The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-22
His Disappearance No Doubt Due
to Foul Play.
ALL CLUES ARE EXHAUSTED,
w. VI. Aldrfdge. a Merchant of Baker.
gencer and Explains His Meeting
With Lancaster at the ButIer
Hotel I'm THIS Cfty-No Light
Thrown On the Mystery of Case.

No trace has yet been found OF the
wealthy Dawson merchant, Joseph 5. Lam
caster. of the firm of Calderhead & Lam
caster, who disappeared so mysteriously
in Seattle on the night Of August "a, and
a full account of which was published in
last Wednesdays Post-Tntelllgencer.
Sam c. Calderhead, of this city. has
exhausted almost every clue in his effort
to trace the last moments of his brothers
new lamented partner, and the convic-
tion II growing almost into certainty
that the missing man has met with foul
play The parties with whom he was last
seen are being run down in the hope
that they may furnish some clue 10 his
further movements. but so far with poor
success. Seven O'Clock on the evening Of
Friday, August "A. appears TO be the last
seen of him alive.
The Post-Intellgencer. the first to give
to the public the news Of Mr., Iancaster's
mysterious disappearance. Is again the
first to clear up the suspicious circum-
stances that connected the name OF Will
lam Aldridge with that of Mr.. Lancas-
ter. The missing man. when he returned
from Victoria. August a. was accom-
panied to the Butler by a party who reg
istered after him az ''wm. Aldridge.
Baker" He was said to have been the
last man in whose company Mr.. Lancas-
ter was seen. and II was snrmisea that
II Aldridge could be located some light
might he thrown on the missing mans
further movements. The police have been
at work trying to locate Aldrdge. and az
there Is a notorious character OF the same
name known to the police. kilograms have
been sen. right and left In an endeavor
TO locate him. As the residence address
written on the hotel register after the
name Aldridge might read Boston as well
az Baker or Bothel a dispatch was even
sent TO Boston to try and locate Aldridge,
the crook.
The Post-Inteligencer OF October II.
however, was silent detective more
potent than the police. and yesterdays
mail brought the following letter from
W. NJ. Aldrfdge. dealer In general mer-
cnandise In Baker. Wash which exon
crates Mr.. Aldridge hut, unfortunately. does
not locate Mr.. Lancaster any later than
the time already stated. namely the even
ing of August "a Mr.. AiAridge's letter
IN full is as follows. and may lead Others
to write who may know something about
the missing mans last movements:
Baker, Wash. Oct ~. 1890
THE Observation-Disclosures;
see In the Post-Intelligencer Of the nth
pearance I came down from Victoria,
think. with the same gentleman In aues-
ton. I met him In company with Mr..
Peabody. manager. think. OF the Alaska
Steamship Company: also one other gen
tleman claiming to represent Chase n
Sanhorn. coffees. We smoked together
and spent the entire evening In the smok-
ing room Mr.. Lancaster was telling his
experience while In Alaska, Our boat
dsd not reach Seattle until i2.ao We
walked or the steamer and Mr.. Lancaster
asked me where stopped; ! told him
ter go up 10 tho Butler az I'm well
acquainted. and II they possibly can they
viii provide bed for us Knowing
the Democratic state convention delegates
were arriving, I went up. After register
Ing. Mr.. Lancaster NEE some gentleman
at the elevator on our way up. intro
duced me. but I do not remember hts
name. and remarked to me, as we bid
each other good night. that that gentle
man was successful business man in
Dawson.
II got up at O'Clock the next morn
Ing. and was very busy all day buying
goods from Schwabaeher Bros Company
Blakinson Bros, Washington shoe Man
nfacturing Company, and was az the Hos
tel Northern about 10 o'clock that morning
talking 20 Mr., Lewis Hole. Of waila WAL
la. and noticed Mr.. Lancaster talking 10
someone. and. think. afterwards Mr.
Bailey, of the Hotel Northern, Joined
them In conversation Afterwards / met
Mr. Lancaster just a moment. We hid
each other good morning Mr. Lancaster
told me he was going 10 Tacoma.
have not seen him since that date.
stopped At the Griffith house until the
Democratic convention closed on our
way down from Victoria Mr.. Lancaster
spoke OF buying. or had bought several
hundred tons OF hay and potatoes. talking
ali the while TO myself, MFR. Peabody and
the gentleman representing Chase A SAN
harn's cdffeeA.
mfr Lancaster had the appearance Of
a gentleman and a successful business
man. Spoke entertaluingiy of bis and
other experiences In Alaska
II think the travelling man ilves IN
Victoria. took him 70 be an Engiishman
or seatchman Trusting Mr. Lancaster
will be found in good health. remain,
most respectfully.
wv NJ .ALDRTDGE."