The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-08-15
AMBROSE B. SMALL
ISREPORTED FOUND
Legless Man Said to Have Been
Identified as Toronto
Theatre Owner.
MIND IS STILL A BLANK
Des Moines Detective Claims
$4,000 Reward Offered by
Canadian Authorities.
MIND IS STILL A BLANK

Special Despatch to THE NEw Yong HEsALp
DEs MONIES, Iowa. Aug. 1.-THE So
luton OF the mysterious disappearance
in Toronto two years ago of Ambrose =.
Small, wealthy theatre owner. was
claimed to-day by a detective who re-
Gently found a legless and severely
wounded man, now said 10 be the miss
ing Toronto man.
The detective, John J. Brophy, for
merly OF the Des Moines police depart
ment. says he has bad this person I'M
der surveillance two months, and insists
the half-crazed man is the long sought
theatre owner and he Is prepared TO
turn him over to the Canadian authori-
ties when they are ready to pay the
$4,000 reward offered for his discovery.
The finding of Small two months ago
was touched with mystery. An unidenu-
fled man approached q house in West
Des Moines In a motor car, saying he
had a badly wounded man with him
and asked he be taken In for medical
attention. Detective Brophy was called
In and he discovered a gunshot wound
In the mans neck and contusions on
the head All power Of speech had been
lost. The legs had been severed at the
knees.
For three weeks the victim was mute.
Then he suddenly asked for water. From
that time on he has shown signs OF an
awakening mentality but has great diff
iiculty in talking lie constantly writes
musical scores, but when asked If he can
play shakes his head Now the man has
begun repeating:
My name is John Doughty. | came
here from Omaha. That's all ! ren,em-
Der" (John Doughty was Small's secre-
tary and is in Canada.)
When shown a picture of Small to-day
the legless man nodded.
That's me-" he said.
Police officials here declare that there
is 4 wide discrepancy between descrip-
| missing theatre owner. While the facial
| characteristics Of the two are almost
| identical in weight there Is much diff
ference. Small Weighing scarcely 100
rounds. The man under surveillance IL
| said 10 weigh near $50 pounds.
Small disappeared IN December 1919
He had Just deposited check for
Sl,000.0 900. received from the sale OF his
thea trical interests. His wife wns the
| first to suspect something had happened
when he fniled 10 come home for din
ner that night.
Three weeks later John Doughty. his
found that more than 100000 in Vic
tory bonds were also missing. Doughty
was arrested near Portland, Ore, con
victed ~ embezzlement and sentenced
TO six years in prison.
TORONTO, Ont. Aug. it.-Local police
authorities stated tonight they had re-
ceived no word from Des Moines. Iowa.
that Ambrose Small, missing Toronto
theatre man, was under surveillance
there
Mrs. Ambrose Il. Small tonight
doubted reports from Des Moines that
her long missing husband had been
found. believing that Detective Brophy
would have at once notified the au-
thorities here. since the reward expires
Ceptember /. consultation with her
attorney tonight 1t was decided to send
Detective Mitchell 10 Des Moines 70
investigate the story. Mitchell Is the
detective who brought Doughty. her
husbands embezzling secretary. back
from. OregonI