The Glenwood post., 1923-10-25

Glenwood was thrown into fever
of excitement Tuesday morning when
it became known that Ford roadster
belonging to Walter R. Loupe, well
known and popular life insurance So
licitor of Grand Junction, had been
found in the Colorado river about
three miles above Glenwood, and a
short distance above the footbridge at
the Selhorst ranch. No trace of Mr.
Loupe, dead or alive, has been discov-
cred up to this time although search
ing parties worked diligently Tuesday
and Wednesday on the supposition
that Loupe had been stunned and
thrown into the river when his car
went over the embankment, and that
h S body would be recovered. But all
efforts have thus far been in vain, and
the matter of Loupe's disappearance
is now more of a mystery than at the
time of the discovery of his car in the
river.
in the edge of the stream was made
early Tuesday morning by Robert
Downing as he was driving toward
Grizzly with the county truck. He
went on to Grizzly, intending to report
the matter by phone to the authorities,
but finding no phone he returned to
Glenwood and reported the matter to
Undertaken Burdge. The news spread
rapidly and soon several parties hur-
ried to the scene and started a search
for the body.
The bank was very steep and rocky
where the car went over. The right
front wheel was broken and the right
door was open and badly twisted. Be-
sides this the right front fender was
smashed and the Windshield was brok.
en-, and the car when found was lying
on its right side in the water just at
the stream bank, the water at that
point being 10 to Is inches in depth,
and almost devoid of current.
Had Loupe been thrown into the
water at this point, he could easily
have made his way to the shore if he
had not been injured in the fall. If
he had been dazed or rendered uncon-
scious it is believed that the body
would not have floated away, because
of the very slight current A few
feet further out the current was suf-
ficient to have carried the body down
stream.
Ioupe is known to have eaten sup
per at Coley's restaurant at Rifle
about 1880 Monday evening, and it is
believed that he left Rifle about 8
o'clock to drive to Glenwood. About
four miles below Glenwood, or near
the Hum sheep camp, he was met by
Claude Coulter and Earl Hickman who
were returning from Glenwood to
Rifle. These men pulled out to the
side of the road to allow two cars to
go by. The first car was occupied by
County Assessor Alex Simpson and
his family, and Immediately behind
them was Loupe, driving alone. When
near the Baillie ranch Simpson pulled
to one side and allowed Loupe to pass
him, and the latter rushed on toward
Glenwood at high rate of speed.
Simpson says he reached Glenwood
about ten 'clock. So far as is known,
Loupe did not cross the bridge to
Glenwood, but continued on up the
river. For what point he was headed
or what the necessity for making the
drive up the canon at that late hour
of the night in the face of storm
is one Of the unsolved mysteries in the
case.
Tuesday afternoon I. E. Clark of
Grand Junction, agent Of the Equita-
BILE Life Assurance company, and a
friend Of Loupe's, was in Rifle, and
hearing Of the disappearance Of his
friend, he hastily drove to Glenwood