Previously, I summarized in a blog post about the disappearance of my second great grand uncle, George Begole Poor. I transcribed the newspaper articles that I had received via digitized scrapbook page copy. I transcribed them by columns. Here are the articles and transcriptions.
Column 1 Article and Transcription
WHERE IS GEO. POOR?
His Mysterious Absence Since Yesterday Morning.
Grave Fears for his Safety – Suspense as to his Fate.
Capt. George Poor, a well-known citizen, formerly
wharf-master, and a gentleman who possesses the esteem of everybody, is
mysteriously absent. He has been staying at the residence of his father-in-law,
Judge O. A. Osborn, for some time, and assisting in the store of Osborn &
Fisher, on the corner of Twentieth and Poplar.
Since the weather has been so warm, it has been his custom
to get up quite early in the morning, open the store and take a ramble before
breakfast. Yesterday morning he was heard to arise, and leave his room, shortly
after daylight. As this was his habit, no attention was paid to the fact for an
hour or two later when Judge Osborn arose and going down stairs, found the
store closed. He opened up, and expected every moment that Capt. Poor would
return, but he did not. Hour after hour passed away and he did not make his
appearance and the judge and his family began to grow anxious, and search was
begun.
Going to Capt. Poor’s room it was found that his trunk was
unlocked, with the key still in it. Inside was found his watch—one that he had
carried for years—partially covered with some of his clothing. The cash
receipts of the store, therefore, were found intact, but a pistol that was
known to have been about the store was gone, as was also Capt. Poor’s everyday
clothing. If he left the city, he did so without preparation and without taking
any money with him.
Notwithstanding his continued absence, no serious alarm was
felt until late in the afternoon, although search and inquiries were quietly
but energetically made. It was thought possible that he had gone to Dongola,
where his family lives, and not desiring to cause unnecessary alarm to them,
and hoping that if he had gone that he would send some word back, no telegram
was sent there, making inquiries about him, until about 6 o’clock last evening
when Capt. J. W. Morehead came down town and wired the message.
The worst fear was confirmed an hour later when an answer
was received that he had not been there and no word had been received from him.
Mrs. Poor was then telegraphed for and she came down on the 1:40 train this
morning. All night long search was made for the missing man but no trace of him
was found.
Column 2 article and Transcription:
Of course the gravest fears were entertained late in the
afternoon and last night, but what was the cause of the disappearance can only
be conjectured. Capt. Poor has lived in this community too long for those who
know him to believe that he has willingly made away with himself, yet
circumstances seem to indicate that he has. He suffered heavy loss in the
destruction of his uninsured property by the great fire at Dongola a couple of
years ago, and following this, he lost his position of wharf master at this
port. Since then he has been out of employment, and some debts began to
accumulate. Physically unable to do manual labor, he had been doing light work
about the store, while his family resided in a pretty little home at Dongola.
Being about 65 years of age, he possibly feared that he was too old to retrieve
his lost fortune, and becoming weary of the struggle, has ended his existence.
The fact that he left all his clothing, his watch, and other valuables in his
trunk, taking with him only a weapon of death heightens the suspicion.
The above was the situation of affairs at daylight. Early
this morning systematic search was begun and as far as possible every step was
followed. It was learned that about half past four he had visited Susanka’s
saloon, asked for and paid a small bill that he owed there. Then he was heard
next at Barth’s saloon on the corner of Fourteenth and Washington. Here he
bought 15 cents’ worth of whiskey and had it placed in a flask, which he took
away with him. This was about 5 o’clock, and a few moments later he was met by
Warren Wims, on Fourteenth Street, going towards the Mississippi levee. Wims
spoke to him and asked where he was going so early in the morning. He replied,
“Just taking a little walk, that’s all,” and he passed on. Since then, all
trace of him is as completely lost as though the earth had opened up and
swallowed him.
Reports were current of his having been seen at different
places at a later hour, but when traced up, they were found to be errors—that
it was some other morning when the parties met him. Judge Osburn does not place
any reliance upon these rumors that are being taken to him, and fears that the
unfortunate man will never be seen alive again. As he was last seen going
toward the Mississippi River, his friends naturally are searching in that
direction. Sam’l Orr, Warren Wims, J. W. Morehead, and a score of others have
been hunting through the cottonwoods and along the bank of the river. Careful
inquiries were made at the ferry boat out there, and it was learned that no one
had crossed on it. So those who are looking for him are forced to the
irresistible conclusion that his body may yet be found in the dense undergrowth
or in the river. Up to the hour of our going to press, no tidings of him had
been found.
Column 3 Article and Transcription:
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
The Body of Capt. George B. Poor Found at Hickman, Ky.
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Capt. George B.
Poor, which has been the all-engrossing topic of conversation since Tuesday
morning, has been solved at last, and the remains of the unfortunate man have
been found. The long agony and suspense is over. It is known that Judge Osborn
had offered $25 for the recovery of the body. Yesterday, the Masonic lodge to
which Capt. Poor belonged offered an additional reward of $25, and last night
his brother from Dongola, who had come to assist in the search, offered a like
sum, making a total of $75. While this was an added incentive to those engaged
in the search to continue their exertions, it is due to them to say that they
commenced it for humanity’s sake alone.
This morning, Chief of Police Mahoney received the following
letter from Hickman, Ky., and as it contained the first authentic information
that had been received, he immediately sent it to Judge Osborn, who lost no
time in communicating its contents to the members of the Cairo lodge of Masons:
Hickman, Ky., June 6th, ‘90
P. Mahoney, Chief of Police, Cairo, Ill.:
I was one of the jury that held an inquest over a dead man
this morning, and as there were no papers or anything by which he could be
identified, we gave a description of him and rendered a verdict accordingly.
Afterwards, the Vicksburg landed here, and one of the officers sent me word
that Capt. Poor had been drowned. I remembered that he favored Capt. Poor very
much, as I knew him, although it seemed as if he was a larger man than this
one. I will give you a description:
He was about 5 feet 6 inches in height; between 50 and 60
years old; heavy built; very short hair; partly bald; heavy mustache and chin
whiskers; all gray; hair gray; was dressed with a dark sack coat; vest and
pants were dark; all seemed to be about the same material. White linen shirt;
cotton undershirt (I think white); white drawers; low quartered shoes; hose
white; had a British bull dog pistol in inside coat pocket (about .38 caliber).
A small silver purse with a great many collar and cuff buttons, and ten cents
in money in the book. A loose quarter in the same pocket; a small piece of
tobacco in the right vest pocket. Of course, as no person could identify him,
he was taken charge of by the county and buried in pauper ground. If his family
or friends desire it, I will keep track of the grave, and should it be Capt.
Poor, they can have him removed at any time.
R. M. Metteney
As the description tallies exactly with that of Capt. Poor,
his friends here have no doubt that it is him, and accordingly, Messrs. Tom
Whitlock and B. F. Blake of Cairo Lodge A.F. & A.M., accompanied by L. E.
Falconer, the undertaker, and by Mr. C. H. Fisher, Capt. Poor’s brother-in-law,
left on the Belle of Memphis this afternoon, with a casket, etc., to
bring him home.
This short article was at the end of the third column and describes more about George Begole Poor.
Thirty-Four years ago to-day Capt. George Poore, now Wharf-master here, laid the first rails for the Illinois Central railroad in this city. There was but little of the town then and very little of many other towns in Southern Illinois. There was a little levee along the Ohio some distance farther out than the present one, and the track was laid on the natural ground beneath where it now lies. Cedar ties were used. Captain Poore had charge of the track laying gang, and had laid the track down as far as Cache river when the supply of material on that section ran out, and his men were brought down Cache and to Cairo in boats, and began at the point laying track out towards Cache. When they got near that stream the cholera broke out among the men and many died with the disease.
I may have received the articles from a Poor 'cousin'. If so, please leave a comment and I will credit your contribution.
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