Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-08-15
: Alive or Dead?'|
The Strange Disappearance Of
Gerald Rathbone.
iN&# D
sy GUY rHoRNE.

| prosperous circumstances; he had an
income of his own, was slowly but
steadily climbing the laborious ladder
/ of the bar, was popular in society,
and, SO far as could be ascertained,
had no troubles of any sort whatever.
1t was shown that Rathbone was
not in debt, and practically owed
nothing whatever except the ordinary
current accounts, which he was ac-
customed to settle every quarter. He
had a fair balance at the bank, and
his securities, which provided him
with his income, were intact Ills life
! had been singularly open one. His
movements had never suggested any
thing secret or disreputable. His
! friends were all people in good cir
cumstances, and no one had ever al
legged any shady acquaintance against
him. He was in perfect health, was
constantly in the habit Of taking exer-
else at the German gymnasium, still
played football occasionally, and held
q commission in the linus of Court vol
unteers. He had never been OBJ
served to be downcast or respondent
In any way. In short, there was no
earthly reason, at any rate upon the
surface, for voluntary withdrawal
on his part from the usual routine Of
his life
The idea Of suicide was frankly
secuted by both friends acquaint-
ances and, business connections. Peo-
pie do not destroy Themselves without
a real or Imaginary reason, and this
young man had always been regarded
as so eminently healthy-minded and
sane that no one was prepared to be-
/ lieve even that he had made away
with himself in a sudden fit Of NOR
/ bidity or madne.s. 1t was shown that
| there had been no faint of insanity in
his family for several generations.
The theory of suicide was clearly un-
tenable. This was the conclusion to
which journalists, police, and the new
class Of scientific mystery experts
which has sprung up during the last
| few years unanimously came More
over, in she London of to-day, or even
| In the country, it is most difficult
thing for a man to commit suicide
without the more or less immediate
recovery Of his remains.
There was not wanting the class of
people who limited at foul play. But
that theory was Immensely narrowed
| by the fact that no one could have
had any motive for numbering this
L Won No
the criminal classes who did so, for
personal gain. 1t was quite true that
he might have been robbed and his
body cunningly disposed Of. Such
things have happened in the London
of to-day. But the class Of criminal
who makes a practice and livelihood
of robbery with violence, of attempted
or actual murder. is a small class
Every member Of it is intimately
known to the police, and Scotland
| Yard was able to discover no single
suspicious movement of this or that
criminal who might reasonably be
concerned in such an affair More
over, 1t was pointed out that such
criminals were either Invariably
brought to justice or, at any rate, that
/ the fact that some one or other UNI
known has committed q murder is in
variably discovered within week or.
SO OF the occurrence.
4 For fourteen days the hundreds OF
1 people engaged in trying to solve this
mystery had found no single indica-
ton Of foul play.
4 Where, then, was Gerald Rathbone?
Was he alive? Was he dead? No.
body was prepared to say.
The one strange circumstance
which seemed to throw a tiny light
upon the mystery was this For a
fortnight or SO before his disappear
ance Mr.. Rathbone, usually in the
!, habit Of going a good dea; to dinner
parties, dances, and SO on, had de-
clined all invitations. Many people
who had invited him to this or that
4 function now came forward and an
j snounced that their insitatio Ion & had
been declined, as Mr.. Rathbone. had
said he was going out Of town for a
Il short time. Inquiries in the Temple
4 showed that Mr.. Rathbone had not
4 been out of town at ALL He had re-
NAMED almost entirely in his cham
4 bers, and even his appearance In the
i law courts, where he had only done
Il three actual days work for some few
i weeks, had been less frequent than
usual.
Rathbone was IN the habit OF being
i attended to by a woman who came
y