LONDONERS WHO VANISH.

Northern Advocate, 3 October 1913, Page 6

LONDONERS WHO VANISH.

CASES THAT BAFFLE THE POLICE.

The remarkable case of Mr Martin, the American millionaire whose disappearance from London was a nine days' wonder, provides a striking illustration of how easy it is for a person to vanish from the Metropolis without leaving any real clue as to his whereabouts. As a matter of fact, thousands of people disappear from London every year. In most cases, as a well-known detective officer informed a writer recently, suicide and murder account for very few of these disappearances. "Of course, you must know," continued my informant, "there are many reasons why people find it convenient to vanish without leaving any trace behind. Their friends naturally go to the police, who in the majority of cases find that the person who has disappeared has done so either for domestic or business reasons. "Here is a typical instance: The wife of a well-known City man went to Scotland Yard some time ago in a state of great agitation. She said her husband had not been home for four days. Inquiries at his office disclosed the fact that he had left the premises as usual one afternoon and had completely disappeared. Careful inquiries were instituted, and it was then discovered that his business was in- a very precarious condition. Speculations and investments had gone wrong, and we came to the conclusion that he had disappeared, as he felt he could not face the music. And this conclusion proved to be correct, for six months later his wife received a letter from South America in which he told her the whole trouble and invited her to come out to him, as he had decided to start afresh."

Even more remarkable was the case of a young society lady who about twelve months ago left her parents' house one morning, presumably on a shopping excursion, and never returned. Foul play was suspected, and the distracted parents spent hundreds of pounds trying to discover what had become of their daughter. Ultimately, to their amazement, they received a letter from a friend abroad, who had discovered the girl living with her artist husband in a remote part of Paris. It appeared that the girl had fallen deeply in love with the artist, and, knowing that her parents would never consent to the marriage, had decided to get quietly married and vanish with her lover, fearing that if her parents knew of her whereabouts they would make every effort to part them.

A case which serves to illustrate how easy it is for a body to lie hidden from the police is afforded by that of a Sydenham builder who vanished one day in May, 1898, and was never again seen alive. Seventeen months later his body was discovered in an empty house which, curiously enough, had often been visited by the agent and prospective tenants.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable features of the numerous cases of missinig people whom the police are-asked to trace is the number of domestic servants who vanish. Week after week paragraphs appear in the papers asking for news of girls who have disappeared, leaving their few belongings with their mistresses.

About three months ago a young and attractive servant in a good situation in West Kensington left the house one evening, saying that she was going to the local picture palace. From that day to this neither parents nor mistress have been able to learn the slightest tidings of her. What her fate has been is a complete mystery, and the police have been obliged to add her case to that of many hundreds of men and women who are "dead" to their kith and kin.