BALL PLAYER STRAYS AWAY.
Western Man Had $2,600 With Him.
Friends Fear Foul Play.
Circumstances surrounding the disappearance on Monday morning of W. H. Payne, a Western ball player and logger, with $2,600 on his person, have mystified the police, who have been asked to help locate him. Payne formerly lived in Triplett, Mo., and has a daughter named Arline, 17 years old, living there with an aunt. For the last ten or twelve years he has been living in Idaho where he was engaged in playing professional baseball and in the lumber camps. Two weeks ago he came east and went to visit his daughter. While there he renewed his acquaintance with J. W. Webb, and old schoolboy friend. He induced Webb to go back to Idaho with him, and last Saturday the two men came to Kansas City. Payne intended to purchase a new suit of clothes before returning to Lane, Idaho. The two men secured a room with Thomas Casey, a rooming house keeper at 700 Main street.
Monday morning Payne and Webb went to Lock's coal office, 513 East Sixth street, to meet Webb's brother, C. E .Webb. While in the coal office Payne said he would go to the bank and have a $100 bill changed and would then return to the office. He left at 10 o'clock and the brothers remained there waiting for him until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. They then went to the rooming house, where they were told that Payne had been there and left word for Mr. Casey to hold his room for him and his friend. He left his suit case and clothes at the rooming house. He did not pay for the room he had used. He has not been heard of since that time.
Tuesday night Thomas Casey called at police headquarters and reported the disappearance of Payne. The Webb brothers reported his disappearance yesterday afternoon to the police. The police suggested that Payne had probably left town in that way to avoid paying the expenses of the trip, but J. W. Webb said he believed he had met with foul play. Payne, he said, carried his money in bills which were tied around his leg beneath his trousers. He often displayed the roll of bills and his friends fear that he has either been murdered or drugged and robbed. Payne is 45 years old and of stout build. His fingers have been broken and bent by playing baseball.
