Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-11-01
HITCHCOCK SLAIN BY
BLiCKMNLING GANG !.
Such Is Belief Of The Lawyer and
aaRy Friends Of tc!ar Who
Has Disappeared.
POLICE CAN'T FIHD TRAgE OF HIN
Every Outgoing Steamer and Train
Has Been Watched and it Would
Not Have Been Possible for Him to
Have Escaped From city-Has Been
Hounded for Two Years.
fBy Asssci6ted Prcss.)


NEW YORK, Oct. .Sl-Tbe disson
pearance of Rayrnonu Hitchcock. fol
lowing his indictment by the grand
jury which had heard the storiss ~
thiee little sii]s.. WAS the absorbinp
topic today on Broadway, where thos,
VINO had Known the stan iutmatelS
during his ten years on the stage adj
Naneed halt n dozen theories in OK
PLANTATION Of his default.
me actors closest friends whC
nave theoretically defended his name
since he became involved lit trouble
are divided in opinion. alanv insisted
today that driven desperate by serl
oils accusations, he had committed sui
clde Others were satisfied that he
had been secreted away and possibly
murdered by men who had ljracticed
biackmnil on the comedian and who
reared exposure ii the case agains,
the victim came to the trial This
theory was voiced by Herman Fromme
the missing mans attorney. and by
MIS-. Hitchcock who before marriage
was Zabelle Mangasarian of Chicago
Mrs. Hitchcock though near collapse
mas continued TO play opposite hei
sD'lshand's' lhdeFstud$ at ftlieN theatei
where both were engaged until yes.
pear at the matinee.
Kidnapped or Murdered, LAWYER Saws
Mr.. Fromme said: Hitchcock did
not go away on his own accord. He
has been either kidnapped or muir
dered by the band of backmailers by
whom he has been annoyed, threaten
cd and bounded for the past two
years.
six of these mon are known by
name to me. Mr.. Hitchcock has lived
in state of continual terror on &C
count of their prosecutions for two
years. Nevertheless. he has not left
his wife voluntarily. He is an limo
cent man and there is no proof ag
ainst him that there is the slightest
foundations for the accusations made.
-Four men have been trailing him
for months. Now it turns out that
they are blackmailers. Last Monday
Mr. Hitchcock was anxious to have
the entire matter aired in court, hut
the adjournment prevented this. The
case was called for this afternoon.
believe that he is the victim of the
hlackmallers who are not anxious to
have the case threshed out
While these stories gaindd some
credence. the police did not relax
their efforts to locate Hitchcock. which
began when a police alarm for his
arrest was sent out last night.
All outgoing steamers were visited
and their passenger lists scrutinized
wireless message was sent to the
Majestic which sailed yesterday De
tectives also watched the train sta
tions but late tonight teir vigilance
had not been rewarded.
Thcuuht He Rcn-nnized Hin,
District Attorney Jerome tonight
sent two detectives to Boston. This
action probably graw out of the state
ment by railroad conductor. who
thought he had Hitchcock rs pas
ssager from It's city TO North AID
ans, Mass, Yesterday This conduct
or. g. b. Keller. returned to New
York tonight. His train picked UP
he said tonight three men passenger.
ut i29th street yesterday. In one oil
the three he thought he recognized
Hitchcock
He was not positive of the identified
tion. He had however. seen IIitcn
cock on the stage and for the momen
did not doubt that the comedian ant
his passenger were one the same.
at North Adams train connection.
can be made for Boston Mass. Of
Troy. y. Y. Some Of Hitchcoclx's ac
quaintanccs think it likely that liz
has sought sccluson where, undis
turbed for few days he can thinl
over his prcdicament and decide upci
n course OF action.
Case in Brief.
Ilitchcock's troubles have assumed
several phases. He first caused tn,
arrest of n boy, who he alleged ha,
attempted TO blackmall him. Disclos
pres in the case led to Hitchcock
arrest and he was nrraigned Monday
The case went over until today ant
he was released on $4,000 bail. Mean
time the grand jury returned six in
dictmcnts AGAINST the actor. some @
them charging criminal assault nnt
abduction. When the original cas-,
was called today and the defendan
failed to appear, his counsel asket
that the case be Continued for on
week The district attorneys assist
ant made no objection, and the mag
istrate set the hearing for next Wed
day afternoon.