The Mount Holly news., 1914-07-28
A Mysterious Case.

John Weber, 18-year old son of Otto
Weber, of Green Bank, who mysterious
ly disappeared from dredge early in
June, was thought to be located Thurs
day by a detective. Young Weber was
supposedly hidden away in cave about
two miles back of his Green Bank home,
deep in the woods.
Detective Smith and Marshal Stietf
were searching the woods near the shore
where the dredger had been working and
from where it was supposed the boy
might have been killed and done away
with. Several miles back from the shore
they ran across adlnner pail. The dishes
in it were fresh with remnants of food,
and the kettle contained a girls apron.
Returning to the Weber house, the de-
tective asked for several dishes. They
corresponded with those in the dinner
pail He fired question after question at
Weber's mother, but she denied that she
knew anything of his whereabouts.
Meanwhile Marshal Stieff had called
aside Weber's twelve-year-old sister. She
at first denied any knowledge of her
brother. Only when she was confronted
with the apron did she admit it was
hers, but claimed she lost it while pick
ing berries.
The officers were unsatisfied with the
Explanations. Finally Stieff accused
the mother of knowing that the boy was
alive and also of harbOring him. she
was told that an innocent man was
being held under suspicion OF being a
murderer This unnerved her and she
soon broke down and admitted that the
lad was concealed in the woods and that
she had been sending him food daily.
Why the boy was hidden in the woods
for this length of time while the country
was being secured for him is still mys-
terry.
Herbert McMicken, who had been ar
rested and held in Jail under suspicion
that he was connected with Weber's dis
appearance, was taken to his home in
Wading River. He had quarrel with
Weber the day before the latter's disap-
pearance.
| The investigation in this case is being
conducted by Atlantic County authori-
ties as the hiding of the boy or what
ever may be the situation, occurred in
that county. The detectives say there
is no doubt that the boy is alive and is
being hidden, yet they have not been
liable to discover any further traces OF
him than above related. The father OF
the boy declares he has been murdered
| According 10 MafSnall oIlell, Vi Egg
Harbor, while the boys parents were
in Atlantic City, consulting with Pros
ecutor Moore, Saturday, the boy return
ed home and was seen there by several
persons. Before his parents returned
he disappeared again.
| City Marshal Stieff said the boy S
mother admitted to Prosecutor Moore
in Atlantic City, after she had beer
taken there with her husband
Otto Weber, that she had supplied the
boy with food, but that she feared to tel
her husband this. The lad, she said
was hiding in cave.
According to Stieff, the boy left home
fearing chastisement by his father
Otto Weber, the father, says the author
tiles are misquoting the mother, and
denies she told him she knew where the
lad was living or that she had supplied
him with food.
The marshal intimated that the father
was trying to make a mystery out of the
| disappearance of his son.
The father, who is dredging con
tractor, says he thinks his son was mur
dered and thrown into the Mullica river
John Weber and Herbert McMicker
worked on dredge owned by Weber''
| father