The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-06-30

The unexpected disappearance of
Clerk of the Court William H. Medford,
and the inability of a posse of men to
find his body, in the marsh, river or
woods near the Honga Lumber Com
pany, has caused the members of his
family and friends to believe that he
has met with foul play. Mr.. Medford
left Cambridge yesterday afternoon to
make a visit to the lumber COM
pany, which is located at Honga, in
the lower part of Dorchester county,
but the real object of his trip was to
settle with Mrs. A. Festus Gootee, of
Golden Hill, from whom the company
had bought a right-of-way through her
property.
+ Mr.. Medford had transacted his bust
ness and was returning to Cambridge
when the affair is supposed to have ia
ken place. The latest story is that
stranger stopped him on the road, and
after telling him that he had started
to Taylor's Island, but had gotten in
the wrong bus. asked Mr.. Medford to
let him ride back with him.
! One of the last persons to talk with
the missing man was Mr.. Tucker, an
employee of the lumber company, with
whom Mr.. Medford spent about three
quarters of an hour conversing about
business and the happenings in that
section of the county. While engaged
in this conversation. County Commits
sioner Alvin Linthicum passed in his
automobile. Later Mr.. Medford ran his
machine up the road past the home
of Mr.. John C. Gore, where he stopped
about half of an hour, evidently to adj
just some trouble with the car. Aaron
Manokey, a colored resident of this sec
ton, saw the machine, and expected
the driver to come to his house, about
! fifty yards away, for assistance. but
the trouble was remedied without fur
Their delay, and the car disappeared.
Harry Cooper. coIored, saw him as he
was passing the home of Joseph W.
Griffith. Cooper, who was riding BIZ
cycle, saw the car coming, and waited,
so that he could trail on behind it.
Cooper's father, who was sitting in
front of his home, also saw the car
when it passed, and could discern only
one man sitting in it. About minute
later Marcellus Elzey passed the same
machine, and it had stopped on the
side of the road, the only occupant hav
ing gotten out, and as Mr.. Elzey ap-
preached him, he walked around the
car, supposedly to avoid detection. This
bears out the theory that the driver
was not Mr.. Medford, who possessed
very friendly disposition. and would
have undoubtedly stopped for a short
chat with Mr.. Elzey. George Chase,
colored, who was the next man to pass
the car, noticed that the engine was
running badly; the man at the wheel
was having trouble with the lights,
and knew very little about operating
the car. He also noticed that the
chauffeur wore a khaki suit, with a
Norfolk coat
About nine o'clock a strange man
went to the home of Mr.. Fred Handley
who lives about 100 yards on the
! Church Creek side of Blackwater
bridge. and told him that a. man had
jumped overheard, and that he (the
strangely had saved himself by jump
ing off the side of the car. The infor-
mant, who was tall, and rather heavi-
ly set, had a scar on his face. He was
dressed in a khaki suit, with Norfolk
coat, and his left hand was banda ged.
His flowing black mustache is suppos-
ed to have been false, and to have
served its purpose in the game which
he is suspected of having planned.
He rehearsed to Mr.. Handley practi-
cally the same story that he is sup
posed to have told Mr.. Medford that
of having started to Taylors Island,
and having gotten on the wrong bus.
He told Mr.. Handley of having met an
automobilist on the road, who, after
letting him get in the machine lost
control of the car, and that both of
them had jumped from the machine
while crossing the bridge. the man (Ir.
Medford) going overheard
He gave Mr.. Handley the keys TAX
en- from Mr.. Medford's coat, which was
still in the machine, asking him to try
to find the owner of the automobile and
notify his family. Mr.. Handley, his
son, and the man then went to look at
the car. which was stalled in a ditch
1t had been run into the water, the
, wheels being on each side of a log, the
top of which it had scraped. The car
was in all probability under the con-
troll OF a person unacquainted with
driving, and had taken this course to
avoid contact with a shell cart.
} A coat and hat were found on the
seat of the car, and the first intimation