The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-27
GRUTCHES BY BED;
OWNER MISSING
SEARCH FOR Mr.. E. H. GRIFFIN.
LAST SEEN GOING UP IN PULASKI
HOUSE ELEVATOR SUNDAY.

Two Pistols and 1925 in Money Left
with Hotel Clerk short While BE-
fOre-Friends Are Anxious for His
Safety and Aid of Police Has Been
Invoked to Locate Him-Trunk
Sent to Central Station still There.
With the disappearance of e. H.
Griffin from the Pulaski House on Sun
day night the police have been given
something of a mystery to solve, al
though it may be that Mr. Griffin is in
Birmingham, or is with friends in the
city.
There are several peculiar circum-
stances connected with the case that
friend of the family, are unable to
explain, although Postmaster r. A.
Griffin of Quitman. in response to a
query from Capt. Hitch yesterday
morning, telegraphed that his brother
was then in Birmingham.
1t was with difficulty that Mr.. Crit
fin managed to get about on crutches,
yet his crutches are in his room at
the Pulaski House.
He also has on deposit with the clerk
at the hotel 1925 in cash, two revolvers
and some cartridges.
His trunk is at the Central Railway
Depot, where it was sent Saturday
evening.
Was Going to Birmingham.
About a week ago Mr.. Griffin regis
tered at the De Soto and on Saturday
afternoon asked that his trunk be sent
to the Central Depot, saying he was
going to Birmingham. The trunk was
sent to the station as requested.
On Saturday evening Mr.. Griffin reg
istered at the Pulaski House and was
assigned room. He spent the night
at the hotel and was there on Sun
day. Some time during the day he left
the hotel in a cab and returned later
in another cab. 1t was then that he
gave the two revolvers and the sum
of money mentioned to the hotel clerk
to keep for him. The revolvers were
tagged and had evidently just been
purchased.
No Trace of Guest.
Mr.. Griffin went to his room and
nothing more was thought of the mat
ter. He was last seen going up in
the elevator. When it was found yes
.terday morning that he was not in
his room, although his crutches were
there, surprise was expressed and an
investigation was made. No trace of
the guest, however, could be found.
The matter was reported to Capt.
Hitch who began an investigation i'm
mediately. He found the trunk at the
Central Depot and secured information
which made him confident that Mr..
Griffin was in Savannah after the de-
parture of the Central train for Bir-
mingham Sunday night.
Clutches Were Left Behind.
Capt. Hitch could not understand
how Mr.. Griffin had managed to move
without the aid of his crutches, and
was as much mystifed as the hotel
management. During the morning he
telegraphed Mr.. Griffin's brother, ask
ing if he knew where Mr.. H. E. Grit
fin was. An answer was received from
Quitman that he was in Birmingham.
Since Mr. Griffin had intended to go
to Birmingham, Capt. Hitch concluded
that his whereabouts was only mat
ter of conjecture on the part of his
brother He was, however, unable to
throw any further light on the case
during the day.
Reported to the Police.
When there had been no develop
ments at o'clock this morning the
disappearance was reported at police
headquarters. Desk Sergeant McCool
was. however. unable to fathom the
mystery and was at loss to account
for the presence of Mr.. Griffins
crutches in his room, since it had been
established that he only had one pair.
Early this morning Capt. Hitch said
he thought some sort of investigation
should be made and because of his in
terest in the family he was glad the
matter had not been dropped. Capt.
Hitch doubted that Mr.. Griffin could
have reached Birmingham yesterday
morning.