Evening journal., 1913-04-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Two Instances Of mysterious
Disappearance Recalled
By Holland

81 remember chatting with Que of the
Harper Brothers, who we're the
originators of the great publishing
house known by the name Of Harper
& Brothers. should say about the
year 1856 or 1887 said the late Chief
Justice Noah Davis. of the New York
Supreme Court, TO me few years
ago. 81 do not now reminder which
one OF the brothers it was. but ! do
know he was one Of the sons Of the
founders Of the house. asked him
if there was ever any trace Of S, S.
Conant. whom I knew as the man
aging editor OF Harper's Weekly.
Mr.. Harper told me that Mr.. Con
ants disappearance was as complete
as though he had fallen unwitnessed
into bottomless pit He left his
rouse one morning expecting to so to
the Office Fle was never heard from
nor could the slightest trace Of him
be discovered even by the most as
siduous police work
81 remember saying to Mr.. Harper
that the case was similar in the dis
appearance feature of it to that OF
John Lansing, who for years was
chancellor Of New York State, ana
one of its great chancellors.
81 said to Mr. Harper that at one
time had chat with Thurlow
Weed. shortly after his return from
the mission to Europe, TO which t'
was appointed by President Lincoln
IN the fall Of 1861 I'm the course on
this conversation something was said
which led Mr.. Weed to speak of the
disappearance of Lansing. He SAID
that it was tragedy and a mys-
terious tragedy which for some time
was a national topic.
"Mr Weed told me that he remem-
bered very well writing something
about the disappearance for his news
paper. the Albany Evening Journal.
81 asked Mr. Weed to tell me what
he recollected of the incident He
said Chancellor Lansing was one OF
the greatest lawyers of his kind in
the United States. He became espe
cially conspicuous at the time of the
adoption OF the constitution of the
United States because of his very
earnest efforts to prevent NeG Iork
State from ratifying the constitution,
and had il not been for Alexander
Hamilton he would have succeeded.
If New. York had not ratified. the
constitutional convention would have
been failure and no one could tell
what the future of what is now the
United states would have been.
Lansing said Mr. Weed was
very highly respected notwithstand-
ing his opposition 10 the constitute
About the year 1912 he retired from
his position as chancellor because he
had reached the age limit. He be-
came very successful as a lawyer in
private practice after that
Now said Mr. Weed. 'all that
is known Of his disappearance is this.
He left his hotel i'm New York TO walk
a short distance to the steamboat
dock. expecting to post a letter OF
documents designed for use i'm some
important engagement at Albany.
No person was ever found who saw
the chancellor after he reached the
steamboat pier His friends at New
York presumed that he had taken the
boat for Albany. Inquiry showed
however, that he was not upon the
boat when Il arrived at Albany. His
disappearance was absolute. without
the slightest trace of him. There
were all sorts of conjectures. Some
thought that he had met with an ac'
cident perhaps fallen into the river
Others were persuaded that he hao
been attacked secretly and robbed
Some thought that he was murdered
and at one time the impression was
that he had suddenly gone insane.
Now, continued Mr.. Weed, al
though there was never any trace OF
the chancellor after he left his hotel,
nevertheless one OF the many pieces
of secret information impartd to me
some years later have kept secret
and shall always keep secret. But,
/ will tell you this much: the chan.
cellor was engaged as counsel in
some very important litigation. Some
original documents which were vital
as evidence were in his possession.
These documents disappeared when
he did ! can say no more without
betraying my secret excepting that 7
can say that the disappearance OF the
chancellor disproves the statement
that, sooner or later, murder will out.
The real reason for and the manner
of the disappearance of the chancellor
will. with my death, be forever hid
den from the knowledge Of men,"
81 spoke of this to DR.. Harper to
show that in "A great and crowded
city it was impossible for a man OF
prominence to disappear without the
slightest trace. In the case of MI.
Conant, however, who was a man OF
singular purity and uprightness OF
life. abounding in charity and with
out enemies. and in perfect health, IL
was impossible to ascribe any reason
for his disappearance excepting that
u was caused by some peculiar kind
of accident"
CCapyright 1913. by r. J. Edwards.
All rights reserved)
NAV AVUhPn QPInCE