The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-11-11
Il Was on the Banks Of the River
Near the Pumphouse.
CANAL Be DRAINED TOMORROW
Little Doubt Remains that the Missing 2
Mans Trail Has Been Found.
The Work of Captain A. VI.
Brownell and His Men.
Story of the Events
of Yesterday.

MT JOnn i. Alvey is sun missing.
Strenuous efforts have been made TO
locate him. either dead or alive. but up
to the present time the efforts have been
unayailing.
Encouraging news was received by his
brother. Mr. Edward Alvey, and his
friends, yesterday but following I'm its
wake came bad news. Since then how
ever, no news either good or bad has
been heard, and no news Is being consid-
cred by the friends OF the missing man as
better than bad.
Early yesterday morning Mr.. X. ID.
Boyd, who has been engaged on some
construction work on the James River
branch, a short distance above the city,
went to Mr.. Alvey's store and reported
that about six o'clock on Wednesday af-
ternoon he met a man answering the de-
scription OF the missing Mr.. Alvey, at
point between the Old and New Pump
houses.
tie was going toward Haxalrs, and he
stopped Mr.. Boyd and borrowed a lead
pencil. He drew a knife from his poe ct
and sharpened the pencil, and then wrote
a note. which Mr. Boyd could see in the
gathering gloom was addressed My Dear
Wife"
The stranger returned the pencil, and
Mr.. Boyd came on 10 the city.
WAS SEEN UP THE CANAL.
lie paid little attention TO the incident
at the time. but when he saw in the pa
perS the account Of Mr.. Alvey's dsap-
pearance. the circumstances REQUIRED 10
him and he repeated il 10 the missing
mans brother.
Captain \. VI. Brownell. general man
ager of the Richmond National Detective
Agency. who has. with his men. been
working energetically upon the case, sent
two Of his men TO investigate the clue.
They followed ii up. and later In tho af-
ternoon a black Dunlap derby hat bearing
O. II. Berry's trademark. was found.
Just a short distance beyond the spot
where MI Boyd had met the stranger.
Inside the band Of the hat was a slip
Of paper with the word Alvey written
thereon, and under the sweatband the
words John T. Alvey. $40 west Grace
street. Richmond, Va" were printed.
The hat was carried by Mr. Brownell to
Mr. Edward Alvey. who identified II as
that Of his brothers. without having seen
the name on the inside.
The finding Of the hat, which was lying
on the walkway between the railroad
tracks and the canal, did not necessarily
imply that Mr.. Alvey's body was in the
canal The clue was strong enough in
that direction, however, 10 cause an ef-
fort 10 be made 10 have the water drawn
off the canal from HaXall's 10 the Gal
lego Mills. Detective BrOwnell. with the
assistance OF Engineer T. b. lsaacs, Of
the Chesapeake and Ohio. worked on this
scheme for some time. but as several Of
the firms along the canal could not afford,
through press of business. 10 allow the
water 20 be drawn of. except for a short
while. early this morning the project was
abandoned for to-day.
WATER TO BE DRAWN OFF.
Tomorrow morning, however, The
water will be drawn of at 7 o'clock. and
the search will be made all day, or until
the body is found. if it Is there.
The detectives are not relaxing their
vigilance In the meantime, but the ter
rtory along the river on either side Is
being thoroughly swept, and all possible
clues are being investigated and run
down.
Diver Joe Edwards has been employed
by the detective agency, and to-day he
will dredge the canal In the vicinity or
the point al which the hat was found.
MIR. Alvey is not believed TO have gone
House. as men at work near that place
would have seen him. He may have
made his way back toward Richmond and
crossed over into Chesterfield county by
way OF one of the several bridges.
A young man named George Hanna,
who was working for Mr.. Boyd on We'd
nesday, would certainly have seen him,
had he gone farther up the track. as he
was Just a few minutes behind Mr. Boyd
on his return 10 the city after having
completed his work. This young man has
not boen located. He had completed the
work for which he had been engaged.
He gave the name Of a boarding house at
which he said he lived in Manchester. but
the detectives could not find the place.
Mr. Hanna may be able 10 help along the
clue and further efforts will be made 10
communicate with him
NOTHING TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
All The circumstances point strongly 10
the probability Of finding the body of Mr..
Alvey I'm the canal. although nothing viii
Be taken for granted
Mr.. Alvcys actions were superinduced
by overwork. lie was co-administrator
with Mr. Ben. Lipscomb FOR the estate OF
the late Claiborne Lipscomh, which Is a
vast one. There are several complications
in the ARRANGEMENT pA NuN 'NtdN'i H'n-
ever. that have tended 10 cause Mr.. Alvey
to worry unnese essarily, his friends
thought. and this. with the great business
responsibilities OF the prosperous firm OF
Alvey Brothers IL Is believed deranged
his mind His health has not been OF the
best recently. and III his comparatively
weak physical condition the mental strain
of business proved too much.
WAS IT PREMEDITATED?
His going away seemed to have been
premeditated. Probably not long before
his disappearance but al least for some
hours. His action in writing his will just
before his departure: in leaving his over
coat and pocket change behind. and In
putting his watch away In his dresser
al home. all pointed that way
Mr.. Alvey wous gold set ring and car
ried pocket knife. Two OF his upper
front teeth were false. These facts viii
aid I'm identifying his body II II should
turn out that he Is no more.
The theory OF foul play has never been
considered so far as known Mr.. Alvey
had not AN enemy,
His wife and brother are distressed
beyond words. and the suspense IS almost