The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-10-08
LOCKED IN A BOX
CAR BY HhzERS
Student Bound and Gagged and Miss
Ing Four Days.
SUFFERING MAY CAUSE HIS DEATH.
Story That Young Men of Kentucky
State University Placed Captive in
Freight Car and Sealed the Door
Youth Disappeared Monday and the
Box Car Cannot Be Traced.

Lexington, Ky. (Speci a D.--A
story is in circulation here which
causes anxieay as TO the fate of w.
e. Smith, the Kentucky State Uni
verslty student, who disappeared
Tuesday night. 1t is currently re-
ported that boy whose business
throws him in close relations with
the students at the university stated
to his father, who, in turn, tolo
other persons. that he overheard sew
eral of the students say that In the
course of hazing experience to
which Smith was sui sectedethe night
of his disappearance the gang Of
students who had Linn in hand took
him across the lots which intervene
between the univer~ " grounds and
the Queen and scent Railroad
Yards, and, brea Ag open the door
of a box car, be- placed their cap.
tive, bound and gagged, inside the
car, and, sealing the door, had leit
the helpless victim to his fate.
II the story is true, 1t may be as
sumed that the act was done in pure
mischief by the boys who took part
in it, they undoubtedly believing
that the car would be entered next
| day by some of the railroad people
while it stood in the yards, or at
some adjacent station, and that
Smith would be released unharmed.
| These expectations were, however.
| not realized. The car which con-
tained the boy has been taken to
some distant point or left abandoned
on a siding. Efforts to trace the
car have proved fruitless.
The police have been unable to
secure a confirmation of the story,
as the persons who allege that the
statement was made to them by the
father of the original informant, res
olutely refuse to give the name OF
the person who told them, as they
claim it would almost be worth the
| life of the boy If the students al
legged to be guilty learned of his
name, and, besides, they state the
boys evidence would not be conclu-
sive, as he does not know the names
| of the students he overheard.
That some of his fellow-students s
are fully aware of his fate and are
using every effort to stop investiga
tion received further confirmation
today, when Ernest Smith, a sopho-
more at the university, and who had
roomed with his missing brother, re-
ceived the following communication
in a sealed envelope in his mail:
You had better stop this investi-
cation.
| (Signed) BLACK HAND.
Ernest Smith has been untiring
in his search for his brother, and
authorized the announcement of a
reward of $50 for any information
of his whereabouts. He was much
alarmed when he received the threat
ening communication today and at
once reported the matter to the de-
tectives, who will take whatever
steps are necessary to insure his per-
sonal safety.
The faculty of the Kentucky State
University and the police officials OF
Lexington have been puzzled for ovel
week over the disappearance Of
young Smith. A committee appoint
ed by the faculty has made an in
vestigation, and. they ridicule the
story th"t Smith was thrown into g
box car b. his fellow-students. They
however. have failed in discovering
the whereabouts of Smith, and say
they are at loss to know of hi:
mysterious disappearance.