The San Francisco call., 1904-04-27
YOUNG OFFICER
STILL MISSING
Whereabouts of Lieutenant
Lewis Remains a Mystery
to Comrades and Family
MOTHER rs FRUSTRATED
No Reason Is Suggested or
Offered by Friends for,
His Sudden Disappearance

The mysterious disappearance Of
Lieutenant Victor Courtney Lewis from
the Presidio is the cause Of great Won
der and surprise not only to his brother
officers at the post, but also to the
city's social contingent, in which he
was a prominent factor.
Wife, mother and sisters are all at
loss to understand any reason for
his actions. That he has committed
suicide as suggested in the note left
behind him is not regarded with any
degree of credence by the people of the
post.
Why and for what reason he left
his post of duty, his wife, his family
and friends is stepped in mystery. He
had recently come into a handsome In
heritance, and his accounts with the
post exchange are said to be in per-
feet shape.
The last seen Of him was on Satur-
day morning shortly after II o'clock,
as he was rushing down Market street
in front of The Call building. There
he accosted an old friend whom he had
known in Portland, Or He was ap-
parently in great haste, but he stopped
to pass the time of day, and said he
would sail for Honolulu on Saturday,
April 80 He further admonished his
friend to be sure to come to the trans
port dock on that day to give himself
and his wife a farewell.
MOTHER is FRUSTRATED.
His family are at a loss to account
for his disappearance. His mother,
Mrs. Handbury, wife of Colonel
Thomas H. Handbury, is prostrated by
the blow, and is a double sufferer at
this time, occasioned by the serious
illness of Colonel Handbury, who is in
the General Hospital at the Preside
awaiting a serious operation. Lewis
sisters, Miss Virginia Lewis and Miss
Ethelyn Lewis, are entirely in the dark
regarding their brothers actions, and
can only think that he is suffering
from temporary alteration OF the
mind His wife, formerly Miss Amy
Wright of Oregon, is equally in the
dark.
His intimate friends at the post say
that for some time he seemed to be
brooding over his lack of ability, on
account of age, to reach a high po-
sition in army life. About two months
ago by the death of an uncle he in
herited, it is alleged, about $4,000. This
was a great disappointment to him. as
he felt that he was entitled to a much
larger share of his uncle's great estate.
1t is reported that he put in an applica-
ton for a four months leave of alb
sence in order to go East and look into
the matter and, If necessary, contest
the will.
The request for the leave was not
granted him, for the reason that his
company, the Twenty-eighth Coast Ar
tillery, had been ordered to Honolulu.
Upon the receipt of refusal Of his re-
quest he appeared to be greatly dis
heartened.
ACTIVE IN POST AFFAIRS.
Lewis has always been a favorite
in the post. He took an active interest
in every department appertaining to it.
No matter whether it was matter
of sports, business, athletics or mill
tary tactics, he has always showed
keen interest In the social life of San
Francisco he also cut a conspicuous
figure. He and Mrs. Lewis were al
ways in attendance at the Ned Green
way functions and others of equal
standing in society's realm.
Among the officers of the post yes
terday the disappearance of their
brother officer was the sole topic of
conversation. Conjectures on all sides
failed to throw any light upon the
subject None of them took any stock
in the suicide theory, but all seemed
to be of the impression that he had
left the place and by his own volition,
but as to why's and wherefores they
could offer no suggestions. His quar-
ters in the post were practically dis
mantled and nearly all his effects
packed up and ready for shipment to
Honolulu. Mrs Lewis closed the house
yesterday and to-day will go to the
home of Mrs. Handbury to await de-
velopments. 1t was suggested by some
at the post that he might possibly
have gone to Canada, while others
thought he may have taken the steam
er San Jose, which left on last Satur-
day at noon for Panama and inter-
vening points.