The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-07-11

The Rev. Louis r. PAtmoni tisappoArod
Cor the sccoud time on the evening of
june rs. He had nearly completed
where be crpected 10 face the suspects
arrested for the former crime
whls engaged a. q speaker for the
prohibition element In a local option
campaign, be was seiHed az Westvilie,
III, on the night Of March 81, bcaten
into submission, loaded upon a handcar,
and thksn some distance from the city.
There he was transferred 20 an auto
mobile and rapidly removed 90 the cellar
of a house where he remained In con.
fncment until May 70. On that night
be was removed 20 an automobile, beaten
and drugged, and taken % the deserted
farmhouse where he was discovered the
next day By farm hands working nearby.
Since then Mr.. Patmont has devoted
himself mostly 10 recovery from the
emAniAtod and nerve.rncked condition In
whieh HE friends found him. lie had
been 10 Danyille 20 assist in the prose.
oution Of the kidnApers, and was making
preparations 30 leave for 81. Louis when
the numerous threats he has received
eliminated in his second disappearance.
The Rev. Claude p. Witty, Of Detroit,
who has taken q special interest In
Patmont's case and was 10 conduct a
meeting At his church that night to raise
funds for furthering the prosecution,
says II is his belief that Mr.. Patmont
has been murdered.
From time 20 time he has received
threats, most Of them calculated 10 pre-.
vent his going TO Danvine TO testify
against the kidnapers. That be went
and testified, and was about ready 10 70
90 st. Louis for the same purpose, Is
probably what drove his enemies "
desperation and caused them 20 put him
out Of the way.
A few days before his disappearspcc
Mr.. Patmont received a letter from q
Jack Lloyd Of Dayton, o. Lloyd repre-
sented himself 10 bs contested with some
paper, and asked for an interview
Lloyd came 10 Detroit and talked with
Patmont In the presence Of the Rev
Witty. He wished Patmont 10 sign 9
statement that be had not been kidnapped
from wostyille, and offered money for
PAtmout's signature 10 q declaration OF
that hind.
Detroit detectives say that Lloyd Is in
the employ Of The Personal Liberty
League, a saloon men a organization. Ir
the Dayton Journal statement by Lloyd
n given that is rather vague in particu
lars, but in which he denies any knowl
edge or connection with the kidnapping
Mrs. Patmout declares that her hus
band has been shadowed and their hom'
watched continuously. When leaving
a l.. 4.
came back 10 the house and left in an
other direction, stating that two men
apparently waiting for him, had up
peared on the way. Mrs Patmont Eel
uneasy, and called up the Rev. Witt
later in the evening 10 ten him Of th,
occurrence and warn him against allow
ing her husband 20 return home alone
When Pstmont failed 10 appear at tn
meeting, Witty notified the police an,
detectives, and q search for the missinl
man began.
In a nGghboring alley n battered stiff
hat was found where the grass and weed
had been trampled and indicated
struggle. Neither Of the two men, oh
served earlier in the evening, had wori
such a hat, but Mrs. Patmont believe
that there were more than the two Il
the conspiracy.
Stranger than Patmout's second dis
appearance is the organized effort Z
discredit the facts aud make the Md
naping appear as a faka The wid
variation in the stories given by Detroi
papers and the editorial coloring give
20 some news reports Of the affair shov
elearly that some interest, back OF IN
hostility to Patmont, Is doing its bes
10 conceal the facts. Suspicion points (
the liquor interest and 20 the hoodlur
element Of the Catholic church.
Patmont was an accomplished linguisi
speaking several languages fluently. III
work a. an evangelist had led him int
Catholic parishes where his presence wa
more or less resented. His work for N
"drys" In Illinois was only incidenta
while evangelical activity among foreign
speaking people was his regular worl
Most Of these foreign people are nomir
ally Catholic, and the dignitariss Of tha
church are very bitter at such "prosely
terS" Moreover, the first attack upo
Patmont came at the time when a wav
OF Romish mobbing was sweeping Ii
country. In the light Of Lloydis effort
70 get q statement from Patmont r,
leasing the liquor dealers from cor
ncction with the crime, the indication
point 10 both Rome and the booze il
terests a. the confederate enemies 9
the man they have probably murdere,
Patmont's standing as a truthful ma
is too strong 70 be shaken by those WI
are attempting it. The CArstidH Stan,
ard, Of Cincinnati, with which VI
Patmoot was connected a. a travellin
correspondent, gives him the followin
stlong Enforcement:
LJuis r. Patnont was born in Lodg
PSlk3d, July 6, 1854. His ancestor
wers German. who lived in the kingdom
Of saxony and Russia, migrated I
Poland prior 70 the seizure and diyisic
OF that county By Russia, Austria an
$780, H Evaa 4, U.rw. A,