Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-17
FATHER MISSING
. LAST SIX YEARS;
SON IN CUSTODY
MYSTERIOUS ACTIONS MAKE
NEIGHBORS SUSPICIOUS
SUDDENLY SHOWS EVIDENCE OF
CONSIDERABLE WEALTH
Florist Now Declares Parent Is Alive,
but Tells Extraordinary Story
and Is Held as
insane

RIHDH M. HAN hs', 40 years oiu, o
~ florist living at 1421 Echo Park
IA road, was arrested yesterday
morning at the Imperial cafe by Pa
trolman r. B. Marden and Detectives
Chapman and Home and booked
on suspicion. Later complaint
for insanity was secured against him
on the recommendation of Police Sur
geon S. J. Quint, and he was committed
to the county hospital pending an In
quiry into his mental condition
The arrest of Hanks was brought
about by reports concerning the disap-
pearance of his father, Elijah Hanks,
a wealthy man 10 years of age, who has
been mysteriously missing since the
fall Of 1902.
Elijah Hanks is, or was, man OF
means and the owner OF large
amount of property both here ana III
the east He was also said to possess
a considerable sum in cash and bonds.
Six years ago he was fanllllar ns-
ire IN this city. and while he had come
hut recently from the east he was get
ting we'll acquainted with people IN
the vicinity of his sons present nome
on Echo Park road.
suddenly and without notice of any
kind he disappeared, and to inquirers
Arthur Hanks stated that the old man
had gone back east. To others he made
the statement that his father hao
died. and that the body bad been
shipped east for burial.
shortly after the disappearance OF
the older Hanks, Arthur Hanks, who
was not known to possess great
amount of means, showed evidence OF
considerable wealth. He came into
the possession of the house in whlch
he lives, four lots near there ana
number of other pieces of property
which neighbors said his fatner nao
owned.
Fills Up His Well
short time after the disappearance
OF his father Arthur Hanks filled up q
well in the rear of the home lot, and
as it was a good well, and there was
no apparent reason, for filling 1T up,
the action caused comment.
Suspicion then got busy with the
names of the father and son, and the
queer actions and contradictory stories
OF the younger man soon caused ths
report that the father had been muir
dered and the body buried in the well
week ago Patrolman Marden be-
gan an investigation of the case on re-
ports made to him, and was told OF
the mysterious disappearance of the old
man and the contradictory stories OF
the son.
A number of neighbors related how,
on inquiry for the father, Arthur Hanks
had told them that he was dead. To
the police Hanks stated yesterday that
his father was alive and wells in Ro-
chester, Mimi.
A telegram was sent there yesterday
by Chief of Police Kern asking for IN
formation of Elijah Hanks, but no re-
ply had been received last night.
Arthur Hanks has become recently
the proprietor of a flower stand on
Spring street, at the entrance of the
Imperial bar. He employed a man to
run the place for him, and reported
there each morning to receive an ac-
count of the business. done the day be-
fore.
The rest of the day and night he
spent at his home in Echo Park road
where the house is barricaded front
and back, going out only at night and
making mysterious visits of from thirty
minutes to three hours duration,
Where he went at these times Is not
known.
When talking to the police yesterday
he stated that the property where ne
lived, and all other pieces to which he
laid claim, were his and had never been
OWIl6u Dy his 11ILiSA'
Hynotized by Neighbor
He stated that he had filled up the
we'll in the rear of his home for the
reason that a real estate man who
lived near by had killed and thrown
into it hundreds of jackrabbits. which
had polluted the water.
He explained that he had barricaded
his home to keep out horse which the
real estate man had hypnotized and
instructed to attack him while he was
in bed.
He explained that he kept gatling
gun, large bore rifle and several
loaded revolvers in his room, to de-
fend himself in case of attack by the
horse.
He also stated that the real estate
man had hypnotized all the birds,
chickens and COWS in the neighbor-
hood, and that 1t was unsafe for him
to move out Of his house except at
fixed times.
While the police have not abandoned
their theory that Elijah Hanks was
murdered, and that his son came into
his wealth thereby. they have as yet
made no investigation of the old we'll OF
other parts of the premises where Ar
thur Hanks lives, but are waiting to
hear from the Minnesota authorities
before taking further action.
They are convinced, however. that
the mental condition of the prisoner is
such that he is an unsafe man to be at
large, and will make an effort today to
have him committed to an asylum fol
the insane.