The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-29
LOST BATTALION HERO DISAPPEARS FROM SHIP
 WHILE ON WAYTOCUBA|
Lieut.. Col. WhittIesey, on Mysterious Trip to Cuba, Disappears, Leaving Sev- eraI Letters Behind, Says Wireless Message From Captain of Ship
By Associated Press

New York, November 2s.-Lieut. Col. Charles ". Whittlesey, hero of the famous Host battalion" has 7 :. appeared from the steamship on which he sailed Saturda. .o Havana, according to a wi ss message received here today.
 News of the famous soldiers
 disappearance came In the foI-
 lowing message received here
 from the-captain of the shipi
 "Passenger named c. W. Whit
 tIesey disappeared. Left several
 letters..
 Officials of the United Fruit
 Line, operators of ehe ship, con
 firmed the fact that the passen-
 ger in question was Lieutenant
 Colonel Whittlesey through his
 relatives.
 Members of Mir Whittlesey's, law firm here were at a loss to account for his proposed visit to Cuba. When he left the office of the firm Friday he announced his intention, they said, of attending the Army Navy game on the following day.
 1t has since been learned that Col onel Whittlesey purchased a ticket for Havana the following morning and sailed that day.
 His business associates declared that his mind was clear and that he apparently was in good health other wise when last seen. He seemed cheerful, they added, and declared they were unable to explain his seemingly strange action in going away as he did. without notifying them of his plans.
 Appeared Depressed
 c. W. Whittlesey, the soldiers uncle, declared tonight that Colonel Whittlesey attended the services for the unknown dead at Washington on Armistice Day and had since ap- peared depressed. MT. Whittlesey said that he last saw his nephew on Friday evening and that he did not notice any decided change in his de- meanor at that time,
 / Colonel Whittlesey who was 36 and unmarried lived in a bachelor apart ment on East Forty fourth street. When he appeared at breakfast Sat urday morning he brought suit case down from his room. He did not say where he was going and his friends did not consider the circumstance un- usual because he was in the habit of making frequent weekend and busi- ness trips. I
 Colonel whittlesey is the son of Mir. and Mrs. Frank R. Whittlesey of Pittsfield, Mass. He has two brothers, Elisha of Pittsfied and Melzar of this city.
 How He Won Fame
 The crisp, laconic reply: You go to hell,' hurtled into the teeth of German officer who called on him and dis men to surrender, was the rhetor- icar battlefield classic which brought Colonel Whittlesey into fame over night.
 Surrounded in the Argonne with his command the First battalion of the Three Hundred and Eighth infantry, Seventy division. Whittlesey had been cut off for four days with out food or fresh water. All but S7 men had been killed or wounded. At dusk on October '. 1918, a blind folded German, bearing a white flag. crossed the line. He bore a message asking the Americans to surrender "in the name of humanity
 A few hours after the messenger had been sent back with Whittlesey's reply. an American advance took place and all were rescued.
 His exploit was rewarded by Presi- dent Wilson with the congressional medal of honor, the most cherished American war time decoration given only for valor outside the regular line of duty. Some months after the arm istice, the German officer who de- manded Whittlesey's surrender added to his laurels by publishing state ment extoling the Americans cour- age and determination.
 Thinks Suicide Certain
 John B. Pruyn, lawyer to whom messages from Captain Grant of the Toloa was addressed. stated tonight that he was of the opinion that Col onel Whittlesey had ended his own life. Radio messages related that Colonel Whittiesey left a note for the captain requesting him to notify his parents in Pittsfield. Mass. and then disappeared from the ship.
 MT. Pruyn st ted that he believed the tragedy to be a result of the mental strain to which Colonel Whit tlesey had been subjectel as one of the honorary pallbearers at the Ar mistice Day ceremonies at Washing ton.