The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-09
ELL-.KNOWY MAN
CANNOT BE FOUND
-. -
Mr.. Hudspeth Disappears and
Great AIarm.is Felt.
NOTE FOUND DUN in HIS ROOM 90 !.
In This, Supposed to Have Been Addressed
10 His wife, He Indicated That He Would {
Sc XIII Himself or Go Awsy-suffered
tatot-2izS ~ e. -.
Business Reyerscs

Leaving only a letter hchinds!h ON which
suicide or disappear ance may be con-
/ jectured. Mr. Charles III Hudspetn, WHO
%has been long connected with shipping
interests in this State, is missing. By
friends and relatives it is believed that
/ he, has committed. suicide, as it is. known
that his business ventures of late had
cost HIM all he had. In the grain nlaket
he hard Been caught hard, and in this way
his ,;sayinGss were swept away. This APP
parently led: to znelsllchofia, and since
his. disappearance: 5atg 4 o'clock Thursday
morning no trace Of him has been seen.
Mr.. Hudspeth left a wife and.one child,
q girl of eight years, near Midlothian
where he had his home. He was the
orisina tor of-tllc idea Of a trans Atlantic
service between Norfolk and Liverpool,
and was the president Of the Hudspeth
Transportation Company, which went
down, taking with it his savings and
money he had interested in the enter
prise. Later he was the head Of the
South Atlantic Export Company. which
was formed by the various railroads, but
this also went out of existence, and since
that time Mr.. Hudspeth has devoted his
time largely to the stock markets.
HOPEFUL OF HIS RETURN.
He has maintained an office at No 1O10
East Canal Street, where his grain oper-
that he has held a position with a Man
chester man, and altogether his later bust
ness. ventures have been extensive: eI1c
was with. the Southern Railway, too, for
a long time, and his two brothers are now
connected with that corporation. Ono of
them, Mr.. John EIudspeth, is thc25chief
train dispatcher for the Southern and the
other is an operator at night Mr.,W. w.
Hudspeth. Since the disappearance of
their brother these two mon have heard
nothing, although disappearances IN his
case are not unprecedented Twice before
he has gone away for a; time and returned;
the brothers and friends are-now hoping
that this is what Mr.. HuGspeth did in this
case.
Mr.. Hudspeth's habits OF late have been
st city beyond question and al the time
OF his disappearance he had apparently
taEer. nothing to drink. In this fact
largely lie the fears of his relatives AS
a refuge for a man to. whom failure mas
come in his enterprises the riversis looked
t.,
Mr.. Hudspeth lived at Midlothian, as
stated. HewaS accustomed however, to
stop over night in this city, and for near
u every night Of the last month he has
Eeen at the All1arnbra Hotel. On Non
day last he. paid for his room there a
week in advance ard occupied it every
light. On Wednesday night he came into
the hotel looking a little more than usual
out of sorts and went to his room. He
cid not 20 to bed at all. but a bout 4 O'Clock
IN the morning he went oil, Eleaving in-s
structions with! the bell boy to keep his
FIRE going. Since that llme he has not:
leen seen.
LETTER M Ills ROOM.
7. A search OF his room revealed this let
ter, apparently directed to his wife:
"Dear. Dolly: Il
'.Three times within three years hasa
success perched on the horizon and faded
away and left me with nothing but dead
sea fruit. Why this has come to- pass
no one but our Heavenly father can tell
I cannot for a moment question that the
grief He has brought upon me from time
to time has been for some good purpose;
but Why remains to be seen. If my
faith and physical endurance carry me
through the night you may hear from
me in years to come, but fear SUI.
ficide's grave awaits me if my reason fails.
me, andfI succunb to the temptat ton to
relieve my mental suffering by passing
from This terrestrial globe to that bourne
from which no traveller returns. :
8 This letter, wa unsigned As to the
| matter of the handwriting, an ntimate
friend of Hudspeth his said Yesterday
that there wa not he. slightes e dolltt.5
Working with him for Years. he knew
tie handwriting. and w hen the let ter was
shoWnato him !mmed "a ely s1d IDENTIFIED IS II
The letter is written in the rnl, rolling
hand Of a man who know his own mind
there is not in. it the slightest sign Of
time 70 his room 4 t he Aiila11-
l,,,, t1ra i. 111ru f1p