The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1920-03-20
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF
ABRAHAM BAILEY.

Something like thirty years ago,
Abraham Bailey was popular and
well-known grain commission man on
the Duluth Board of Trade. In 1893,
he had offices in the American Ex-
change Bank building and was doing
business under the name Of A. Bailey
& Co. He was the direct representa-
tive of Barnes & Nichols, Of Mime
apolis.
Early in June, 1893, a good many of
the grain men in Duluth were hit hard
by slump in the market. If memory
is correct, such shrewd dealers and
strong men as A. D. Thomson received
some staggering blows. Abraham Bal
ley was known to have suffered in a
squeeze at that time.
Friday, June 9, 1893, the local pa
pers came out with the startling news
that Abraham Bailey had been miss
ing for two days. He was last seen in
Duluth when he left his office to 60
home at about 6 p. m, Wednesday,
June Z. He was to have met Mr.. Mich
oils from Minneapolis that evening, but
failed to appear. At first it was taken
for granted that the missing man had
made a hasty trip to some outside
point.
Thursday morning, June 8, the tug
Buffalo, belonging to the Smith-Fee
company, when about ten miles out Of
Duluth, picked up a green row-boat, ID
feet long, marked "No. g." In it was
blue macintosh coat with a pair Of
gloves in the pocket. L. P. Totman, a
friend of the missing man, Identified
the coat and gloves as belonging to
Bailey. Jack Burrows, then working
for M. s. Burrows, also stated that
Bailey had bought the coat there some
weeks before.
Inquiry developed the fact that
Bailey had rented the boat from Louis
Rider, at Old Superior, in the evening
of Wednesday, June Z. He asked the
boat man how far it was to the Supe-
rior entry and, when told that it was
about three quarters Of a mile, pulled
in that direction. Around 8 O'Clock
p. M, the keeper of the lighthouse at
the Superior entry noted a man head
ing for the lake in small rowboat
and, apparently, in his shirt sleeves.
The rather awkward way Of handling
the oars and managing the boat caused
the lightkeeper to watch the man for
some moments.
Bailey's friends scoffed at the idea
of suicide, but all the Investigations
led more and more closely up to that
solution of the mystery. Although the
shores of Minnesota and Wisconsin
Points were closely searched, no body
was found, however.
Bailey was about As years Of age
when he disappeared. He was man
of exemplary habits and his devotion
to his family was so pronounced as to
cause frequent comment. The Bailey
home was at 1917 East First street.
There were four children in addition
to the husband and wife.
A few days before disappearing,
Bailey drew from the bank and handed
his wife $3.50 for family requirements.
DR.. Davis, the family physician, stated
that the missing man was suffering
with degree Of nervous prostration
and that he had asked for something
that would make him sleep.
Time-rolled by. The Bailey girls
grew up and married: Some are living
and some are dead. The disappearance
of the husband and father slowly passed
| out of the minds Of his old friends and
acquaintance.
Bailey's life was insured for $11 900.
Tt is generally understood that Mrs
Bailey eventually collected that sum-
but the companies held off long time
before paying up.
While the general public never has
been given information, there are per
sistent declarations in Duluth that
Bailey did not drown himself in the
lake, while in a depressed state OF
mind, but that he slipped away to
South America. Just why, no one has
explained. One version has it that he
came back in later years, but did not
make that fact public. All versions
agree that he died some years ago
whether in some foreign land or in his
native country, it is rather indefinite
There is another story to the effect
that the insurance companies eventu,
ally turned him up and then demanded
a return of the insurance money paid
Mrs. Bailey. Any such demand Ger
| ta;n1v never was taken as far as the