Detroit evening times., 1945-11-11

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Whitfield drove to Roosevelt Field and reached
TO have left his home. Attendants wheeled out
his sleek monopane and he called Frederic l.
Johanns Jr. who had been his best man.
At his friends request. Johanns left his home
at Southampton to meet him at nearby Brent
wood Airport, an easy 15-minute flight from
Roosevelt Field
a repair bill and said he'd pick 1t up when he
returned Then he took off in the bright sunlight,
circled the field and scared into the east.
IT WAS cloudless, MINDLESS morning and Andy
Whitfield accomplished fer, lacking
only 80 hours for transport license. SO the
police quickly dropped the theory he might have
been blown off his course.
A logical possibility that he had cracked
up. Nassau County aerial police shuttled low be
tween Roosevelt Field and Brentwood. Other
searching parties hewed through the woodland
and swamps. But wreckage found.
The SEARCH expanded along the coast and into
neighbornP states. Other fliers formed sky
posses and the Jones Beach Air Patrol and mem.
bers OF the Bureau OF Air Commerce spread
canopy of wings over all of Long Island
Out Of Connecticut came two reports that
silver monoplane had been flashing across
housetopS the road from New Haven 10 New
London and pretty soon people began 10 report
seeing the missing young man in other places.
One report was that he left his home eight
hours after the Roosevelt Field takeon Another
was that he was In the lobby OF q Park Ave
apartment % hours afterward
Neither checked with the facts.
Then report that he had been ar
the Roosevelt Field Hotel with another flier
day after starting for Brentwood. This informa.
tion turned the search out 10 when IL
learned Whitfeld's reported companion had sailed
for Europe the Red Star Liner Westernand
The ship was gone over from deck to hold
without avail and Whitfield's flying friend cabed
back he hadn't seen him in three weeks.
After that the real prologue TO the mystery
nj hP pI
near Roosevelt Field. said young man had reg
stered there on the morning OF April Is under
the name of A. G.. White.
They described him as five foot eight, $50
pounds, with dark hair prematurely streaked with
gray and blue eyes Police were told he had tee.
phoned the Whitfield home and talked for some
time 10 Mrs. Whitfield.
A listening operator heard him say I'm
going TO carry out my plan" At 10 a.
he left without checking out.
Whitfields coat, papers luggage. $1,000
insurance policy and other. belongings were
found in the room. Then Betty Whitfield
talked for the first time.
She said the first account of her hus
bands leaving was pure fiction. 1t 81
made up she said. because she didn't choose II
10 admit they had been quarreling. 90
q CTUALLY, she went on, he had staked
out OF the house In anger and had later IA
made the telephone call from Long Island
She professed to know nothing OF his plan"
Whitficlds description flashed across
the country and thcn-without warning
explanaton--the family suddenly called off the
search on April q.
Whether they had found him or heard from
him or knew where he was they refused 10 say.
All questions were politely unanswered
For year reports continued TO flow In that
the plane had been Seen-near Binghamton. N. Y,
in Great South Bay and off Cape Cod. II was also
supposed TO be safely parked in the Whitfield
stables at Middleburg, n. Y.