The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1903-10-22
Has Mystsrieusly Dis
appeared.
LAST SEEN NEAR KELYyIEw,
On Last Wednesday, While on
His Way to the Homo of c.
ID. Wax, on Guest River.
Large Reward Offer

This section has been greatly dis.
turbed during the past week over the
mysterious disappearance Of Mr.. Il.
u. Wentz, General Manager Of the
Virginia Coal and Iron Company.
Mr. Wensz left here Wednesday
morning, the 14th inst, about 10
O'clock on horseback to go to C. ID.
Wax's on Guests River. about twenty
miles from this place. He went by
way OF Appalachia and Kellyview.
lie was seen passing through Appa-
iaehiS about eleven O'Clock and iust
beyond kellyview he was seen 10
leave the railroad and start up Roar
ing Fork Of Powell's River. aud here
was the last lime he was seen that
any one knows Of, aud here he seems
TO have disappeared rs completely as
II the earth had swallowed him no.
On Wednesday night about nine
o'clock his horse was found standing
IN the crossing OF Roaring Fork
where the road crosses it leading in
the direction Of B!ackwood. bv two
Young men by the names Of Collier
and Foster, who were on their wav
to kellyview 10 meet the late east
bound l.. d n. train. They say that
the horse was standing with its foo,
IN the bride and when they approach
ed It broke the rein. and they had some |
difficulty in catching IL, which ihev /
did, however. and brought il ON 70 |
hellyview. At kellyview some one
knowing the horse had IL sent on TO
Big Stone Gap.
When the horse was brought home
about two O'Clock Thursday morning.
his brother. Mr.. d. u. Wentz, did not
think strange Of the occurrence. sun
posing that it had gotten loose from
him and that he had gone on 10 his
destination on foot. The next morn.
ing he sent John Bounds with the
horse on 20 Mr.. Wsx's and when he
got there il was found that Mr..
W entz had not been there Al All.
Mr.. Wentz was immediately notified
and a search was instituted for the
missing man. aud up to this writing
not a single trace Of him has been
lound. For several days between
oVV and 800 men were in the noun ]
'Hins looking for him aud every foot
Of the adjacent country where the
horse was found has been searched .
Without finding the least clew. What
has become Of HIM no one can say. I
Some think he has been murdered G
md taken back in the mountains and b
md and others think he has been
kidnapped and is being held Tor
.ansom. His brother, Mr.. ID. b.
Wentz, has offered reward Of twenty
i've thousand dollars for his brother
hive or tive thousand dollars # found =.
lead. IL was at fret thought that
'erhaps his horse had thrown him :.
nd badly crippled or killed him. but /,
Is sure now that such i not the 4
ase, rs every path in the mountains &
eading IN the direction he was going ].
las been thoroughly searched. II :
Re has been murdered the perpetra- n
ors have completely covered all trace n
4 their crime and il is pretty sure !.
.e was not murdered anywhere near a
he roads that he might have been Il
saVeiing. SO the suFposition Is now e.
hat he has been captured and carried y
aeS into the mountains and mur.
cred or is being held for ransom d
nd It Is feared the former is true. CO
The mountains back Of Keliyview !,
the Roaring Fork country are very +,
'ugh ana are almost impossible for IA
len on foot. The reporter was out -
To days with the searching parties :,
nd IN many places he had 10 crawl ~
order to get through the laurel to
thick..and dense was Is. "a
MIR. T. l.. Wentx is a son Of DIR. ] .,
= Vents, Of Philadelphia, and is a sh
-other Of Mr.. d. B. Wents. Gen. ell
al Manager Of the Stonega Coke 4 ia
Gal Company, and is about ~ wears i
age. lie is strictly sober and is one en-
the most popular young men in isl
~ section. lie had charge II the Is'
mPany's lands in this section. and ..f
ey own about 1000 acres in this an
unity. He came here about SIX
ars ago and has had charge Of the As.
nd department ever since and is ii.
own by the people throughout this the
ufe section. Ii he is murdered the shi
use Tor sneh deed cannot be i'm. SUI
iaed' as it Is not thought that me
oSe would think thst he carried Ar
'ney. and murdered him for that. Pei
coarse he was very wealthy sen
IN ont he never carried money Of Sc,
consequence when ON these tsips fun
'ough the mountains. IL had any ear
'm'es no one knew of them. and
thought that he las been
" murdered can hardly be believed. :
bis brother, Mr.. b. b. Wensz. has eis,
n one Of the most ailigest search. thai
) aad has been ia the mountsiss A