The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-05
Popular LeavenwOrth Officer
Suddenly Disappears.
WOMAN IN BLACK CAME
Known as a Whoever Among
the Forts Social Set.
The Strange Lady Says She Was
the Wife of Perkins.
Lived at Carbonate, Has, and
Her Name Is RaynOr.

Leavenworth, Kas.. Jan. 5-Bast Tues
day night Lieut. Edward o. Perkins.
Fourth United States cavalry. left his
quarters in Fort Leavenworth and went
to the city. He had no leave of absence.
Since then not a word has been heard of
him and no one IS known to have seen
him. He had had an excellent record
and officers of his rank were unable TO
account for his absence in any way ex-
cepa that he had been murdered or
drugged.
They requested the police in neighbor-
ing cities to maintain watch for him
To the commanding officers, however.
the disappearance of the lieutenant was
not so much of a mystery, although the
cause of it was total surprise. Lieut..
Perkins IS a man of good appearance
and manner and was popular socially
in the post and in the city. Older than
most men of his rank. he had gained
his comm ission by hard work during
and after the Spanish war. Ten years
on the frontier as an enlisted man III
the cavalry, another term in the ma
rtne corps, then came the commission
as a Lieutenant in the volunteer in
fantry and next he was an officer in
the branch Of which he had served as
a soldier. With his premiums for pre-
7 ViOus service his pay approached $1,000
a year enough to let him live comfort
he said and occasionally spoke of his
two children who died in New York.
He drank so little that some of his ac-
Cuaintances supposed him to be a tee
totaler His work and conduct as an
officer were without criticism.
Two months ago a woman of coal
black hair came to the National hotel
in LeavenWOrth, and Lieut.. Perkins Oc-
caSiOnally called on her. A week ago
yesterday she called on Lieut.. Colonel
Wygant. in command at Fort Leaven-
worth in Colonel Miners absence and
announced herself the wife of Lieut..
Perkins To the commander she said
that she had been married to Perkins in
Fort Stanton. n. M. fourteen years a go,
when he was Sergeant Perkins, Sixth
cavalry. Two children were born. she
says. Eight years ago the sergeant and
his wife parted and the children werr
sent to his old home in Southampton,
Long Island New York.
His name IS not Edward 0. Per-
kins." she told the colonel. 1T is Ed
ward o. Raynor, and his family is one
OF prominence IN New York. He took
the name Perkins when he enlisted so
as to hide the fact from his people"
The sergeant left the army after his
second enlistment for the marine corps
and when Dewey sailed to Manila Per
klns was IN the feet The commodore
found him worthy and made him his or
derby, place he held when the Ameri-
cans sunk Montejos ships. After the
army was landed and Manila surrender
ed Perkins still served as the orderly
Tor the commodore, VINO soon became an
admiral, and some of the officers now Al
1eavenWOrth remember him as bearer
of messages from Dewey.
With the organization of the United
States volunteers after the muster out
ed in securing a commission for the de
serving marine and then it was Lieuten-
ant Perkins, Twenty ninth United States
volunteer infantry. Two years of fight
@ q
were mustered out. Lieutenant Perkins
was 40 years old then. too old to be
eligible for a commission in the regu-
lars. But Admiral Dewey again used
his influence for the man who had serv-
ed him SO faithfully. and Secretary Root
also, who knew the Raynors of Long
Island, helped the man they were inter
eSted in. So it came that Edward O.
Perkins. in turn a sergeant a marine
and lieutenant of volunteers, became
a lieutenant in the regular army.
As such he was assigned to the
Fourth cavalry and was welcomed as
man who had earned a place through
long. hard service. He strengthened his
position among the officers by his earn
est work and fine conduct At the post
hops and in the city he was we!c0Hed.
Altogether there were few men of his
rank at Fort LeavenWorth who had the
standing of Lieutenant Perkins.
A few months ago he ceased attend
ing the dances. and it was about this
time tnaI Mrs PERKINS, or Mrs Raynor
appeared first in Leavenworth. She says
she learned of his whereabouts by writ
4 ing to the war department. She left
Leavenworth in May. after a months
stay. she says, with the officers prom
! Use that he would support her. In Oc-
/ tober she returned. and ten days ago
/ came the crisis.
He said he could not acknowledge me
as his wife she said Saturday evening.
because my family not of good
enough standing. Ny father was owner
Of good coal mines and man of wealth
| until few years ago. He lived at Carbon
dale. Kan. Never was it necessary for me
to do manual labor until / married Raynor