MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15873, 12 April 1917, Page 6

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

A BRIDEGROOM-ELECT

VANISHES.

FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED.

Oil Monday morning Mr George Foreman Bcll,*on of Mr A. J. Bell, of 54 Gresford street. St. Albans, who was at one time cotinectcd with the Farmers' Union Labour Bureau, left his father's house for the railway station to purchase tickets for Dunediu, after which ho purposed seeing tho Registrar of births, deaths and marriages, and obtaining from liim a marriage certificate preliminary to being married. Sineo tho timo he father s house there has been no sign of Mr Bell, junr.. and no tracc of him has beeu discovered by the police authorities, in whose hands Mr Bell, senr., placed tho matter. It baa been ascertained that the missing man did not obtain the marriage certificate he wanted, as, owing to Monday being a holiday, the office of tho Registrar was not open. .inquiries at the railway booking of? 1 - havo not resulted in any information being obtained. Bookings on jlonaay were heavy, and it was impossible for the clerks to recall whether or not JUr Bell applied for tickets. . The police authorities consider Mr Bell's disappearance one of the most mysterious happenings that have occurred in this city, and th°y are inclined to the belief that there was possibly foul ploy- All Mr Bell's affairs are in good order and, as he was on the eve of marriage, H© was busied with the necessary P. r( c~ liminary arrangements, many of which, he had completed. One theory is that ho may have injudiciously, or accidentally, shown strangers that he had a considerable amount of money in his possession, that some desperate characters had attacked and robbed him and, having rendered him unconscious, thrown his body into the Avon. To test this theory the river is to be dragged to-day. Another theory is that he tired of waiting outsido tlio Registrar s office, and as he had only recently recovered from a rather serious illness, he may have started off on his bicycle on a more or less aimless journey. Mr Bell, senr., does not think for ono moment that liis son has "cleared out, as he showed no indications on Monday of being otherwise than in h.is norma* state of mind. The missing roan is 32 years of age, is over 6ft in height, weighs about 12 stone, is fresh complexioned, and has blue eyes. He was dressed in a blue suit, and a greenish-grey raincoat. He was wearing a silk watch guard which has on it a plate on which is engraved his initials. On the little finger of his right hand tljere is a bad scar, ana on his right cheek, noar the nose, is a small scar. „ .. Mr A. J. Bell, or the police authorities, will be glad of any information that may assist in clearing up what seems, at present, an inexplicable mystery. Mr Bell, junr., was employed at Petone,