The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-19
'SLEUTHING' OF BOY, IL,
LOCATES COL. ROBINS.
VICTIM OF AMNESIA
Curiosity Regarding Friend
Leads to Solution of
National Mystery.
FOUND IN MOUNTAINS
Crusader Lived Last Two
Months in Small North
Carolina Town.
Copyright. 1882. by United Pressi

tCOpNTlRnI lSoZ. 0N OnlteQ fIeSSi
WHITTIER, N. c., Nov. 19.-Carl
Byrd Fisher, an ebert youngster Of
IL, with detective instincts, was re-
sponsible for the solution of ma
tional mystery, and the discovery of
the long missing Colonel Raymond
Robins, prohibition leader and in
ternational character.
The Fisher boy, intrigued by the
presence of a stranger in town,
made friends with the newcomer he
knew as Reynolds Rogers" went on
hikes with him, compared his fea-
lures with those of a photograph in
a magazine, and notified the author
tiles of his suspicious that his
friend was the missing man.
Robins, in the hands of federal
and state authorities, was trans
ferred today from a Whittier board
ing house to sanitarium at Ashe-
vile, seventy miles from here. A
reputed victim of amnesia.
When Rogers arrived i'll Whit
tier, two months ago., he attracted
the Immediate attention of towns
people by his evident culture and
the fact that he never appeared to
lack funds.
ProspecteR in Hills
Much of his time was occupied
in what he termed prospecting in
the hills. and it was on some of
these jauntS into the hills that he
took young Fisher along.
Carl enjoyed the companionship,
but constantly wondered at the
identity of his friend.
Then, one day, he saw a picture
of Colonel Robins in a copy of Grit,
magazine to which he Subscribes.
He wrote TO the magazines head
quarters, and started the train of
investigation that led to Colonel
Robins discovery by federal prohi-
bition officials.
Grit is a weekly paper of the
family magazine" type, published
in WilliamSport, Pa. Somewhat
similar to Greeley's Weekly of the
last century, it has wide circula-
ton in country communities.
Albert Patton, a filling station
operator here, told how Robins came
here early in September by bus.
Called Self Mining Engineer
Robins, Patton said, went to the
boarding house operated by N. r.
McHan, and described himself as
Reynolds Rogers" mining engi-
neer from Kentucky. He said he
planned to stay "a few days"
Townspeople today say they
noticed the resemblance of the
stranger to the pictures of Robins
which had been published in the
Asheville papers, but said nothing
because he minded his own BUSH
ness" according to Patton.
Robins occupied his time by going
hiking in the Smoky mountains,
leaving at dawn and returning in
the evening. He wore overalls and
jacket, bought at local store, and
carried staff two feet taller than
himself.
Like Mountain Scenery
The newcomer particularly was
enthusiastic about the beautiful
scenery of this vicinity.
He compared the seven hills sur
rounding Whittier to the seven hills
of Rome, and compared the river
here to the Tiber.
He told citizens he had travelled
in South Africa and many other
parts of the world but never had
seen more beautiful scenery any
where. -
Robins built himself a tower on
nearby hill known as Battle Cove
Mount, Patton said, and in his
wanderings about the mountains
discovered seven or eight moonshine
stills Apparently he did not re-
port them, however.
Found MOOnShine Stills
Whittier is a village of 500 in
habitants, seven miles from the
Cherokee Indian reservation in the
Smoky mountains.
The militant prohibitionist, miss
ing since Sept. 3, when he was on
his way to visit President Herbert
Hoover, was discovered by federal
officials in shack which he had
used as his headquarters while
prospecting for gold in the North
Carolina mountains.
Indications were that Colonel
Ro4ns was suffering from a strange
phase Of amnesia, which leaves
certain faculties clear, but which
clouds other mental processes.
Campaigned for Hoover
identification of Colonel Robins,
whose identity was not so COM
pletely lost but that he made a
name for himself in this mountain
country as. an orator favoring the
Republican party and prohibition,
was made by nephew, John Dreier,
who was called here by federal Of
| f1cials.
The officials, who found the noted
prohibition protagonist-friend OF
Presidents Theodore Roosevelt,
Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoov-
er-maintained a close guard over
Robins when he was brought into
the rooming house of Bob McHan
from his shack in the wilds.
He told us that he had been a
friend of Teddy Roosevelt citizens
said. In recent months he had cam
paigned vigorously for Mr.. Hoover
although this is a Democratic COM