Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-11-23
FUDE IS MISSING
Mysterious Disappearance Of Y. Well
Known Farmer Living Near
=: Raymond. D.

E\oyrY0t'N'
Raymond News, 18Th inst: F.. G.
Fude, q well known farmer residing
about fivemiles north Of town, is q
missing man and his family ss we'll
az the general public are becoming
much alarmed over the matter" Mr..
Fude left his home last week Thurs.
day, going to Priam and taking the
train there for Rock County, In the
southern part OF the state, to look af-
ter some business matters. He told
his family that he would be back on
Saturday. Rudolph Schneider, an in
innate friend Of the family, came in
to meet him last Saturday, but he did
not arrive on the afternoon train.
Mr.. Schneider thought nothing of this
as it might have been pos ible that he
missed The train. He called at the
postoftice for his mail and the mail OF
the Fade family, among which was q
letter from Mr.. Fude to him, and an.
other letter to the Fude children, both
letters written in German. The SUBJ
stance of Mr.. Schneider's letter was
that he Mr.. Fude) would be no more
when the letter would reach Mr.
Schneider and appointing him as ad-
ministrator of the estate, even stating
how to divide it among the different
members OF the family. The letter to
the children was among the same lines
as Mr.. Schneider's letter, bidding
them goodbye and stating that when
they received the letter ''he would be
no more." Joe Lit,eg, of Flandreau,
S. D., an old time friend of Mr. Fude,
and owner of the quarter section ad-
joining the latter's farm, arrived the
first OF the week and states that he al.
so received q letter which runs in the
same strain. All these letters were
written on St. Jam IS Hotel stationery
and bear the postmark minneapolis,
600 p. NJ MIR. Schneider broke the
news to parties here and the chief OF
police at Minneapolis was called by
phone, but nothing of an encourage
ing nature could be Obtained. The
missing man was not registered at the
st. James hotel and no trace could be
found of him In Minneapolis. Last
Friday morning the decapitated body
of q man was found in the Milwaukee
ards which Tailed pretty closely to
The description of the man sought, but
Mr.. Litteg went down on the morning
train Wednesday to identify the body
but found it to be harvest hand.
Up to the time Of going to press moth
ing has developed which in any way
leads to Mr.. Fude's whereabouts.
Judging from the letters received
here they can be taken in no other
way than that the man g Intentions are
suicide. His actions on the day prior
to his leaving home point very strong.
ly along that line. He came to town
and strengthened up all accounts, even
paying up some notes which were not
due until next fall. He took little or
no money with him, barely enough to
pay his travelling expenses, which is
evideuce that his int ntions were not
of q skip out" nature, or he would
certainly have taken al the money be
hal at his disposal.
Mr.. Fude's strange disappearance
and actions cannot be accounted for
by members of his family and friends
who know him we'll. He has had no
domestic troubles of late and his &C.
tions about his home have been very
pleasant. His financial affairs, as far
as We have been able to ascertain, are
in good condition and there are no
heavy payments pressing him. Just
why he should contemplate taking his
own life is q mystery to everyone.
He has az times been very Respondent,
brooding over something, evidently
the poor crop, but as he was of a very
quiet and deep disposition, members
Of his family gave it little thought.
1t is supposed by some that be may
have become slightly demented.