Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-10-20
NOBLE MYSTERR
FINALLY SOLVED
JOHN NOBLE, WHO DISAPPEARED
FROM PHOENIX LAST SPRING,
REPORTED TO BE IN AFRICA
WAS SEEN IN ENGLAND.

PHOENIX, October l9.-John Noble,
whose mysterious disappearance from
this community early this year created
a great sensation and concerning whose
personal safety there has been much
speculation, has been found, inter,
viewed, and the mystery cleared up,
except as to the rather unusual course
of reasoning that led to his rather I'M
usual actions. And as to that no one
probably knows except himself, and
again, it is perhaps no one else's bus
mess. He is now presumably in South
Africa for more or less temporary
residence, depending on circumstances,
and has not indicated whether it is his
purpose to return to Phoenix or not.
The story is an interesting one, the
information being brought to Phoenix
by George Haugh Smith, superintendent
of the capitol grounds. who with Mrs.
Smith has Just returned from summer
visit spent chiefly in England. They
left here May Is, accompanied by Mrs.
Noble who went to England also to
spend the summer with relatives, and
who returned with them as far as Win
! slow, Arizona, where she stopped to at
tend to some matters of business.
To make the story clear to those who
were not here at the time, it is stated
that Mr.. Noble is the man who built to
its present partially finished state, the
large concrete business block on the
corner of Adams and First streets in
this city. This enterprise reaching its
most critical stage about the time the
panic of 1907 swept the country, in
volved Mr.. Noble in financial tangle
that quite embarrassed him. The pub
, lie was much surprised one day to learn
of his sudden departure for parts un-
known, the more SO because there was
no occasion for doing so except of his
own shoosing, as there was nothing in
his affairs of a criminal nature or any
thing that would neeessitate his keep
ing out of sight for his own welfare. He
announced to his intimates that he
was going to New Mexico on business
in connection with his sheep interests.
and had with him at the time some mon
ey, though not very large amount,
/ probably much less than was rumored.
I He did not inform his family beyond
I the facts stated above and when tel
egram was received from New York
/ that he had been seen stopping at 3
certain hotel. had left suddenly, and
might have been murdered for what
money there was on his person, there
was much uneasiness. All efforts of the
New York police to locate him were un,
availing An interesting and unex-
planned incident of his visit in New
York, was that he had bought steam
er ticket to Argentine Republic in South
America, had left it at the hotel, and
never called for it.
/ Mrs. Noble was naturally very much
worried and was advised by her chill
dren to take trip to her former homc
in London and visit her mother whom
she had not seen for years. Learning
that Mr.. and Mrs. Smith were about
to embark on similar journey she
made their acquaintance and arranged
to travel with them Arriving in New
York she met the house detective OF the
hotel Mr.. Noble had made his head
quarters, recovered the unused steamer
ticket to Argentine and gathered such
other facts as she could from the de-
tective who told her the last seen Of her
husband was when he took the ferry
announcing that he was going to Phil
adelphia for a cople of days.
On the advice of the detective she
visited the office of Cook & Sons, the
notable steamship and tourist excursion