STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXI, Issue 3167, 15 June 1931, Page 7

STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.

A Rich Man's Seventeen Years In Hiding.

As if in proof of the fact that mysteries are not solely confined to the 20th century, there is a remarkable instance of a "disappearance" problem which took place in the beginning of the 18th century, and although two Hundred years have passed by the affair has many points of remarkable similarity to certain of our more modern instances, and does not lose any of the interest of its problem by reason of the passage of time. The central figure in this truly odd affair was a Mr. Howe, described by one who knew him well as "a sensible, well-natured man, possessed of an estate of seven or hundred pounds per annum." He was happily married to a charming wife, had no financial worries, no, entanglements that ever came to light, and, judging from the even tenor of his not very eventful daily round, the last man in the world to be involved in or wish to have anything to do with a mystery. The story opens in the early morning of a day In 1706. On this occasion Mr. Howe got up early, telling his wife that he had some business to transact in the City, and set off, without any sign of there being anything unusual in his mind, from his house in Jermyn-street. About noon a messenger from him arrived at the house with a letter. This was to the effect that his business compelled him to take a journey to Holland at very short notice and that ne would probably be absent three weeks or a month. Mrs. Howe was surprised, but not unduly alarmed. This happened in days when wives were not necessarily entrusted with knowledge of all their husbands' business as they are, for the most part, to-day, nor were their feelings consideied to the same extent. But the montn passed without a word from Mr. Howe. Two months, three months, at last a year had gone by without any further word coming trom the missing man, and in all Mr. Howe was gone for no less than seventeen years! One evening in the year 1723 Mrs. Howe was sitting with some relatives at supper when a note arrived. In it the writer requested the favor of a meeting with Mrs. Howe in the Birdcage Walk, St. James' Park. When she had read the note Mrs. Howe passed it across the table to a Dr. Rose who had married her sister, and remarked gaily that apparently she was not yet too old to have a gallant. But Dr. Rose saw no request for a tryst from an unknown admirer in the note; he recognised the writing and saw in it a communication from ths missing husband. On hearing this opinion Mrs. Howe was naturally greatly affected, so much so that she fainted under the stress of emotion; but, recovering, announced her intention of keeping the appointment. Accordigly she. Dr. Rose, and other relatives waited in Birdcage Walk at the appointed time, and there they were accosted by Mr Howe, who, haviig embraced his wife, accompanied her home as if he had been absent but a few hours. He took up life with hei where he had left it, aud it is recorded that they lived together perfectly happily until death divided them. There are, however, more extraordinary things to tell in- connection with this affair. In the first place, Mr Howe had never been out of London. On the day that he disappeared he went no farther than Westminster, where he took a room for which he paid six shillings a week, changed his name, and disguised himself with a black wig. At first Mrs. Howe imagined that her husband had contracted serious debts unknown to her, but as months went by and there came no demands from creditors, anxiety on this score vanished. Furthermore, inquiries proved that on the day before he disappeared Mr. Howe had paid every tradesman with whom he had any dealings. About three years later Mrs. Howe decided on a less expensive establishment, and moved to a little house in Brewer-street, Golden Square, and this move led to a still more curious fact.

This house was somewhat overlooked by the house of a corn-chandler named Salt, and about ten years after his disappearance Mr. Howe contrived to become acquaimed with Salt. He became so friendly, in fact, that he isuaily dined at the latter's house about twice a week. From the room in which they dined it was possible to look out and have a very good view of Mrs. Howe's dining-room. She was seen constantly sitting there with her friends, and Mr. Salt very frequently suggested that Mrs. Howe would make a very excellent match for—her own husband.

During the last seven years of Mr. Howe's absence' he went every Sunday to St. James' Church, sitting next to Mr. Salt, from which position he could see his wife without being seen bv her.

The second part of the mystery concerns the reason for it all, and there we come up against a brick wall. Mr. Howe would never give any reason whatever, though frequently pressed. He was so close on this subject that bis friends came to the conclusion that, excepting the remote possibility that he had no reason whatever, it was something of which be was heartily ashamed. Dr. Rose gave it as his opinion that the man would never have returned to his wife at all if bis money had held out. He is supposed to have taken with him one or two thousand pounds, which, even with frugality, would only just have held out for the seventeen years. "And yet," said Dr. Rose, "I have seen him, after his return, addressing his wife in the lan-

guage of a bridegroom. And I have been assured by some of his most inti mate friends that he treated her dur ing the rest of his life with the greatr est kindness and affection." Here is food for speculation, almost material for a mystery novel. If only one can supply a reason ingenious enough to account for Mr. Howe/e seventeen years of absence.