The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-08
WEALTHY MAN
CAPTIVE 10 YEARS
Dropped from Sight In 1904
When In Usual
Health
NOW BLIND AND
HELD IN ASYLUM

Attorney Asks Appointment of Guardian
Nephew Has All His Property and |
Would Not Allow Other Relatives to
See Him. .+
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. S.-One night |
in 1904 George .Griffiths, a wealthy man
ufacturer, who lived at No 2l02 SPRUCE |
street, retired after he had been seen
and greeted by associates during the day |
and had returned their greetings in his |
usual manner. The next morning he was
| gone, and for Is years he dropped out of |
sight. r.
| Saturday it was declared in a court ac-
ton that, aged, helpless and blind, he is
| still alive, but sequestered at Wayne UNI
| der the constant attendance of a male
nurse, penniless and dependent on the
| gifts of a nephew-in-aw, Louis l.. Reich
| ner, to whom it is alleged he decided his
property, worth more than $4,000.
Former Judge James Gay Gordon APP
peared before Judge McCullen in com
mon pleas as counsel for Mrs. J. II.
hurtz of Elkins Park and a niece of Crit
tiths to apply for the appointment of a
guardian for the old man. He told of
! finding Mr.. Griffiths at No. 200 West
| Wayne avenue, Wayne, last spring. Re-
latmg Mr.. Gritfith's deciding of his prop
| erty he told of the refusal of the nephew
| m-law to make known the whereabouts
! of the vanished manufacturer while he
! was shifted from one residence to an
other, some of which were leased by the
nephew and others being sanitariums and
| asylums Tor the insane.
In his petition Judge Gordon asked for
the appointment Of a guardian to protect
| Mr.. Griffiths. He told of the honorable
; record Mr.. Gritfiths had up to the time
of his disappearance. He was prominent
: church at Seventh street and Washing
; ton Square. He built the Albert Barnes
memorial at a cost of more than $4,000
, IN honor Of a former pastor. At the time
OF his disappearance he was treasurer of
7 the Christian league, of which he was a
e old.
From investigations which were made
i by Mr.. Scott and myself last spring when
y we succeeded in locating Mr.. Griffths S,
! learn that when Mr.. Grifiths disap-
- peared III 1894 he was taken to Folcroft,
a hospital for the insane in Delaware
county. The manner of his being taken
there and of his entrance into the In
. to the institution may come out later in
= the evidence.
y 1T will be shown that up to the day
: he disappeared Mr. Gritiths's health was
: good. 1t win be shown that his brother
: Joseph, father of the petitioner, had
: made inquiries Of Attorney Louis i
!, Reiehner, whom he knew to have had
- some professional or business relations
! with George GTitfiths as to where ms
- brother was, and the only satisfaction he
! received was to be told that Gritfiths had
III been i'll, but was beng taken care OF and
. was doing well. but he could not be seen
= except upon the order of his doctor.
=, '1oseph Gritfths is now dead, but
from evidence in our possession we eX-
pect TO be able to show that when he be
i taken to Folcroft by Attorney Reichner
;, who took him on a long walk, and com
l., ing in view of a large building, BeichneI
pointed to a man who could be seen on
the porch and said That Is your
brother; but don't try to attract his at
tention or speak to him
n Eve will show that Joseph Griffiths
after seeing his brother on this occasion
never saw him again. and that no other
2 member of the family laid eyes on him
Z for IS years We will show that during
this time Mr. Criffiths had parted with
y all his property, giving to Louis +. Reiclf
II ner his entire estate. We will show that
9 this man Reiehner has sold house after
n house and virtually disposed of the en-
G tire estate.
t Mr.. Gordon said he got into the house
: at WAYNE with difficulty. Aside from his
a blindness Griffiths showed no evidence OF
Il physical weakness, he declared. He said
that during the TO years Mr.. Griffith i
y sisters received remittances from Reich
ner, but the only information that came
1. with them concerning their brother was
Gle was not so well, or He is doing
Z better" During this time they were ig-
| norant of where he was. -,
i The attorney added that Mr.. Griffiths
3 had made one or two wills providing one
Z or two small legaces to his relatives,
with the residue of the estate to 20 to
! Reichner. Judge McCullen continued the
hearing until next Saturday to give the
/ opposing attorneys time to prepare an
| ar.