The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-01-12


OF the Train at the Depot and. Has
Not Been Seen by Any One Who
Knew Him Since $50 O'Clock Fri
dav Night, Though He Was to Have
Returned 10 Selma on Next Train
circumstances Point 10 Pre-
Arranged Disappearance.
Especial to y vs. ana ObserVec)
Goldsboro. n. c.. Jan. 9.-Mr Thos.
I. Canler, secretary and treasurer Of
the Selma Cotton Mills. has strangely
disappeared and deep mystery sur
rounds tie case, which today is the all
absorbing tonic in this city. where he
was last seen last night, only for a mo-
ment. as he got off the train from
Selma at 8:3o o'clock
Mr.. CanIer recently purchased the
business of the Acme Fuel Company
in this city as a side line. ana after
putting Mr.. Wells in charge returned
to Selma. BY appointment with Mr..
Wells he came down here last night,
telling his stenOgrapher in his Selma
office that he would return on the
ncXt train, leaving here at 10 O'Clock
last night He did not meet Mr.. Wells
here and although the latter diligently
looked fer him he was nowhere to be
found and neither did he return to
Selma on the outgoing 10 O'Clock
train
On inquiring It the hotel Mr. Wells
was told by q gentleman who came
down on the train with Mr.. Canlef
from Selma. that the latter surely
came down and got off the train inn
medately behind him This is all
that Mr. Wells could learn, as few
here and no one else whom Mr.. Wells
, inquired ofskneW Mr.. Canler-
The Mystery Deepens.
What became OF Mr. Canler is
deep mystery About o'clock this
morning this mystery became intense
and exciting by the finding over the
high fence of the Acme Fuel Yard
slightly scattered, as if dropped from
the top OF the fence or pitched over
it. lot of letters. checks, bank book.
and other papers belonging to Mr.
Canler, and which he must have had
on his person last night. for one OF
the letters was received by him in
selma yesterday from Mr. Wells,
These papers were found first by q
cart driver, and called to the attention
Of Mr.. Wells on the yard, who as
soon as he examined them, at once di-
vined that they pointed to mNs-
terious disappearance, reverting to the
fact that he had failed to find Mr
Canler last night and he at once
| phoned to Selma to the cotton null
president, Mr.. Edgerton, only to learn
from him that Mr.. Canler was not
there: that he had been expected to
return from Goldsboro last night, but
had not done so.
selma Gets Busy.
Then Selma got busy, and Presl-
dent ,Edgerton. of the cotton mIil ana
President NJ c. Winston, of the selma
| J1l1 I.
| Canler, came at once 20 tnlS cry
| a,riyino here at $50 this afternoon.
| and at this hour are 1u-y -nk ~ - ~ =
| ting with the assistance oL the police
| Asked fer a statement. theyF both
exnressad the highest confdeHCe in
Mr Canler.s integrity but at the same
| time stated emphatically that they
! have no thoggut that he has been
| foullv made away with. They have
| had no time t. investigate his ac-
| counts, and can therefore ohly base
| their statement on their highest con-
| fdnnce in the man, and after inyes-
| tipatine the papers, checks, drafts
and bank book found here, they de-
| cline 10 express any conclusions
| formed.
! voluntary disappearance. His COM
| Ing here sayire in Selma that he
| would return 10 Selma on the next
/ train: his failure to see Mr. Wells
! here. although ne coulu not We'll,
! without design. have missed him
| his failure to caIl for Mr.. Wells at the
| latter.s boarding house, just around
the corner from the depot, on MuI-
| berry street where after failing to
see him at the depot and hotel the
/ latter returned to await his eNpec4ad
| call. the utter impossibility for am,
| f0ul Dlay to have been perpetafad
upon him between these two poipts
on the public square at that early
! h0ur. with the electric lights maxim
if as bright as day; the fact that rs
knew the Acme Fuel office and yard
| were securely locked at that hour ana
| he had no keys: that he had ro ,.,-
| near Mr.. Wells boarding honsd
| reach the yard. and therefore wo,,i.3
| naturally have called for him had III
| wanted to see him; that no one hl,+
he could have thrown these papnrs
over the fuel yard fence unless by
his direction,-au point to a 40
arranged disappearance.
Mr.. Can!er first married a danol,
ter of Mr.. D. E. .Mckinne. OF PrirIa
ton. After her death he married 1,i.
present wife. who is niece Of A.
M. c. Winston. of Selma, and he hin,
self has borne a spotless name 80
is highly esteemed iiu
Mr.. George Craven. editor Of ~
Selma News, who was in the eit
last night. knows Mr.. car.
Ter Wells saw him at 9.15
kennon directly across the railroa =
tracks to the opposite side of tba
street, as he (Craven) passed bebin =
him going into the kennon, anotbar
circumstance showing that h. 80
about" when Mr.. Wells was enal-iaas as
him an hour earlier ms