The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-10
HUNT FOR DEMENTED MAN.
POLICE SEEK PHILADELPHIA
WHO ESCAPED FROM NURSE.

Doctor VINO Reported the Case Seeks 70
Keep It Q~uIet-They Had Registered
at . Raines Law Hotel when the Pa
y uent Got Away-Is Hedlcy WAmpOle.
Hedley Wampole, a Philadelphian who
has been slightly demented for some time,
escaped from a trained nurse who had him
in charge in tho new Trenton House, a
Raines law hotel, shortly before 10 O'Clock
Saturday night and has been at large ever
since.
The two occupied rooms on the third
floor Of the hotel, which is at Washington
and Cortlandt streets, and while the nurse
was answering a telephone call in the Office
Mr.. Wampole got away. The nurse, who
was registered as W. G. Sinner, Chicago,
was out of the room but a few minutes when
his charge seized his hat and darted down
the stairs.
The nurse hunted high and low for Mr..
Wampole, and at $50 o'clock yesterday
morning wound up at Police Headquarters
to have a general alarm sent. out. Rounds
man O'Grady, who was in charge Of the
Bureau Of Information, was taking the
description Of the missing patient when the
nurse confided to him that he did not want
the facts to become public.
Under N circumstances do / want the
newspapers to know of this affair" he said
absolute secrecy must be maintained. II
h newspapers must get this then l will
employ other means to locate Mr.. Wampole.
He is slightly demented and l fear he may
have committed suicide.
II wa learned that Wampole registered
at the New Trenton House unde the name
OF II. NJ. Brown. He and DR.. L.. f. Wheat
OF Philadelphia reached the hotel at 0 o'clock
on Friday morning and were assigned to
Rnanna % and 81 ~ fka NhfHA d. Tk2
physician was with Wampole constantly
and never lost sight OF him for a minute,
although the hotel people say they noticed
nothing unusual about him.
Early on Saturday morning Shimar,
the nurse, arrived at the hotel and relieved
DR.. Wheat. Wampole showed plainly that
he did not like the watch that was kept on
him, but he said nothing.
When the nurse discovered Wampole's
disappearance he communicated with DR..
Wheat, who was at first reluctant to notify
the police for fear the disappearance would
be made public. What their object was in
maintaining secrecy neither he police
nor the hotel people could tell.
Albert Griffith, the clerk at the New
Trenton House, said that the nurse told
him that Wampole had been drinking.
Griffith and others around the hotel said
they saw nothing wrong with Wampole
and hat he had not taken a drink since he
came to the place. Both DR.. Wheat n
SINNER, however, seemed 70 De very muCh
concerned about their charge. When Wamr
pole was discovered to ave left the hotel
a reward of $500 was offered for him. The
immediate neighborhood was searched
all night, and when no trace OF him was
had Sinner e to police headquarters
in a cab and had the confidential alarm
sent out.
Wampole was described as being 50 years
old, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 10S
pounds. He has a forid complexion. bald
head, and when he disappeared he wore a
gray suit, straw hat and low cut shoes.
DR.. Wheat and Sinner, before they gave
up their room at the New Trenton House
yesterday, poured the contents of an inkwell
over the hotel register 30 the names would
be obscured. They made a good job Of il,
but the clerk happened to rave the names Of
the three on slips.
1t could not be learned last night whether
Mr.. Wampole was being taken TO or from
Philadelphia when he and DR.. Wheat put
up at the hotel. The hotel people say
that DIR. Wheat and Wampole were near
the Pennsylvania station when the patient
refused to bulge. Then, say the hotel
clerks, the physician took him into the
New Trenton House and kept him there
until the arrival Of the trained nurse.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. e-Wampole Ia the
son of Henry X. Wampole, the wealthy head
of the firm of Wampole q Co, chemists.
His mind has been affected for some years,
DR.. L. Emerson Wheat, who is his fathers
private physician, had him in charge.