The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-07
No Word as to Whereabouts
Can Be Obtained.
LEFT FOR LAWRENCE IN AUTO
The Car Was Found Later in
Kansas City.
Several TOpekans Reported
Missing From Homes.

Oh ONcrIdnu stlO1e. anu IOl-
lowing them to some convenient,
lonely spot in the road and MAX
ing away with them for their
money and machines said i. l..
kiene, sheriff, today.
1.-The diSappeafanCeS of Carver
and Ramsey arc alike in that both
men were travelling alone and
each was supposed to have conSid-
cradle money. In each case no
motive can be learned accounting
for voluntary disappearance.
Carver was not a man who would
let strangers know he had money
with him, so if such knowledge
was gained by bandits, it must
have been while he was planning
his trip in Topeka. 1t is quite
possible that motorcycle bandits
are making Topeka their head
quarterS.'
Joseph r. Ramsey, who has the
contract for all the asphalt paving
which is being done in the city, dis
appeared June 25 and no trace of him
has been found. In the city clerks S
office at the city hall is a voucher for
$5,1S9 in payment to him for the first
two estimates on paving work Ihe
voucher is made out in his favor and
can be surrendered to him only. 1t
has been .Jaiting several days for
Ramsey to call and receipt for it.
Ramsey's business affairs are said
10 be in excellent condition. He is
who neither drank nor gambled and
who was especially fond of his home
and family and in business matters he
has the reputation of being absolute
Iy honest. No reason can be assigned
for his disappearance other than foul
play
On June rs he left Topeka in his
automobile, saying he was going to
drive to Lawrence where his business
headquarters are located and where
his home is established. He has
wife and one little son.
Ramsey never reached Lawrence,
or if he did. he failed to stop at his
home. When his absence became
matter of inquiry, his car was located
in Kansas City.
Mrs. Ramsey came from Lawrence
to Topeka Saturday in search of her
husband. She was unable to find any
clue as his whereabouts, nor to even
guess a reason for his disappearance.
Some of his associates remembered
that the contractor had said he in
tended to make a visit to st. Joseph,
Mo-, to look after some contract work.
But inquiry at st. Joseph failed. He
had not been seen by any of the per-
sons he was expected to visit.
His Brother Is Mystified.
Charles Ramsey, a brother, is look
ing after the contract work being done
in the city. He is at a loss to explain
his brothers disappearance.
Although Ramsey did business un-
der the firm name of ]. r. Ramsey &
Co., his contract with the city is in his
own personal name, so all vouchers
for payment of work done, read to
him personally. The contracting firm
of Stingly & Peake, of Manhattan,
however is associated with him in his
work here. Mr.. Stingly has been put
ting forth every effort to locate the
missing contractor, as has also Ram
sey's father-in-law, Wilder A. Has
kins.
vouchers in his favor have been is
sued by the city for more than $4,000.
Before leaving he assigned to the
Prudential Trust company $4,495 of
the money due from the city to reim-
burse the trust company for money
borrowed to carry out his paving con-
tracts.
The contract work is going on in
Ramsey's absence, but the chances of
paving for the work as it progresses,
out of the monthly allowances on esti-
mates of work done, as is customary
with many contractors, are slight, for
no one except Ramsey can cash the
vouchers.
Subcontractors Uneasy.
The city as a matter of protection
cannot pay money to any other per-
son than the one with whom the con-
tract was made. AS a result Fred
Luttjohann, who has a subcontract to
construct storm sewer on College
streets, is making inquiries as to how
and by whom he is TO be paid for his
work.
"Joe Ramsey has done contracting
work all over the state, and every
where he has worked he has left a
good impression for honest and salts
factory work.. said A. r. Young, city
engineer. He has done a great deal
of contract work in Topeka and all of
it was well done 1 can see no pos
sible way in which he might profit by
disappearing and several ways in
which he will lose money. He had