The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-04-25

KIDNAPPED NNEW YORK
Philadelphia Druggist Not Seen Since
he Went There Four Weeks Ago.
WRITES FROM NEW ORLEANS


bic story Of Plot Against Him to
Secure Title to His Heritaee-His
Friends Cannot Explain.
Philadelphia. April % - In New
YORK. where he went to d.sv Sc OF a
Montana mining property -. $4,000.
Andrew } Billings. drug clerk. who
lived al 5ll7 Malcolm avenue. West
: Philadelphia. is said to have fallen
into The hands OF desperadoes who
sandbaeeed MIN. treated him to stupe-
Tying doses OF cocaine and transport.
ed him to points in the south. where he
Is now held prisoner by persons in
tefested ia securing title to his heri
tase.
This startling story is told by the
young mans friends and by his 49,
year-old wife-a bride of six months
VINO has seen nothing of him since
March Is. when he left for New York
promising TO return the same after
noon.
During the time that has ELAPSED
since Billings departed for New York
assuring his wife he would bring home
golden store which would enable
them To buy fine house where they
woul live in ease and comfort. Mrs.
BILLINGS has received from him two
leuers. Both are postmarked New
orleans. La. and the first one arrived
after two weeks of silence and heart
racking misery. Telling a rambling
story. both letters represent him in
the hands OF enemies, his money gone
and himself i'll and emaciated from
the terrible experiences through
which he has passed.
hardly knowing how to guage these
melodramatic adventures in the realm
OF the probable, Billings friends have
instituted a search for him. The DO.
lice OF New York, New Orleans and
Chaicago and other cities have been
furnished with his photograph, facts
OF his disappearance, and asked 70
aid in unraveling what appears to be
much of mystery.
The first letter received by Mrs
Billings was written on stationery O,
the st. Charles Hotel, New Orleans
and IN IL her husband does not speal,
OF negotiating for the sale of mining
property. lie says he drew from a
bank at Altoona, Pa, all his savings
amounting TO several thousand dol.
lars, and after giving Mrs. Stevens.
his half-sister, OF Chicago, her share.
placed her on train for the west at
the Grand Union Station in New York.
Coming out of the station he was an
preached by two men, one of whom
struck him on the back of the head
with sandbag. Telling him. He knew
no more until he found himself in
Pullman car going at express speed.
He was in bed and i'll. A nurse was
in attendance and gave him medicine.
She told him she had instructions to
give him a dose of this medicine
every three hours. Then he again
went TO sleep, and the next time he
woke up he was in a santitarium in
New Orleans.
Days passed and he recovered sufi-
ciently to sit in a rocking chair OF
the porch OF the sanitarium. He asked
for writing materials that he might
communicate with his wife. but these
were denied him.
When he was stronger he stole away
one day, and. arriving at the St
Charles Hotel. appropriated the paper
which he used to write this narrative
of his adventures.
Business friends of Billings cannot
explain his adventure. They say he
might have spent his money playing
the races of something of that sort,
but doubt it, as he was not OF that
kind.
Mrs. Billings former home was in
Bethlehem. Pa, her family coming to
this city upon her marriage.