Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-15
MERRY KING DOD0"
R11En OVER GoopLY NUMBER OF
SUBJECTS AT ACADEMY.
HOST OF PRETTY MAIDENs.
oncra Contained Many T"nefu'
Gems. and the Chorus, and Scenic
rr..t. were in Keeping with Its
Spontaneous Humor.

mr. w ". Wood of II east Main street
received a. letter by special oenHerS
Thursday night from his missing orotner'
M Fred A. Wood. who mysteriously dis
anpeared from Newport News on Az
gust Z.
The letter received is dated from ne"
Orleans. and is very brief. and. while re-
a.surIno tn his relatives and friends, does
not fully clear up the mystery OF his sue
den disappearance and long silence. ne
saws he met with an accident in that CITY
on August II, and that he had oeen 700
i'll in a hospital there to write he sa1o
he expected to be out in a few days, ana
would write the particulars later
His mother, who was seen last nlent ~
the residence II east MAN, said that she
was quite satisfied that the letter re-
ceived was written by her son and that
she was greatly relieved. as were the
other members of the family. upon re-
ceivinc it But she was anXiously await
ing another letter which would give the
particulars of her sons experiences since
he left home.
LETTER AUTHENTIC.
There is no doubt in the minds or MS
brothers, Robert and DR.. w. W. Wooo.
of the authenticity OF this letter. as they
both said Yesterday that they recoz-
nized 'Fred's'' handwriting plainly.
A letter was received by Dr. w W.
Wood about month ago from Guilty,
Tex, saying that DR.. +. A. Wood was IN
that place His brothers wrote TO hin1'
and also wrote letters of inquiry to the
postmaster and other prominent o1aclais'
but these letters were all returned.
Shortly after his DISAPPEARANCE ms s
brother. Will Wood. went to Newport
Ssws. Norfolk and surrounding places.
Z where he spent considerable time IN Try
;n. to learn something of his brother
whereabouts. but could not hear OF no
! clue.
STATE DEPARTMENTS ACTION.
| Later on, his relatives concluded thai
he had been "shanghaied, to some lot
| cisn country. The Secretary OF the state
was notified, and he obtained the name
! ans destination of every vessel leaving
hose cities for foreign ports. and wired
| tho U. S. consuls in each place TO nave
| these vessels overhauled Immediately
unon arrival and a search made for DR..
| Wood.
detailed description Of him was sent
! al, over Europe and later reports from
| the ports at which these vessels mao
! arrived were received and communicated
directly to the anxious family mere. All
| we're the same: mo such man on vessel
| named.
| AS time wore on his relatives con-
Guided that he had merely gone off on
trip. and many thought the Transva al
was his destination.
All who knew him. knew OF his desire
to travel. His mother and father, as wei
as the rest Of his family. have always
been violently opposed to his going away
| They now say that they believe that ne
had more money with him than they
| thought he had.
Being in Newport News and learning
| of an opportunity to go to New Orlean:
by water he srasped it, intending to write
as soon as he arrived at his destination
His being injured so shortly after nj:
! disappearance. and just about the time
a vessel would take to so from Newpor
News to New Orleans, his relatives thinl
is proof of this belief.
Some of his nearer rela say the,
believe he intended to go to South Afrlc;
and the Transvaal, because he had shown
so much fondness for reading books con
corning that country and its resources
Furthermore. at the time Of his disap
pearance the papers contained letter.
from young Newhouse. who mysteriousl,
disappeared from this State, and wrot'
home giving glowing accounts of the op
portunities in the Transvaal.
Woods father, ]. f. Wood, is at presen
on hunting trip near Ballsville. Powha
tan county where the letter from DR.. F
A. Wood has been forwarded to him.