Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-02
MISSING new HAVEN
MAN WAS STUDENT
AT COLBY COLLEGE

~ ny SlclE when at inc present
time is unsolved and which is caus-
ing much speculation as to its out
come has resulted from the sudden
disappearance of DeLafayette Flint.
who is a native of Maine and an old
student of Colby college. having at
tended the Waterville institution in
the years of '94. '95, '96 and 81, but
was not a graduate
The story of Mr.. Tlint's sudden dis
appearance is indeed a mystery. 1t
seems that on February % Mr.. Flint,
who was a teacher in New Haven,
Conn, obtained a substitute. saying
that he was going to New York for
a slight operation on the throat. On
Feb. 26 it was reported that Mr.. Flint
had died at New York hospital fol-
lowing an operation on his throat
the cause of his death being given as
herorrhage and a weak heart. Friends
in New Haven were notified of his
death and appropriate exercises were
arranged for the schools.
The next day. however. some of the
medical examiners of New York be-
gan to get suspicious. as no report
had come in to any of the recording
of deaths officers and this is required
by law to be done within SO hours
after death. Upon tracing the story
back it could not be found that any
such person had passed away, and
it became the idea of the New York
authorities that Mr.. Flint must have
written up the story of the death
himself and sent it to the papers.
Yesterday, kilograms wers received
in Dexter, where he was claimed to
have been born and also to the
county officials at Dover- FoXcroft
asking for information regarding
kfter passing some time in inves-
tication, some Of the Dexter people
think that he was born IN Appot{ ana
was the son Of Thomas Flint. and II
this ia tr1e he has a brother and sis
tor and n half sister living in Mon
son. besides many other relatives IN
the State.
The first communication received
from New York came in the way OF a
telegram signed by the name OF ;. d.
Brown. The telegram contained inc re-
quest that the information OF the
death be submitted to the superlnten-
dent of schools but no information was
given as to who performed the opera
ton or at what hospital 1t took pace
nor was anything mentioned as 10 the
whereabouts of the body. The telegram
mated and the ashes sent to Dexter,
Maine. and it was in efforts to follow
ont the wish Of tho telegram that IT
was first discovered that no trace OF
tho body could be found. The Office OF
the registrar of vital statistics OF New
York City was communicated win ana
word came that no death or anyone 10y
that name had been recorded. ana IL
was pointed out that all deaths must
he recorded at that office within 80
hours after death. 1t also came from
the registrars office that a MI. fiuD-
bard of Switzerland. Mass. had maze
the same query as to the death ol Nir'
Film. earlier in the day, and that the
records had been very carefully gone
over. Mr.. Flint boarded at the home
of Thomas +. Meagher ct 43l Orange
street. New Haven. but they know alb
so,utclv nothing of his WHEREABOUTS
The entire matter Is most mysterious
and in the scEoo. circles OF New Haven
The d,sappcarancc Of Mr.. Flint is the
nrinciral topic Of discussion. close
friends Of Mr.. Film: say that he had
hcc,, in good health apparently, ana
has attended regularly to his duties
as principal, both of tie orange street
school and at the Greene street eve
ming school. He had also been work.
ing hac0 as IL uiIStlIi ~ q p'o Pc
pcaht which WAS to he given the first
of tho week. All that can be found out
at tn, present waiting is that the tele-
gram signed by S. j. Brown was sent
from the Grand Central station in New
York City.
The New Haven Journal-Cou in
spcaking tf his death SAID that Prlfi-
ciral Flint was at his post last Wednes-
dav and that on that day he told ms
friends that he expected to go to New
York for several days to be operated
upon for throat trouble.
Mr.. Flint Quoting from the New
Haven paper) was born January ~,
1877 in Dexter, Maine. At an early
age his father died. Shortly after
the death, Principal Flint was
adoptcd by a wealthy Massachu-
setts family. and later educated by
them. His foster parents bequeathed
him a tobacco farm near Nortn
Adams, Mass, where he spent most
of his summers. His mother dled
several years ago, Mr.. Flint never
married. He considered Deerfield,
Mass, his home. v
1ere, Maine. He also studied at the
ITniversitv of California, received
his Phi. ID. at Columbia University.
He Travelled in Europe and South
America and crossed the continent
16 times. He became interested IN
aGucotion and in 1911 he began
teaching in Maine. From 1913 to
1a1S he was at the head of gram
mar school in Greenfield, Mass. In
1918 he accepted the principalshlp
80 Tho Orange street school, and