Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-09-04
.RATLEDGE HAS
WORKED CASE
TOrbert Places State Detec-
tive in False Light
REFUSED TO ASSIST IN SEARCH
General Opinion Is That the Father
Knows That Ills Son
Is Alive

Detective James p. Ratledge is indig-
nant over the action of DR.. John Tor
bert. OF Smyrna, who. he says, persists
in giving out publicly that the State
officer has not done his duty in looking
for John Torbert. Jr.. who disappear
ed from Rehoboth on the night OF
March 12
Il am satisfied in my own mind. and
thought | had convinced DR.. Torbert
that his son is alive and is on board
a ship. l have ample proof of this. as
persons who know the boy have seem
him. said Detective Ratledge to a re-
porter for the Evening Journal today.
DIR. John Torbert was in Wilmington
yesterday, and left the following writ
ten statement regarding the. case:
Il have seen in two OF the newspapers
here an article concerning myself and
son which is misleading and untrue in
NEARLY every case Detective Ratledge
lcalled on me about ten days ago. and
asked me for my sons photograph
which ! did not have. but the detective
ldid positively get a fun description OF
my son. So far as / know the where
abouts of my son. and having COM
municated with him. is untrue / did
mot tell Detective Ratledge that / be-
4ieved my son was alive. II is untrue
and misleading and based on hear
lsays' and believe-so's which are a
VERY poor evidence for truth"
When shown this letter Detective
lRatledge said:
you can say that have tried in
levery way to get some assistance in the
case from DR.. Torhert. He will not give
me a photograph of the boy. so that I
can send it TO different parts where he
s known to have been
"On June Is John Dimes. special
onductor for the Queen Anne Railroad
Company at Queenstown, saw young
Torber and talked with him. lie called
n the boy and asked him why he left the
: Douglass House in such a peculiar
o manner.
"The boy said that he became tired
of Rehoboth.
mfr. Dimes called the attention OF
the baggagemaster to the boy, and he
recognized him also"
ToRsERT LEAVES REAoBoTH
The following letter was received by
l Detective Ratledge from G. c. Short, OF
{ lLewes. Del;
G John Torbert came to me one night
e asst spring at LOS O'Clock and stayed the
p rest of the night on the engine with
e me. / remember the night so well, be-
3 ause of the tale he told me- He asked
me what time / had then. and when
n told him he said that he had been one
{, hour and four minutes coming from
\ Rehoboth bay. He said he was look
\ ling for a job, and'I told him that he
y lcould get work on the Baltimore and
{. lOhio railroad. but he said that he pre-
erred the water He carried grass bag,
with his gumboOts and Oilskins in it.
He took some paper money out of his
pocket, and said he hadn't quite $40
Il land thought he would leave while he
had money enough. He asked me if
knew that a man had to figure close to
make enough money in summer to run
II him through the winter He told me
~ he was not going back TO RehOboth fol
the next season.
Il think to the best of my knowl
edge that this was on March u.
&C. c. SHORT"
EXCUSE INSTEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Now. about the photograph that
s. equested Mr.. Torbert to send me" con
II, tinued the detective. Il received th'
st ollowing letter."
as Wilmington. Del, Aug. 29 1901.
h. Detective Ratledge-Dear Sir: Owinl
!. to my wife's illness we will have Il
h postpone any further search for on
o. on at present, hoping, if he is alive, h
at yiil write home soon. And if I shoul'
ne learn of any further developments IL
he his case. will let you hear from me,
en- xpect to go to Baltimore to see a can
nix Ger case next week. and while dow
Id there If I should learn anything tina
ld would lead me to believe he is tradin
ge rom that port, will let you know
ne nee. Yours very truly,
in "DR. JOHN TORBERT,