Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-02-12
CHAPTER VI.
MYSTERY ON MYSTERY.


. The hundreds of columns of space
devoted by the New York morning
papers to the great event could have
been condensed into a few para
graphs, so far as any true explanation
OF the mystery was concerned.
Six men, whose combined wealth
was variously estimated at from
$500, 900 to $1,25O,OOO,OOO, had dis
appeared as suddenly and completely
as If the earth had opened and
swallowed them. Four of them
Messrs. Pence, Kent, Haven and Nor
ton-had been in the latter's office
about four o'clock on Monday after
noon. Mr.. Morton's secretary was
sure they held no conference at this
time, and said they soon left the
building. He thought they left to-
gether. and supposed they went away
in carriages or in an automobile. 1t
was not uncommon for men distin-
guished in the world of affairs to
meet at Mr.. Morton's Office. Mr..
Morton had arranged for an impor-
tant conference with some railroad
men at his Office for the following
morning at IL o'cblock. The CORE
spondence files showed that fact con-
SAOSltClys NIL udo GS1OPuOhCo
to his residence that he would not
be home to dinner. This was not un-
usual. That was absolutely all that
ments or plans.
John M. Rockwell was in his Office
from II o'clock until about two in
the afternoon. He transacted bust
ness as usual and had planned to
start on trip to Chicago the follow
ing day. His private car had been
ordered to the Pennsylvania depot.
.Andrus Carmody was to accompany
him on this business journey. Both
OF these gentlemen had left word at
their residences that they would not
be home to dinner. Hiram Haven did
not leave his office until nearly four
o'clock. This was about his usual
hour. and there was nothing in his
correspondence or instructions to in
dictate that he would fail to be on
hand at the regular hour on Tuesday
morning.
= Mr.. Kent's failure to arrive at his
. Office nearly drove his brokers dis
) tracted. They admitted that he had
left them certain commissions to fill
on Tuesday morning, but the nature
of them or how they were executed
they declined to make public. He
left his office about four o'clock Mon
day afternoon, but did not say where
he was going.
For the first time in 40 years Simon
Pence failed to come home. Only on
rare occasions did he remain away
from a home dinner. He had stated
that a buSineSS erUo uemeut would
keep him in the city during the even
ing, but that he would be back at q
seasonable hour. The police officials
were notified at midnight of his fail
ure to return to his residence. Not
fully approaching the significance OF
this event they made no search for
the missing man, and classed it
among the cases OF this kind so IA
miliar to the hardened members of
the night police force of the metrop-
oils.
This completes all that was known
concerning the mystery. :.
That the panic was beyond control
was apparent long before the Stock
Exchange opened Wednesday morn
ing. The governors met and solemn
~ discussed the advisability of clos
ing the Stock Exchange until some
Tight was thrown on the mystery.
They dreaded to take this step, but
the situation was unprecedented. In
ordinary emergencies the banks,
trust companies, life insurance COM
panies and other representatives of
capital had been able TO meet and
eaops . plan 70 protest the msrl<et