The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-26
| LOVE, | LEAVE YOU
A Sequel to the Bridal
Stayed
Partial Lifting of Veil of Mystery Serves
But to Reveal Depths No Mental
Plummet May Yet
Sound.

There is a sequel to the mysterious
and sensational story of the man who
disappeared ON his wedding eve i'll
Portsmouth, Va. as related by the
News and Observer in an Associated
Press dispatch from Portsmouth.
This sequel. however, sheds but a dim
light through the tantalizing obscur-
ity that wells the affair; for while it
shows that the man left of his owa
volftfon, it leaves his motive still to
be guessed. Is he the victim OF i'll
health that has finally unbalanced his
mind? Does he really love the wo-
man he has abandoned? What is she
secret that has driven him to fly ike
Il leper out into the unknown?
Here is the story as far as yet gath
cred sent to his paper by the Norfolk
correspondent of the Washington
Post:
Norfolk. Va. Nov. 25.-Step by step
the police of Norfolk and Portsmouth
to-day traced Linwood Sykes who
mysteriously disappeared from his
home in Portsmouth yesterday after
noon a few hours before he was to
marry Miss Jennie Humplett, one of
the most popular Young women of that
city. Every move made by the missing
man. whose relatives are now conVinC-
traced by the detectives. When he
left his home in Portsmouth Sykes
had on an overcoat and was seen with
the coat on in Norfolk. This coat
was found this afternoon by the pc
lice in pawnShop. where 1t nad
been pawned by the missing man.
In the early morning Mrs. Laura
a. Sykes, his mother. received
letter postmarkej Norfalk. The letter
said
Dear Mammal 1 have decided never
to return to Portsmouth again alive.
/ wanted to say goodbye to you. Do
not be uneasy about me and do not
try to find me.
LINWOOD.
The letter was placed in the post
office at Norfolk at o'clock yester-
day afternoon, just one hour before
the time arranged for the wedding OF
Sykes and Miss Humplett. After he
mailed the letter Sykes was seen In
front of the union station across the
street, and whether he boarded one
of the many electric trains bound for
nearby towns and is hiding mis- ilen~
tity in the seclusion of a little settle
ment no one knows.
Letter to Deserted Woman.
The deserted bride-elect to-day re-
ceived a letter from her fance. The
letter. which was posted also in Nor
folk. said;
Norfolk, Va, Nov. %, 1904.
My Darling Sweetheart: l write
you this letter with a sad heart. for
l have lied to YOU shamefully. and
l know that | will be punished for il.
l am going to leave the city this
evening. and will never return again
alive. SO do not worry about me, but
God knows ! love YOU, and was driven
to this. For Gods sake do not tell
anybody you got this note from me.
| suppose you will have to send all
of the presents back to the people.
Jennie, my dear, please don't try to
think of me any more, for l am not
fit to be thought of.
Your sweetheart,
LINWOOD.
Good-by, my darling!
Relatives of Sykes attribute his dis
appearance To bad health, as he has
been desperately i'll for three or four
weeks, ana they believe that his mind
has become temporarily unbalanced.
The police. however. are working on
other cleWS as well, and are confident
that the man they are hunting for has
not left Norfolk.
Financial Embarrassment.
Sykes mother is of the opinion that
financial embarra ssment has preyed
upon her sons mind and caused him
to leave his home. She says he has
been unable to work for weeks, and his
expenses have been heavy. AS the date
for his wedding drew near. his de-
spondency increased. The advice of
physician that he abandon his present
position and seek outside employment
also worried Sykes considerably, sd it
is said.
At the home of the heartbroken
bride the beautiful array of costly we'd
ding presents are sad reminders of
the man who was to marry her, but
whose whereabouts no one knows.
Elaborate descriptions of Sykes
have been teIegraphed to every North
ern city. His description follows:
About ) feet IL inches in height: sal
low complexion; high cheek bones,
eyebrows well down on nose: hair ana
eyebrows black; attired when he dis
appeared in black suit and black
derby.