Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-04-26
ALDEN BACK,
MYSTERY STILL
UNEXPLAINED
eWarker Who Disappeared
from Fall River Boat Turned
Up Saturday Night.
IN DAZED CONDITION, ADV.
BROUGHT BACK MEMORY
Condition Such That He Has
Not Explained His
q Wanderings.

FRANK Eaton Alden, stock broker
who disappeared mysteriously three
weeks ago, has returned to his home
465 Ridge street. The broker is said
20 be suffering from a complete physi-
cal and mental breakdown, and from
the time of his return late Saturday
night has been unable to explain the
cause of his disappearance. 1t is said
he has been wandering about New
York city for three weeks.
At the Alden home today it was
said that Mr.. and Mrs. Alden could
not be seen. DR.. George J. Holmes
of II Elizabeth avenue, the family
physician, it was said. would give
out any information to be made pub
lie. John Alden, who brought his
father home, had returned to Colum-
bia, and it could not be learned
where Mr.. Alden was found in New
York Saturday night. DIR. Holmes
said:
'In my opinion we will not be able
to learn from Mr.. Alden the cause OF
his disappearance for some days. The
man is suffering from a severe men
tai breakdown. 1 have cautioned
members of his family not to question
him; it would be foolish to do so at
this time, as it would only work a
hardship on Mr.. Alden.
physically, too, he has suffered
since he left home, put his chief
trouble is the mental affliction. At
present he is suffering a mental de
rangemeut. due, | believe, to financial
troubles. 1t may be months before he
recovers."
On April Mr.. Alden vanished from
the Fall River steamer Plymouth. on
which he had engaged passage to Fail
River on the way to Boston. lie was
seen to enter his stateroom the night
before. The following day, as the
boat was nearing Fall River, a stew
ard opened the stateroom door with
a. pass key. He found the room had
been unoccupied for at least twenty
four hours. A suit of clothes, q dress
suit case, an insurance policy and
other small personal effects were
found as we'll as a mysterious note
addressed to Mrs. Alden.
This note, made public at the time
Mr.. Alden vanished, showed that he
feared he would meet with fatal
accident 1t was dated June, 1914,
and read as follows:
'I hope you will never have to
read this letter, but in case of acci-
dent or death, don't want you or
for the loss of our money. If it had
not been for Herbert's help we would
have been lost before now. Let it
be a lesson to the boys not to follow
my steps in the market. I have a
feeling that shall meet a fatal acci-
dent some day, but hope not, though
l have often prayed for it, because
with insurance l am worth more dead
than alive, but do so love my home
and family. Lovingtly, FRANK.
Suicide Theory Started.
In addition to this note there were
a few blood stains on the bedclothes
and walls in the stateroom. A razor
was also missing from shaving set.
These facts led to the belief in some
quarters that Mr.. Alden had attempt
ed to commit suicide by cutting his
throat and then went to the boat rail
and leaped overheard. Later reports
dispelled this theory. The Fall River
line officials said the blood stains were
slight ones, and such as might be
made by a man accidentally cutting
himself while shaving.
The Herbert referred to in the note
Is brother of Mr.. Alden and lives in
Detroit. He had given financial as
sistance to the local man on various
occasions. The warning to ''the boys"
was meant Tor MT. Aluen TWO SONS,
John, student at Columbia, and
Phillip, who is attending the Univer-
Sity of Michigan.
On Saturday night Mrs. Alden, who
had steadfastly refused to believe her
husband had committed suicide, re-
ceived a telephone message from the
missing man. At first she refused to
believe 1t was he, not recognizing his
voice The speaker said he had read
a newspaper advertisement inserted
by Mrs. Alden. The latter thought
for few moments the person tele-
phoning was some fanatic, playing a