The New York herald., 1921-11-29
Wireless Message From the
Steamship Toloa Says He
Left Several Letters.
ENDED LIFE, is BELIEF
a Hours Out From New
York on Way to Havana
When Missed.
HAD SHOWN DEPRESSION
Change Observed After He At.
tended Funeral of Unknown
Soldier at Washington.

SHaiie5 w. w nittleSey, lawyer, OF
II Wall, street, famous as the COM
mander of the battalion of the Seven
ty-seventh Division which, was lost
Tor five days in the Argonne Forest
disappeared at sea on Sunday. He was
reported missing from the steamship
Toloa Of the United Fruit Company
when the vessel was twenty-four hours
out Of New York on the way to Ha-
vana .pt
His relatives and other friends did
not even know that he had sailed
They were incredulous yesterday when
radio message was received from
Capt. Grant OF the Toloa- It said
Passenger Charles w. Whittlesey
New York, disappeared noon Sunday
Left several letters"
Doubt that this could be Whittlesey
Of the Lost Battalion was removed
little by little until his associates were
reluctantly compelled to believe thai
the missing man was indeed the Lieu
tenant-Colonel and that he had taker
his own life.
Col. Whittlesey had gone to an Ameri
can Express Office, apparently on Friday
and bought a ticket for Havana. Clerk.
In the office had recognized him. Or
Saturday morning he was recognized a.
Col Whittlesey by ticket agent anc
baggage agent at the United Fruit Com.
pany pier. Yesterday. while an inves
tigation Started by the receipt Of Capt
Grants message was under way, those
two agents went to the ONCE or John b
Pruyn. Col. Whittlesey's close friend anc
former law partner, at 2 Rector street
They were positive that photograph oil
Col. Whittlesey on Mr.. Pruyn's wall
taken at the moment when Gen. Clarence
X. Edwards was pinning the Congress
sional Medal Of Honor on Col Whit
tesey's breast, was that Of the man who
had departed on the Toloa at noon on
Saturday. 81
Spirits Greatly Depressed.
Col. Whittlesey had told none Of his
intimates that he was going to Havana.
They know OF no business engagement OF
contemplated vacation that would have
taken him there. Robert Forsyth Little
OF the law firm of White &. Close, IA
Wall street. with which Whittlesey had
been associated for just year, saw hin,
In the office on Fridayand understood
that he intended seeing the ArIny-Navy
football game the next day. On Friday
night Col. Whittlesey asked Mrs. G.
Sullivan, mistress Of the bachelors 3
boarding house at 1876 East Forty
fourth street, where fe lived before and
after the war. that he would want an
early breakfast as he was going out OF
town. He packed the bag and in the
morning went away. having given no
hint Of his destination.
MIR. Pruyn said last night: I'VE have
received no details from the ship--noth.
ing but a confirmatory message. There
seems to be no doubt that 1t was Col
Whittlesey. The only theory / can ad.
vance is this: You know that his expe-
rience In the army, especially I'm the Ar
gonne, was q tremendous strain. It az
fected him more than his friends knew,
His was always a reserved nature. He
kept his feelings to himself. He did not
break under this strain, or anythink like
1t. To all appearances he was normal
But on Armistice Day he went to Wash
ington and took part In the ceremonie.
over the Unknown Soldier, as one of the
Medal OF Honor men. This, added e
what had gone before, was moro thar
he could stand. Outwardly there wai
no great change in him after he came
back, but in talking to-day with those
who knew him best have come upor
little details which, Insignificant OF
themselves, indicate. when woven to-
gether. great depression OF spirit"
Kept Sorrows TO Himself.
Col. whittlesey's uncle. c. W. Whit.
tlesey OF 81 East Fffty-eighth street
agrees with Mr.. Pruyn. He said he had
noticed mental depression, dating
from the trip TO Arlington. and had
spoken OF 1t TO his nephew. who had nd
nitted that the scene and the recollec-
tions It had induced were much on his
mind. G. w. whittlesey saw the Colonel
last week and supposed that he was
going to the country for the Weekend.
At the Williams College Club, OF
which Col. Whittlesey was a governor
and where he was often TO be found of
an evening. one Of his friends said last
night that he too had noted change
In the leader OF the Lost Battalion since
Armistice Day. Always quiet. IL not
rcticent. he had become even more So
His nature was very sensitive" this
friend said. Recently he seemed TO be
broodlng over something. We didn't ask
what the matter was. but know that
he never had recovered from the shock
OF seeing so many men that he know and
loved killed In the Argonne. and be-
iievc that this was intensified by the
ceremonies at Arlington. A mere ac-
quaintance would have said that nothing
was wrong with him. but men who knew
him best saw change n him"
Among those who were questioned as
to knowledge of Col. Whittlesey's In
tcntion to start on an ocean voyage were
his two brothers, Melzer and Elisha
whittlesey. They said he had not
spoken to them about Il. His landiady.
Mrs. Sullivan. who was second mother
10 him, adored him both for his char
acter and his bravery in war and spoke
OF him az "a scholar and gentleman"
was prostrated last night and IN the