New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-06
Mrs. Rankine
Had Asked Way
To Pawnsllop
Query of Woman Worth
Million, Just Before Her
Disappearance. Cause d
Chauffeur TO Doubt Sanity
Tried to Follow Her
Sbunted OFF in Heavy Traf.
fc: Relatives, Convinced
Mind Was Unbalanced

When Mrs. William Birch Rankine
.Ae wealthy widow who vanished last
Friday, left her automobile that day at
Fifty-ninth Street and Second Avenue,
she was looking for pawnshop.
What real or faneied trouble caused
she former Annette Norton. possessor
~ q million-dollar fortune, to go to the
crowded East Side tenement section
where she disappeared with the inten-
lion of visiting q money lender is q
nroblem for which, an answer is being
sought by detectives.
Mrs. Rankine's chauffeur, Frank
clouting, of AT East Sixty-fourth
Street, supplied the information that
his mistress had been seeking pawn
.hou. This fact has caused the missing
wcnan's distracted relatives to CON
elude that beyond all doubt her mind
was disordered when she left her auto
mobile in the shadow Of the Queens
boro Bridge and mingled in the throre
Of tenement dwelling wage earners
hurrying to their suppers.
Query Amazes Chauffeur
The chauffeur, whose own tenement
aat is close to the bank Of the East
River. few short blocks from where
he last saw his employer, said that
Mrs. Rankine, in her regular afternoon
drive, asked him if he knew where
there was good pawnshop. Clouting
at first was so amazed that he could
think of TO proper reply.
Clouting told Mrs. RANKINGS brother,
Benjamin Norton, of the Guaranty
Trust Company, that finally he men
toned one place, but expressed the
opinion that it was closed. Mrs. Ran
kline then directed him to drive to the
East Side. She had him stop the car
at the bridge approach, and climbed
out.
The chauffeur has explained that he
realized at once that it was his duty
to keep Mrs. Rankine in sight. but
that the traffic policeman ordered him
to drive along with the stream of
motor traffic. BY the time he got
turned around. the widow Of the man
who harnessed Niagara Falls had
vanished.
Hospitals all over the city have been
searched with the idea that Mrs Ran
kline, subject to seizures growing out
Of her nervous afliction, may have
fallen unconscious on the street and
injuA.l herself. Nothing has resulted
from this line of Investigation.
Pawnshops Are Canvassed
Pawnshops up and down the East
Side have been visited fruitlessly by
detectives seeking the two jeweled
rings or the openfaced greenish blue
enameled watch she wore suspended
from black ribbon about her neck.
A disturbing feature of her disap-
pearance is information supplied by
some Of her friends that she had re-
Gently questioned them as to whether
she would ever get we'll. She had also.
il is learned, declared that she did not
consider life. worth living unless she
could regain her health. 1t is this that
has impelled careful checking up of
unidentified women in the scattered
morgues of the greater city
When last seen by the chauffeur Mrs.
Rankine, in her severely black costume
with mannish gray cloth hat pulled
down over her ears, was striding north
ward from the bridge approach along
the east side of Second Avenue
steamship offices and railroad ticket
sellers have been questioned vainly in
an effort TO get some one to recall hav-
ing seen Mrs. Rankine. Searchers were
supplied yesterday with an accurate de-
scrlptioa of her and also with photo
graphs. These, however, are not likely
10 be OF much assistance because her
appearance has changed greatly during
nef suffering in recent wears.
Nye Assists in Search
William Nye. former Secret Service
agent who Is now in the employ OF the
Guaranty Trust Company, is ASSISTING
MI Norton in the hunt for his sister,
iney prepared and caused 10 be dis
trlDuted last night this description of
Mrs. Rankine:
Five feet one or two inches.
slender build. Weight about 10 pounds.
medium brown hair. cornbed straight
'agH, ears entirely uncovered.
Blue eyes. Wore oblong shape plain fiat
nose ao glasses with oldfashioned high round
Rudy complexion; fairly we'll tanned
'fe en- beng out in the weather a great deal.
sa OF her face slightly fuzzy.
co, lore "a black taffeta waist, with high
1ollar close up around he neck and black
"e SMsh iour-in hand tie.
fa, wore black coat OF rough material.
.airly loose and in length half way be-,
'ween the hip and the knee.
:. oiack skirt OF the same material came
% Just below boot tops
wore high black walking shoes with
medium size heel
Rad dark brown "rtsher" fur about
'sh' inches wide, with all four feet. head