Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-31
Missing a Month

planatory follows:
Missing a Month
"San Francisco, Cal, Jan q, 1905.
"Chief of Police Los Angeles, Cal.
Dear sir: l hereby notify you of
the disappearance of my father j. a.
Gandion, from your city on the 22d
or 23d of December and ask that you
use all means that you have to locate
him.
"Following is q brief history Of him.
"On account of poor health he left
home q017 Jackson street. Topeka,
Kas.) last July, stopping at Colorado
Springs, Denver, Salt Lake and arriv-
ing in Los Angeles, l believe, some
time in October. l was at that time
travelling in the northern part of the
United States SO did not learn just the
time of his arrival in Los Angeles. on
December 90 he wrote me, giving Il
statement of his affairs, saying, that
as his health had been failing him. he
thought 1t best for me to know how
he stood Il might mention that he is
free from debit. He said nothing about
leaving Los Angeles. On the same or
the next day he left Los Angeles, giving
my name and address to Mrs Olive
F. Miller of 743 Wall street, whom he
left in charge of the cottage that he
had rented and furnished for roomers.
This cottage is at 729 Wall street.
He told her that he was not feeling
well, that he thought change would
do him good that he was going to San
Diego, that If anything happened and
he did not come back for her to write
me, which she did at the end of three
weeks, saying that she had not heard
from him and giving the above infor-
nation about being his housekeeper
while he was gone.
aside from this and a later letter 1
AH,-d In,
nothing about her.
"a letter addressed to my father in
San Diego was returned to me and a
friend there inquired at the hospitals
and found no trace of him. Father told
me he had a locked box in the Security
Savings bank of Los Angeles in which
he kept his valuab bles. He does not use
liquor or tobacco. He is 81 years of
age, 5 feet inches in height, weight
200 pounds, has mustache. black hair
sprinkled with gray and quite thin on
tie crown of his head. He is a native
of France and has brogue in his
speech.
II suppose that your search will go
beyond Los Angeles. but if not let me
know at once. Wire at once any i'm
portant information you may get about
him. Hoping that you will see to this
at once
II am respectfully,
IL. d. GANDION."
Recalls Disappearance
When the letter was received by the
police the case was turned over to
Detective Smith for solution. Through
the merest accident Detective Smith
recalled the disappearance of the dead
man from his residence in this city.
Inquiry at the Wall street house re-
vealed the fact that the name of the
IL e
the description as given by the anxious
relatives and that given by Mrs. Miller
tailed in every detail.
AT the time of the finding of the dead
body of Gandion on the Long Beac ch
pier there was nothing found upon
his person to indicate his residence OF
name. The suicide planned to entirely
disappear from the face of the earth
and cause no further trouble to his
relatives than worry as to his whene-
abouts.
On the afternoon of December % last
Gandion was seen in Long Beach res
taurant. Several hours later he was
seen walking on the long pier. He
is supposed by the police to have de-
liberated long upon self destruction,
and that when he finally attempted TO
take his life, would commit the deed
in such manner as to leave no chances
for his survival.
Clutches Revolver
On the morning of December "a,
Christmas eve, the body of Gandion was
found at the very edge of the pier. A
bullet wound penetrated the mans
brain from the roof of the mouth up
ward. In his right hand was still
clutched the revolver.
To the Long Beach authorities, who
made an investigation of the circunl-
stances, it was evident. they say, that
he chose the end of the pier believing
that when the shot was fired the shocI
would cause his body to fall forward
into the waves which are exceptionally
high at that point. 1t is also believed
that the suicide knew his body would
be carried out to sea by the strong
undertow that prevails at that point.
For three days the body was kept
in the morgue in Long Beach. DurinI
that time means We're taken to eStab-
lish his Identity, but all without avail.
At the end of that time the body was
buried in potter's field in Long Beach.
1t is possible that the body will he
removed and exhumed in order to fully
establish the identity of the deceased
to the complete satisfaction of the rel
atives.
Previous to the burial of the body a
was taken of the remains.
That photograph corresponded in every
detail with the one which was fur
nished the local police by the relativeE
of the dead man. 1t was upon the like
ness of the two photographs that the
police fully satisfied themselves as "a
the Identity of the body now in pot
ter's field in the seacoast town.
Late yesterday afternoon the rela-
tives of the dead man were notified Of
the discovery of the whereabouts of
l.. d. Gandion inquired for by the son
of the suicide. L. d. Gandion. No reply
has been received from L. d.
Gardion. 1t IL believed that the latter
will come directly to this city and have
The body taken either to San Fran
cisco or TO Iopeka Kas