Herald and a personal friend of
the missing man. in this weeks issue of
the local paper says:
For years he had been a prominent
! official member of the Methodist Church
| and was active in attending 10 his
! church duties. He enjoyed the conf
! dence of the people and his sudden dis
| appearance has cast a deep gloom as
J well as great anxiety throughout the en-
/ tire community. His business, from the
! most reliable information we can get, is
! IN excellent condition. We have given
above the full facts as we have been
! able to gather them after the most care
/ full examination. Many rumors, having
! no shadow of foundation, have been in
dustriously circulated, and have been the
| offspring of the garrulity of some and
| the malice of others
DIR. Richey explained today that the
malice referred TO was caused by his
brothers success in business over other
! merchants in Woodstock.
| The report that the missing man haG
! been seen in Anacostia is not credited in
police circles and DR.. Richey does not
| believe much in the theory.
| A dispatch from Woodstock, Va, says
that the Richey mystery assumed a new
, phase yesterday in that several attach
nents at law and chancery, issued from
the circuit clerks Office against the es-
tate OF kichey, and NJ. Coffman, cashier
of the Shenandoah County Bank, of this
place, was upon petition of L. +. Richey,
wife of the missing man, appointed re-
ceiver of the business and gave bond in
penalty of $4,000 and took charge of the
stores and the business. From the at
tachments filed il appears that Richey
has large indebtdness outstanding, and
the amount will run insu ,ae thousands.
Heretofore Mr.. Richey had always met
his bills when due and frequently dis
counted them before coming due. This,
coupled with the fact that he left paper
among his private effects disposing of
his property in event he should not re-
turn from New York, has strengthened
the now growing opinion that there has
been no foul play. but that Richey is alb
sent of his own accord.
1t is stated, however, that he has beer
in the habit when leaving home of dis
posing of his effects should he not return
He has two large StoreroomS we'll stocked
with general merchandise and other
property that will foot up an estate OF
about $4,000. He has had the confidence
of the public in all matters, and while
some people adhere TO the foul play theo
ry, a vast majority are of the opinion
that he has left for parts unknown fol
reasons that may develop in the neal
future.