Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-20
WALTER B. BOWMAN is CONE
Broker and DistillsrS Agent Missing Since
Last Thursday.
MERCHANTS HOLD SOME UNPAID CHECKS
Learn After His Departure that His
Deposit IL sby-sioux City May
BE His Present
Whereabouts.

Walter B. Bowman has not been at his
office in the Omaha National bank building
since last Thursday and creditors who were
refused payment of checks he gave them
for various small sums are now making In
quiries to ascertain his whereabouts. Pend
ing the success or abandonment of this
hunt, the firm of Orchard & Wilhelm has
sent teamsters to bring back to the store
the handsome office furniture Bowman
bought a month ago on the installment
plan.
The letter heads Mr.. Bowman had printed
when he came here announced that the
firm of Walter b. Bowman & Co.. proposed
to do insurance underwriting and serve the
public as executor of estates and as com
mercial broker But on the doors of suite
s14 Of the bank building, which apartment
he rented tie middle of April paying a
month in advance. he made the further
announcement that he was district agent
for the United States Distillers' DistrIb-
uting company of Chicago.
His story Seems Contradictory.
To L. d. spalding, the rental agent of the
building, he showed proper credentials pur-
porting to be from the distributing COM
pany, and showed also other letters Of en-
dorsement. He told Mr.. spalding at the
time that he had been in the company's
time told the same gentleman, the latter
AYERS, that he had just taken a position
with 1t.
By making a partial cash payment he i'm
mediately secured from Orchard & wilhelm
several fine desks, chairs, carpets and other
Office furniture. Last week he employed q
girl as stenographer and prepared to make
quite imposing showing for the benefit
of prospective customers. To get business
he began issuing large number of circu-
lar letters, but most of these were only to
bill posters in various towns, asking for
rates on posting a certain whisky COM
pany's lithograph he had on exhibition in
his office So far as known he didn't get
much business. though it is understood
from remnants of his correspondence that
he was instrumental in establishing Joint
distillery at some point in South Dakota.
Rear Sioux City Name.
In his Office after his departure were
found two unaddressed letters to prospec-
tive agents, drafted on the back of a blank
form bearing the name of d, II. Talbot.
officing in the Masonic building at Sioux
city.
Another letter found in his of1ce was
from T. ]. Fiegenbaum, a lincoln druggist,
but all 1t said was: please send parti-
culars." Circular letters found advertise
everything from gold mines to bank stocks
Thursday he bought hat at Fredericks,
50 worth of furnishings at Pease Brothers
and Sc bill of goods at Mrs, ]. Benson's g.
In each instance he had the purchase deliv-
cred at his office and there gave a check
for the same Saturday all the checks
were returned after having reached the
Omaha National bank through the clearing
house and been thrown out for lack OF
deposit. Vice President McGrew of that
institution stated yesterday that Bow.
man never had large deposit there.
Mentioned "A Destination.
Bowman's departure appears to have beer
made Thursday night or Friday morning
He had mentioned to his stenographer thai
he was going to Sioux City on a business
trip but when he went he took with him
all the few records and books about the
establishment, leaving neither an addres,
nor a statement of when he would return
Though not certain that Bowman means
to be absent permanently, the agent fol-
the building began an investigation Mon.
day and the stenographer quit the office
declining to give Mr.. Spalding either hel
name or address "for fear the reporters
would be after her" Yesterday the furni
ture company sent after its goods and nov
nothing remains of Bowman but a memory
and his unpaid checks.