The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-09-22
WHO IS THIS ". J. BAIRD?
WAS HE EVER A RESIDENT OF
HAWAII.
An Examiner Romance Which so Far
As Known Lacks Nothing I3us the
Element of Fact. -t


Element of Fact. .- t..
The Examiner Of Septembe. 9 has The
following story Inquiry has SO far
failed to Identity the William j.. Baird
OF this romance with anyone known IN
the Territory of Hawai-.
Eighteen years ago william J. Ba!nl.
a man of large wealth with valuable
interests in the anthracite Coai regions
disappeared from his home in sharon
pennsylvania. Not the slightest cIeN
indicating what fate befeil him VAS
round. years passed. The theory ar
the police that he had been murdered
and his body sunk in the river Vas COM
monty accepted as true, and his estate
was apportioned among his relatives.
FOR eighteen years the mystery of
Balrds disappearance remainel UNI
solved. Then like a wrath from an
other world, an old grey-haired man
appeared in this city. 1t was William
D. Baird. The story of his strange ad-
ventures and temperance among
friends in whose minds he had become
put faded memory, is STRANGER and
more unreal tale than the imagl. sgs of
many a novelist.
THE DISAPPEARANCE.
William ]. Baird stooC L. ore the
cashiers wicket in a little bank at
sharon, Penn. Tearing a slip of paper
from MS checkbook the man who had
won the title of The Coal Baron" pass
ed 1t to the cashier. There was a look
or surprise on the cashiers face as he
gazed curiously at a check for $50. 600
Yes, $4,000 is what 1 want" said
Baird. Il am going to look at some
mining property and may need ready
money in case 1 make a purchase
without further comment the cashier
counted out the amount in crisp, new
currency Baird tossed the roll of
money into small grip he carried and
turned to CO.. 81 =
It's rather dangerous to carry sucb
a sum of money around in a country
like this, Mr.. Baird" cautioned the
cashier s'.i.-
"Oh, that's all right" was the reply.
am well able to protect myself and
my money"
William ]. Baird passed out of the
bank, turned down the main street of
the town, and moment later was hid
den from sight by a bend in the road
leading through the ALLEGHENY noun
tains. In that moment he passed out
OF MS world for eighteen years as com
pletely as If some unknown force had
annihilated him.
THE SEARCH.
A week passed. People began to COM
ment upon the absence of the coal ope-
rator. The cashier of the bank reme1l-
bered the check Baird drew on the ar
ternoon of his disappearance. He de-
clded that the Sheriff of Mercer county
should be informed
The next day all Sharon knew that
its richest citizen had disappeared after
drawing Xh( 000 from fbo l. -.
the Sheriff believed he had been muir
dered. Baird's servants told how he
mad left his house as usual in the morn
ing saying nothing about any Journey
which would keep him away after
nightfall
Search parties We're organized. For
miles the woods We're secured. Baird s
sister Mrs. Henry Stephens, was noti-
ned. She went to Sharon and urged on
the search
A month sped by and no cIew had
been discovered. Near the road down
which Baird had disappeared flowed a
swift-running river. For days the
banks were patrolled, but no body came
to the surface.
THE IMPENETRABLE MYSTERY.
The hope that Baird still lived had be-
come only a shadow when year had
passed without word or token from the
missing man, the murder theory at first
only an ill-defined suspicion became in
the minds of the Sharon people a GER
tainty.
Baird's finances were in excellent
shape. A close examination of his af-
fairs showed that besides large bank
account he had property worth a for
tune. At last his relatives applied for
letters of administration on his estate
and in the course of time the probate
courts apportioned the property among
them.
From the sole topic of conversation
the Baird disappearance dwindled In In
terest till all but a few residents and
his sister, Mrs. Stephens, had forgotten
that such a man as William ]. Baird,
mining operator ever existed.
WANDERING IN FOREIGN LANDS.
An ocean steamer was starting on her
long journey across the sea. On her
deck stood William j. Baird, with his
small money-laden valise in his hand.
AT last NV dream is realized" he said
Before l return TO any country l will
have circled- the globe and visited every
land"
He landed in London, wandered lei
surly through Europe, Lingering where
he pleased and gratifying his passion
for travel. From Europe he crossed in
to Egypt and then in Persia and India.
Siberia, China, Australia and Japan
were each his home in turn and in every
land he visited he added to the $4,000
drew from the little bank in Sharon.
From Japan he went to Hawaii and
there he has made his home for the past
decade. go
Delighting in the tropical climate of
Honolulu he purschased a sugar planta-
ton and doubled his capital many times
He bought and sold with shrewd judge
ment and unvarying success, and
amassed a fortune greater than the one
he had made in the anthracite coal re-
gions. A few weeks ago he decided that
he was tired of quiet plantation life,
and disposing of his property left the
islands. -,-
AT HIS OLD HOME.