The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-10-22
THE WEN1Z MYSTERY
One Thousand Men Searching Noun
tsins For Missing Man.
HE WAS PROBABLY MURDERED

Young Man Had Many Bitter Enemies
Among Virginia mountsineers, and
Il is Feared They Killed Him and
Hid His Body.
Bristol. Tenn, Oct. lit Is now SIX
DAYS since K. l.. Wentz. the young
Philadelphia millionaire, mysteriously
disappeared in the mountains OF wise
county. w. Va, and notwithstahdlhs
a party Of 1000 men have been scour-
ing the mountains for FIVE days no
clew has been gained az to what De-
came Of him. The missing mans
brother. D. L. WentZ. has Increased
the reward for the finding OF the
young man from $4,000 to $4,000 pro-
ylded he is returned alive. The reward,
II the young man should be found dead.
is $4,000
The 1000 men who work In the
mines. the coke ovens and the blast
furnaces on the Wentz estate are still
searching in the mountains, but their
search has become one for the body
Of the young man Few entertain the
belief that he still lives. The most
probable explanation OF his disappear
ance is that he was held mp in the
depths Of the forest by mountaineers
who had a grudge against him. muir
l. hflHnn I'm
the numerous sink holes Of the hills.
Young Wen,z had many bitter enemies
by driving sQuatters OF the estate and
By his war on chestnut pickers who
cut down his trees. The theory that he
may be held for ransom Is not believed
to be tena5le The mountaineers or
this section are given TO vengeance
hut not to brlgandage. II is thought
that the fate OF Wentz will remain a
mystery and that his body will never
be found
F.. l.. Wentz Is the general manager
OF the Virginia Coal and Iron Com
pany. which IL the owner OF about
100. 600 acres of coal lands in south
western Virginia. near Big Stone Gap.
The property is mostly covered with
forest and is very sparsely populated.
The company employs a number or
land agents 10 prevent the cutting OF
timber and other trespasses, and Mr..
Wcntz has been In the habit OF visit
ing them from time TO time and OF rid
ing over the property in their com
plny.
on wednesday last he left his home
at Big Stone Gap to visit one Of his
men. and was last seen in Kellyyiew
which is about four miles from Appa
Iachia a station on the Louisville and
/ Nashville Railroad, and Is on a well
travelled public road leading 10 Wise
the county seat of Wise county Va
Lnte that evening his horse returned
/ to Kellyyiew. The officers Of the com
pany were notified by telephone, and
search was at once instituted. As he
had.not been found by the next morn
ing the entire force OF the company
was set 10 work and the search prose
cuted in every direction. As yet no
trace OF him has been found
When the young mans horse re-
turned riderless. VENTS coat was
tied 10 the saddle. and the bride reins
were hitchcd to the saddle horn.
Charles wax. to whose home Wentz
had intended TO go. did not see him.
y. Il. Wentz, who lives at Big Stone
Gap. has offered reward OF $500 for
the recovery OF his brother. alive or
dead
The suggestion that he might have
fallen or been thrown into a sink hole
must have originated with some one
not familiar with the locality. There
arc no such caves there as are some
times found in limestone regions. and
the mining operations have been con
Quoted above water level. so that there
is no place of cOncealment excepting
some ravine in the mountains, which
are in many places steep and precipi-
tous. II is thus a case Of utterly
mysterious disappearance. which can
not be explained or accounted Tor by
any known facts or conditions.