The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-03
'WENTz Held
A PRISONER
His Captors Offer to Restore Him
Alive on Payment Of Hun
dred Thousand Dollars.
.NEGo CITATIONS ARE PENDING.
Belief Gains credence That.
~. * "A Nr.11. Z. Z. fI /. ID
NEGOTIATIONS ARE PENDING
Belief Gains Credence That
Young Millionai IS Captive
in Cumberland Mountains, 81
- !. Y .lls, :. n. {.
Especial to Tho TimAs-Dfsnat tnh

| Especial to The eTimes-Dispatch.J
BRISTOL. TENN. Nov. 2-It Is now
stated as positive that a young stranger.
! supposed to have been the agent OF the
captors Of Edward L.. sWentz, the young
Philadelphia millionaire. was at Big
Stone Gap. Va. for. a!conterenca with
members Of the entz family.
While the family is naturally reticent
on the subject pending developments. the
impression now is that "a proposition has
undoubtedly been made to restore the
missing young, man to the family for
one hundred thousand dollars.
This impression has gained credence
in Wise county. Va, to-day. and despite
the fact that there is no news for the
public at the Wentz mansion, it Is conf
IDENTIFY expected that Edward Wentz will
come down from the mountains within a
few days a. free man.
Mr.. j. b. Bullltt, counsel for tho Wentz
family, and other closely identified with
the management OF tho search. have gone
in the direction OF the Cumberland
mountains. where It Is now understood
young WeAtz Is held prisoner.
This leads to the belief that tho strang-
or who was to provide DR., ]. s. Wentz,
with a letter from his missing sons own
hand as an evidence that the young man
lives. will not return to the Wentz man
sion, as at first supposed, but will deposit
the letter at some specified spot remote
in the mountains. where agents OF the
Wentz family are to come for 1t.
According to this view of the case, the
final negotiations may now be- in pro-
gress at point distant from railway
and telegraphfc communication. and in
this event the public could learn nothing
further until the negotiations were con-
cluded.
The little town Of Big Stone Gap is.
anxlously awaiting the return OF Mr..
Bullitt and his party. hoping they may
bring with them the missing young man.
B, G. Banks. superintendent OF the
Virginia st, Louis fair commission, ar
rived here to-day from Big Stone Gap.
He stated that 2. D. Wentz, brother of
the missing young man. F., L, Wentz. had
abandoned all hope of finding the young
man alive. Mr.. Banks stated that b. D.
Wentz expressed adherence to the theory
that his brother had been murdered by
mountaineers. Mr. Banks knew nothing
OF the report that 100000 had been de-
manded as ransom for Wentz's return
to his family.
New Search.
Headed by Mr., John Fox. Jr., the noted
author. the most thorough search yet
made for missing Millionaire p. L. Wentz
is being instituted In the mountains be-
tween Big Stone Gap and the Kentucky
line, with the LATEST improved electrical
devices as a. means of exploring all caves
nnG caverns,
Thousands of teet In caves in the noun
tains have been made as plain as day by
the light from the electrical contrivances.
Mr.. D, B, Wentz, elder brother OF the
missing man; j. r., Bullitt. general co,,n-
sol for the Virginia Coal and Iron Com
pany, OF which young Wentz was land
agent, and John Fox, Jr., are making
the new search. There are no new clues,
though rumors 'are thick and unreliable.