Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-15
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|
Major Samuel Fl. McLeary, coast
artillery corps officer who disap
| peared July 2, at Raleigh, N. c.,
as he was about to leave for thi.
| city. is believed to have been seen
| in Bennettsville, S. c., the following
| day. according to a report reaching
the Columbia State.
The report was from a druggist
at Bennettsville, who said that on
July 8, a man in an army officers
uniform, accompanied by two WON,
en-, drove Up in front Of his store
in a Dodge automobile bearing a
Kansas license. The druggist said
the man answered the description
of Major McLeary, which have been
broadcast. He said he does not re-
member the rank insignia worn by
the officer.
1t is pointed out here that Ben
nettsVille is only about forty miles
from Fayetteville, n. c., where Fort
Bragg is situated and that it is not
improbable that there are number
of artillery officers at that post who
recently have been at Fort Leaven-
worth or the army riding school at
Fort Riley, Kansas, and have auto
mobiles with Kansas license plates.
RALEIGH, N. c., July 1.-THE
officer seen at BennettSVille, S. c.,
on July 2, is believed here 70 have
ben Lieut.. Colonel A. J. O'Leary of
the United States marine corps in
stead of Major Samuel j. McLeary,
of the United States army, who dis
appeared in Raleigh on July while
en- route from Norfolk, Va, to Fort
Moultrie, S. c.
Garage men here assert Major
| McLeary stored his machine here
on the night Of July 2 instead of
proceeding to Columbia, S. c., where
he had wired for money to be sent
to him. However, the officer was
registered at no Raleigh hotel and
no definite trace Of his movements
has been obtained.
Friends here searching for Major
McLeary tonight asked that a re-
quest as to information of Lieuten-
ant Colonel O'Leary's whereabouts
be broadcast. Such information was
requested to be sent to the Raleigh
News and Observer, which is assist
ing in the extensive effort to locate
the lost army officer. 1t was ex-
planned that Major McLeary and
Lieutenant Colonel O'Leary were
thought to have been at Fort Leav-
enWorth together and to have known
each other personally. In such a
case, the searchers believe that
be of assistance in locating Major
McLeary.
A telegram was received at the Of
flee of Governor Morrison today
from Governor Pat Neff. of Texas,
asking the North Carolina execu-
tive to institute a statewide search
for Major McLeary.
1t was stated at the governors
office that county officers through
out the state would be asked to
make q search for the missing Off
Ger. Major McLeary is understood
to be a native of Texas.
Major McLeary, while in Raleigh,
telegraphed a bank at Hampton.
Va, 1nstructing that funds be wired
him in care of a Columbia, S. c.,
hotel. The money was returned to
The bank several days later when
Eajor McLeary failed to put in an
appearance at Columbia.
The local post of the American
Legion today offered a reward of
500 for information leading to the
finding of the officer. TIE organi-
cation has also appealed to legion
naires in all parts of the state to
make a search for him tomorrow.
The local police, today received u
telephone message from Louisburg,
% miles northwest of here, saying
that car of the same make as that
in which Major McLeary was trav-
cling, and bearing q Kansas state
license, was seen there last Tuesday
or Wednesday. The car was said
to have been driven by an army of.
ficer
j. f. Wilson, Of Newport News,
friend of the McLeary family, ar
rived in Raleigh today to aid in the
search for the officer A number
of theories regarding the disappear
ance of the officer have been ad-
vanced, but the one most commonly
heard is that Major McLeary is an
amnesia victim.
SAI ESMAN GVVES ~ JTE.