Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-20
OF Still Stranger Disappear
ances of Human Beings
BEFORE CHRIST CAME
And Up to the Present Day Men Have
Suddenly Disappeared and Remain
UnaccOunted for-HOw and why
Some Noted Cases Have Dropped
out Of Sight but Not Ont of Mind


Christ that a certain Greek philosopher,
Empedocles by name won great fame and
renown in Greece by the miracles that he
wrought and the wonderful cures that he
made He had a knowledge Of medicine
and natural history that was far in advance
of the age in which he lived. When he
came TO the olympic games he was the oh.
served of all observers One day he mys-
teriously disappeared, and his friends and
follow citizens hunted high and low, but
we're unable to hnd any traces Of him.
Then they began to think that he must be
god and had been translated, like Enoch,
the good man of the Israelites, or been car
ried off, not to live in he'll, like pretty
PrOsopene and be the wife of horrid old
Pluto, but gone to high Olympus there to
dwell with red-haired Venus proud Juno,
and literary Minerva. There Glanced to be
a volcano near at hand, and one day when
it was little bilious it chose TO have an
eruption, and among the first things thrown
up upon the astonished inhabitants of
Sicily from the bowels of Aetna was one of
the brass sandals of the late philosopher.
So the mystery was solved and the god
story did not work.
Rev Bruce Kennard was a respectable
clergyman Of the Church of England, aged
sixty-four years, who one morning left his
home and rectory down among the peace
full wales of Dorshetshire, to go to London
for the purpose of being united in mar
riage to Miss Bade, of Nos York Villas,
Snakes lane Woodford. All the arrange
ments for the wedding had been completed.
The aged groom had secured a best man,
the wedding breakfast the officiating
clergyman and the wedding guests were all
arrived, but the bridegroom-he came not.
There was nothing left but for the bride to
burst into tears, and the guests to go quietly
and wOnderinglY home. They had all de-
parted when the missing groom drove up in
a cab at full speed, and this was the story
that he told the rector. On the evening be-
fore he was quietly sitting in his private
room az the Castle Hotel, WOodford, wait.
ing for dinner, when at about eight O'Clock,
a waiter introduced a person who declared
that he had been sent from Miss Bade's
house in the carriage of Mr. Fraser (who
was relative of the bridegroom, and that
Mr.. Fraser wished to see him upon a matter
Of importance The clergyman postponed
his dinner. and went with the messenger
down to the carriage. He had no sooner
got into the carriage than the messenger
darkness came a third man, who slipped
into the seat opposite, stating that he, too,
was a friend of Mr. Fraser. The clergyman
began to be suspicious, and, looking out of
the window saw that he was not being
driven in the direction of York Villas. He
tried to call to the coachman, but his COM
panions, who were powerful men, forcibly
prevented this He had $500 in his pocket,
aud hi. Eref idao r,-oe ff,ot The oh;a~t rr.ae
robbery He seized the bull, therefore, by
the horns, and boldly asked ifthey wished
to rob him; but they replied that they were
not robbers. Yet they refused to tell who
they were, or where or for what purpose
they were carrying him off. Whenever he
saw any one passing near the carriage he
shouted for help; but at each attempt of
this kind he was seized and gagged. At
last he threw his hat out of the carriage
in the hopes that this would indicate the
route taken. The drive was a long one,
until they reached Hunter street. where
the carriage stopped and the clergyman
was dragged out though several policemen
we're standing near, to whom he appealed
in vain He clung to the ratings, and
struggled like a genuine John Bull but no
one came to his assistance and he was car
a
ground floor, and told that a gentleman
would appear in a few minutes who would
explain all. Finally he was removed into a
room at the back of the house, where there
were two beds. In this room he passed the
night. In the morning the messenger who
claimed that he came from Mr.. Fraser en-
tered the room and threw himself on one
of the beds, and informed the clergyman
hot ha traI haat. ftrofrVtrfad to aaeo H.
as a lunatc, and that doctor would soon
come and give an opinion on the state of
his mind. After eating his breakfast the
clergyman appealed to his captors to release
him, but they declared they could not do
it consistently with their instructions until
1870 O'Clock. The hour for his wedding
was at II O'Clock. For $50, however, they
said they would send a telegram to Wood
ford, but they secured the money and never
sent the telegram. AS the time for the
alleged doctors visit drew near the hint
| was thrown out that for s25 the character
Of the report might be fixed. At 1890
/ o'clock came message saying that if the
doctor failed to come Rev. Mr.. Kennard
must be detained until I2 O'Clock. Rev Mr..
Kennard was, of course, anxious to get
away before the doctor came, and offered
hAA~ lAAAA 10 W lIA AAAAA kol WllANu nc AA1uG~
diately consented to do. He at once left
the house and hailing cab, drove at once
to the church. There was a certain amount
Of incredulity greeted the clergyman S
story, but the clergyman 8 character was so
high that he was successfully married the
next day. The police were at once put
upon the track, but the occupants of the
house had moved.
Distinguished people or those highly
connected and well known. sometimes sud
denly drop out of sight, fade away, as II
were, like the clouds One day about a
half century ago Chancellor Lansing, a
prominent lawyer in New York state. left a
New York hotel to take a ferry boat for
home. He carried small hand bag in his
hand, and the porter who gave it to him al
the door was long remembered as the last
person who knew him that saw him alive
He was well known at the boat by all the
officers and men, but ne never reached the
boat, and though large rewards were offered
aud strenuous efforts made 10 ascer
tain his whereabouts or fate. they
were unsuccessful. Had ne beer
lured into bunco game and FOUL,
murdered2 Had he been captivatcd b,, fI,s