The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-04-15
OLD MYSTERY TO
COUNTY COURT
Kenosha's Most Engross-
ing Mystery of Service
Is Recalled.
FATHER LOST HOPE

The most engrosslng mystery IN con-
nection with all the men which Keno
sha gave to the United States navy,
was recalled in the county court this
morning when the will of the late
Frank Schaeffer, formerly of the town
Of Somers, was proposed for probate.
1t disposes of an estate valued at
$4,000 but before the estate can be
turned over to the heirs it will be
necessary for them to file formal APP
plication in the court to have one of
the brothers of the family declared
legally dead"
No mention is made in the will of
"Tony" Schaeffer, the son of Frank
Schaeffer, whose name has decorated
many pages of the records of the
United States navy and who is still
being sought by naval officials under
formal orders of the congress of the
United States. Tony Schaeffer is the
oldest member of the family, but no
word has been received from him in
more than fifteen years. He was
member of the United States navy
when he dropped off the earth" and
Investigations of worldwide scope
have been and are being carried on to
solve the mystery attending his dis
appearance.
Lost in Panama Canal Zone.
Tony Schaeffer was lost somewhere
in the Panama Canal zone many years
ago and his disappearance became an
international question. Some of his
companions declared that he was
'"shanghaied" and taken aboard Brit
ish man-of war and impressed into the
service of the British navy. This has
been denied by Great Britain and it
British navy after being searched
showed no reason to believe that any
American sailor had joined the crew of
any British ship in the Panama zone.
Schaeffer was at one time one of the
most popular boys along the north
edges Of the city and as he was grow
ing to manhood he enlisted in the
navy. He was always in close touch
with home and his letters came regu-
larly for many months. but some fif-
teen years ago they ceased coming.
The parents of the young man took the
matter up with the federal government
and all sorts of searches were made
for the boy.
Last Seen on Shore Leave.
Sehaeffer left his ship one afternoon
in the middle of summer with shore
leave and went into one of the small
settlements along the Panama Canal.
He was with large number of Ameri-
can sailors and when they returned to
the ship late in the night Schaeffer
| the party admitted that the sailors
had a fight at one Of the public houses
along the shore but they said thai
Schaeffer had no part in the fight. 1t
was declared that he was last seen
talking with some officers of a British
ship.
At the suggestion of the parents,
backed by the demand of many prom
inent citizens of Kenosha. the govern
ment took up the investigation of the
case and representatives Of the navy
were sent to Panama to make a search.
They never found suggestion of a
trace of the missing man. Schaeffer
was never recorded as "deserter" on
the records of the navy. Some of the
investigators declared that they be-
lieved it possible that he had been
killed and his bo!y disposed of.
Father Hopes for Years.
Charles A. Tarbell, who drew the
will Of the father of the missing man,
said this morning, "Schaeffer hoped
for years. that he would get some word
of Tony, but when ten years had
passed he gave him up as dead and it
is probable that this accounts for the
fact that his name was not mentioned
in the will 1t may have been an over
sight of the father. Before the will
is admitted to probate, it is probable
that it will be necessary to have Tony
Schaeffer declared legally dead. Per-
sonally, am convinced that the boy
is dead. / do not believe that he de-
serted from the navy and / am very
much in doubt as to his having been
taken aboard a British ship. | think
that he was killed somewhere in the
Panama zone and his body thrown into
the ocean"