The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-04
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8 DAYS
Reginald Meehan, Wounded
Overseas, Knew He Had
Only Half Year to Live.

Reginald Meenan, auditor Tor
the Hotel Hamilton, is strangely
missing under circumstances that
lead his friends to fear for his
safety.
! Meehan was last seen at II D.
m, February 25th, when he stop
ped at the hotel and sent a bell
boy to his room to get his over
coat. At the time he was in a
big automobile with a group of
men and women.
Automobile Stored.
Since then he has failed to return
to the hotel where he makes his
home. His automobile has been
found stored in the garage where he
keeps 1t. An eight-day search by a
local private detective agency has
proved only that none of Meehan's
friends have any idea where he
may be.
Hospitals in Washington and in
other nearby cities are being
] searched for the missing auditor.
Just previous to his disappearance
Meehan was extremely Respondent
because he had been told by phys.
icians that he had but six months
to live.
Wounded in Chest,
During the war he served with
distinction and was awarded several
citations. He suffered a wound in
his chest, and q Six-inch silver plate
was inserted in the wound. The
flesh around this plate has never
properly healed, and Meehan has
been told by his doctors that he
must soon pay the fullest price for
his war work.
Meehan's accounts were in the
proper shape, according to w. H.
Barse, manager of the hotel. He
said that an audit was being made
by special accountants, but he de-
clared that he had every confidence
in Dick" Meehan's integrity.
Since the mysterious disappear
ance, Meehan's room at the hote
has been searched and all his cloth
ing found. In the safe at the hote
there is a large sum of none.
belonging to him, and his pay check
for the month Of February has not
been cashed. These facts make II
appear improbable, Manager Barse
declared, that Meehan garbled his
accounts and was preparing to flee
Had Attacks of Amnesia.
His physical condition was such
that he had fainting spells and fire.
quent attacks Of amnesia. Meel1an
has probably been taken to some hos
pital, Mr.. Barse said, and is un
able to identify himself. When he
was discharged from the service
he was given a high disability
rating He drew compensation from
the Government Of more than SIPS
a month.
Detectives attempting to trai
Meehan are trying to find out who
was in the automobile that stopped
In front Of the Hamilton when Nee
nan was last seen. He had left tho
MOTEL without his overcoat and a.
the night grew cooler, he stopped
by to get it.
Telephone calls that are recorded
on the hotel records as having beer
made by the auditor are beinr
traced by private detectives. Some
Of these calls are said to have beer
to the Pacific coast and numerou.
calls were found for local apartment
houses.
Believed Near City.
All who know Meehan we'll hay,
been interviewed in the hope of get
ting some word as to his where
abouts. The fact that his automo
bile has been found is taken t,
mean that he could not be ia,
from the city, as he never carried
large sum Of money and his pa,
check and other funds are at tn,
, hotel.
That there may have been trou
BILE in the car in which Meehar
! was last seen and that he may have
been hurt is one opinion expressed
The other occupants of the cal
may be able to aid the search.
Meehan has disappeared strangel,
before, Mr.. Barse declared. On one
occasion he was found In the John,
Hopkins Hospital, and again he wa,
found In a local hospital. He wa,
unmarried and lived at the hote
where he was employed.