Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-11
MAN KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED
Albert Thomas Restored to Home,
Robbed and Suffering.
POISONED UNTIL UNCONSCIOUS
victim DruERed, Hair Burned of
Cries for wife In DeIirium, but
Cannot Recognize Her
1850 Gone.

Torture rscked. shattered delirious and
pennlless, Albert Thomas. a Young mer-
chant OF McClelland, Ia, missing since
December o. was thrown out Of vehicle
into the street near his home early this
morning Those who returned the suffer
ing man to the village drove away In the
darkness. Unless Thomas RECEIVERS his dis
appearance the loss Of 81 $50, which he car
ried away with him. will remain a mystery
unsolved. lie Is under the effects Of mar
cotic poison and his hair is burned close
to the scalp
From the morning OF December %. when
a conductor saw Thomas leave a Great
Western train at Council Bluffs, TO 3
O'Clock This morning nothing is known Of
his experience
Thomas was found by Mrs. Charles Eb-
ner who lives across the street from his
home. leaning against door. She was
awakened by footsteps outside the house.
! When she opened the door Thomas fell
within, unconscious and crying the name
Of his wife, Rita, in deirious accents.
/ Or A. o. Wyland of Underwood was
called. Since o'clock this morning he
has been at the bedside unable to restore
Thomas to consciousness. No intimaton
Of the facts has come from the young
mans lips. He cannot recognize his wife
and child. Drugs had been administered
within a few hours, according to the ply
stefan
Nothing was found in Thomas pockets
but an unused ticket reading from Aurora
III TO Council Bluffs His clothes are in
tatters. His face is boated almost beyond
recognition and his body bears marks OF
violence.
Started for Omaha.
| Thomas went as far as Council Bluffs or
a journey to Omaha, here he expected &c
purchase a stock OF shoes tor the genera
store which he had Just purchased at Nc
Clelland He carried 1850 in cash TO pay
for the goods. He left the train at Council
Bluffs, walking in the direction of the in
terurban car line.
No fact vet available points to the iden
tity Of those who put Thomas down at hi
home. At 22O o'clock this morning Mrs
Muhrmann, wife of a farmer living fou
miles south Of McClelland, heard a vehicle
pass. She was aroused and looking on
could see two men riding in buggy. on
was driving while the other dropped owe
the side Imply. Forty minutes later Mrs
b Elmer found Thomas at her door.
The authorities are convinced tina
E Thomas was one Of the men seen in tn
9 buggy He could not have reached tn
0 village by train later than Q o'clock in tn
evening No other vehicle entered the Nc
Clelland settlement after midnight. Their
/ are but 100 persons in the village and fey
. pass in the night.
The police Of Omaha and Council Bluff
have been at work on the case since tn
DISAPPEARANCE of the young merchant. In
quiries are now being made at Aurora, III
in an effort to pick up a thread Of tn
story. In answer to a circular description
the police of Denver wired that they ha
, found Thomas in a hotel there on Januar
g. This Identification has not been verified
Thomas is 20 years old. His family res
: tions are declared to have been Away
amlcable and pleasant. He has one child
babe OF few months. His father n
NJ Thomas, a farmer at Hazel Dell, is /
Council Bluffs aiding the officers in thet
n pursuit of the mystery.