The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-11
RHINEAR IS CONE.
Treasurer Of Salvation Army
Disappears Mysteriously.
Leaves His Wife Suddenly and
Without Warning.
SCANDAL is HINTED.
Local Officers Deny That lie
Went With a Woman.
Captain Says So Far as He
Knows Accounts Are 0. X.

H. S. Rhinear, treasurer of the Sal
walton Army whose home has been at
200 Berwick avenue in Auburndale, has
disappeared under mysterious circun-
stances One story is that he has left
his wife to marry another woman, who
is married and also a member of the
Salvation Army, but this is probably
not true Rhinear has not been ION
the platform" at the Salvation Army
hall since Thursday of last week Cap
tain Horton, who came here a week ago
to take charge of the work, claims
that he saw and talked to the woman
who was suspected Sunday night, and
that she denies emphatically having
been with Rhinear at all, but Rhiuear
hasn't been seen.
1T is a very mysterious case,'' said
Captain Horton today. II have rea-
son to believe that there are a number
mixed up in it, and equally guilty with
Fchinear, if he is guilty at all. 1 don't
know positively that he has left town.
l don't know that this woman left
town. I know that neither of them
were at their home in this city,.
AS treasurer of the Salvation Army,
did Rhinear leave his accounts
straight?" was asked of Capt. Horton.
Il have rot had time yet to make
| thorough examination, - said Capt. Hor-
ton. II don't know how many checks
were issued. 1 only know of one hav-
ing come in, which I cashed, or rather,
saw it cashed-'
There is supposed to have been con-
siderable money in the Salvation Army
| treasury, but Capt. Horton is not in
clined to talk about this point.
| Major Potter, of Kansas City, was in
| Topeka Sunday. He came down here on
purpose to investigate the Rhinear case
| it is said, and seems to have succeeded
1 in sealing the lips of the local officers
! of the army.
MY instructions from Kansas City"
said Capt. Horton today, "are to say
nothing about this. We don't want
any notoriety. 1t will hurt the army.
don't want to drag these people down
! into the dirt. There will be no arrests
i made, because the army will settle the
trouble within itself. The relatives OF
| the man and woman are not going TO
| take the thing into the courts. They
are anxious to have it hushed up.
/ suppose that we will have to take care
of poor Mrs. Rhinear. The army will
see to it that she is taken care of.
The army here in Topeka has had
enough trouble of late. Only two or
three weeks ago, one of our officers
! got into a scandal, and now comes this
/ thing on top of it. No wonder the army
work here in Topeka has not prosper
! ed. Poor Mother Florence is crying her
4 eyes out because she says people won
/ contribute, and I'm sure | don't know
! what We Will 90, IL JI1S lHi1S pun
/ lished. If Rhinear and this woman had
committed any crime, 1 would be per-
fectly willing to give out all the infor-
nation / have for publication. But so
far as we know, there has been no
/ crime l have sent out to see whether
or not Rhinear has returned. I can't
give any information until I have sifted
| the case and know what to believe. 1t
/ is the worst mess L ever got into in
my life, and it will hurt the army.
u ~ to n
years of age and is inclined to be nerv-
Gus and excitable. When reporter for
the State Journal called at her home
this morning and asked for information
| in regard to the whereabouts of her
husband she said:
Il have no information to give out
about that affair-nothing at ALL" And
from this determination Mrs. Rh1near
could not be swerved-
Captain Horton says that Rhinear used
| to be a drinking man and he 1ntlmateS
strongly that his fall may have been oc-
| casioned by a return to drink
: Until last Thursday Mr.. Rhinear work
ed for the Hill paperhanging company
He had been with that co.epany for four
wears and was one of the lest men IN
! his business in the city He had always
! enioyed the best oe reDute. He was very
| active in soliciting funds for the Saliva
I ton Army Christmas dinner and used to
| come frequently to the State Journal Of
| fee with items in regard to the dinner
| He was a sandy cOmplex1oned man with
| light noustache One of his legs was
| stiff and he walked with q slignt lump.
| When he failed to show up tor work iast
week the Hill Paper company 1nVeStlga-
ted the case and discovered that he had
| disappeared.