The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-03-07
Man Who Registers From st.
Louis Disappears Mysteriously
at New Orleans.
MONEY BY EXPRESS.
Police Undetermined Whether He
Is in Hiding or Whether He
Is the Victim of Foul
Play.
REPUBLIC

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New Orleans. March 6.-The police of
this city for nearly a week have been at
tempting to unravel the mystery Of the
disappearance of Victor r. Stowe from the
Parkview Hotel, February %. The papers
left behind him give no clew as 10 wheth-
er his disappearance was voluntary or the
result Of foul play. though the inference
is toward the latter cause.
Stowe registered at the hotel. which is a
small and unimportant one, February L,
as from ST. Louis. He paid for his lodg-
ing in advance, and, when the carnival
crowd departed. secured a better room.
Sunday before his disappearance he
showed the hotel clerk a telegram from a
bank at Martinsburg, No, reading: w
sent you money by express" He asked
the clerk to identify him at the express Of
hce. and the clerk agreed to do so Mon
day. Monday Stowe was in good spirits,
but he made no reference to the proposed
Identification. Monday night roomers
next to Stowe reported to the hotel pro-
sick during the night and gave evidence
of nausea. Tuesday morning, however,
stowe appeared about the hotel, evidently
noon he left the hotel and. no trace of
him has since been found.
SEARCH BEGINS.
Stowe was considered at the hotel to be
an entirely reliable guest and no account
was taken of his disappearance until two
days had elapsed, when the proprietor re-
ported the matter to the police. A search
was begun: but up to the present time no
clew has been discovered of his where
abouts. A search Of his room showed that
his effects were lying about as though he
had intended to return soon. articles of
ciothing being scattered around the room.
His baggage had been brought to the
hotel in a hand satched, but papers found
in the satchel indicated that he was a
man of means. There was nothing to in
dictate that he had ever lived in the city
from which he registered. but letters Were
found showing he had close friends in At
lanta.
Several letters were found from the Mar
tinsburg Mo) Bank which showed that
Stowe was the owner of considerable real
estate in that town and section.
LETTER FROM MARGUERITE.
A letter signed Marguerite - indicated
that he had a kinswoman in that town. A
card in the satchel bowed that Stowe had
been a real estate dealer in New York
City and Cancelled checks showed he had
been a depositor in the Hamilton Bank of
New York. Many of these checks were
paid William Stillwell.
A series of daily reports from a detec-
tive referred to the shadowing of a Mr..
Sawyer" but Stoves name does not ap-
pear anywhere in the reports. All the cor
~respondence in the satchel was addressed
10 stowe at NO. 100 west One Hundred
and Sixth street. New York City. Among
the papers was a bill of sale to Stowe for
$500 of a thirty-foot sioop sailing under
the flag of the Harlem Yacht Club. The
sale was made by Charles. John w. and
Fred G. Brounsck, June %. 1903. A log
book showed a cruise of the yacht in
Long Island Sound. several friends of the
owner being aboard.
Stowe weighed about 100 pounds, was six
feet tall. had a brown mustache, dark
hair, full face and sometimes wore eve
glasses. His dress was neat but not fash
ionable.