The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1908-12-22
THE STORY OF
AGAR'S CVREER
lContinRed from PAGE ID


concerned in various other businesses
and all suffered 60 some extent.
The heaviest individual losers,
however, were William NJ Ford, of
New Harmony, and H. D. McGary, of
Ft. Branch, they being on paper for
nearly $4,000, and they asserted
nearly all of these notes were forger-
les, Agar using the money in the
grain dealings and then selling the
grain without making the bank pay
ments, it was asserted. BIcGary and
Ford settled with the several banks al
Z 5 cents on the dollar.
When the crash of the elevator
company came creditors began to
pour into Princeton on every train.
At the request of the Strator Grain
Company, of Louisville, KY; the Mel
rose Milling Company, of Evansville
stockholders of the elevator company,
farmers by the score and others,
Judge o. NJ. Weldon appointed John
H. Miller receiver.
When Samuel Stewart was APP
pointed executor of the Agar estate
new complications were found. Hen
ry Agar had been guardian of the
children of his brother, the late John
Agar, who left an estate of $40, 200,
and no account for the property the
missing financier had handled could
be discovered.
Owing to the complicated nature of
the cases, there is a belief among
many that it will be a difficult matter
to convict Agar aside from the insur-
anee fraud cases, if such they prove to
be. and from the expressions to-day it
is evident that Agar still has enough
friends left TO give a good-sized bond.
At the time of his disappearance
Agar was one of the best-known bus
mess men in this part of the State,
and, while interested in many OF
Princeton's enterprises, his chief in
terest was in the Princeton Elevator
Company, of which he was secretary
treasurer, having elevators here, at
FIT. Branch, Francisco and Oakland
City, and at Mt Carmel, Ill. He per
sonally looked after practically all the
buying.
Early in January, 1907, he gave
much attention to corn buying along
the Wabash river from Mt Carmel,
having purchased the steamer La
fayette, of which Captain Harrling-
ton, now supposed tobe in Gary. was
master With the river at great flood
stage and a bowling wind raging,
Agar, crippled with rheumatism and
wearing a heavy. closely-buttoned
overcoat, was on a corn barge COM
ing in with the boat late on the night
of January %, 1907, when he disap-
peared.
Captain Harrington was at the
wheel, and no one except him and
Agar was on the deck. According to
Harrington's story, Agar was walking
along the barge. The next thing Har-
rington knew he heard a cry and saw
a body, presumably that of Agar,
plunging overheard, evidently having
stumbled over a sack of corn. The
cry of man overheard was given
and the boat stopped as quickly as
possible, but in the darkness OF the
night no rescue was possible, and a
floating hat was all that was ever
POUNDS. The supposed accident oc-
CURED not far from the Agar elevator
at Mt. Carmel It was said that no
man clad as Agar was could have held
up minute in the fearful current OF
the food
Every effort was put forthto find
the body without success. Men with
dynamite and graphing hooks
searched the river for days in the Vi
cinity of the place where the supposed
accident occurred and for miles be-
low. In the meantime Mrs. Agar and
her four children, bowed with grief,
prepared for the funeral. Obsequies
for the supposed dead were held at
the home here, the Presbyterian min
lister. of which church Agar was an
active member, preaching the ser
mon. The attendance was unusually
large. Agar was a member of sew
eral lodges and the members turned
out in large numbers.
To those who knew Agar there ap-
peared no question of his death, and
it was generally regarded as an ac-
cident. Later, however. came the
startling revelation that Agar was
about S125, 000 short in his accounts
with the elevator company. II. d.
McGary and W. NJ. Ford were found
to be on paper to which they said
the signatures were false. This
brought up the suicide theory, and
later grew into theory upheld by
many that Agar had escaped and had
probably gone TO Mexico.
The alleged shortage shook the
whole of southern Indiana, several
persons being involved for thousands
of dollars. and many farmers having
stored grain for which they had not
been paid, but which could not be
located. It was alleged that much OF
the money had. been gained through
Misrepresentation to other members
of the grain firm and through for
geries. and it was shown that Agar
knew that discovery could not have
been STAYED off much longer.
Many circumstances were brought
up to indicate that long preparation
had been made for flight when dis
covery could no longer be avoided,
and it was asserted by persons that
the purchase of the steamer Lafay-
cite. which had not been paid for and
the building of a barge, from which
the man disappeared, it being of an
unusual construction with a covered
portfolio, into which q man might
easily drop and remain securely hid