Page 36 - 200710 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - October 2007

36 V Vanished - Into Thin Air! anished - Into Thin Air! 36 anished - Into Thin V Vanished - Into Thin doubting their own eyes, his friends looked for speculated that Edward, not feeling well, had him without success, then raced back to driven off a bridge into the Chicago River. But Air! Leamington Spa to inform the police. An an investigation uncovered no sign of such an Air! investigation turned up nothing. James Worson accident; the river was even dragged for the From Stephen Wagner, had run into oblivion. (From Into Thin Air, by car without success. The Andrews and their car Your Guide to Paranormal Paul Begg) were just gone. Phenomena. Halfway to the Well - Most disappearances do The Long, Long Drive - A similar not have witnesses, yet there is sometimes disappearance was reported by The New York PEOPLE DISAPPEAR EVERY day. It's circumstantial evidence that is no less puzzling. Times in April, 1980. Charles Romer and his been estimated that as many as 10 million This is the case for the vanishing of Charles wife Catherine were one of those retired people are reported missing each year in the Ashmore. It was a cold November winter night couples who spent half of the year in the north U.S. alone; about 95 percent of them return or in 1878 when 16-year-old Charles went out into and half in the south, living in their summer are otherwise accounted for. Of the remaining 5 the dark with a bucket to fetch water from the home in Scarsdale, New York, then driving to percent, some are runaways, others are well for his family on their Quincy, Illinois Florida to enjoy the winter in their Miami kidnappings, abductions or the victims of some property. He did not return. After many minutes, apartment. It was on one such trip back to New other crime. his father and sister became concerned. They York that the Romers met their mysterious There is a small percentage of feared that Charles perhaps had slipped in the fate. They set off on the long trip on the disappearances, however, for which there is no snow that blanketed the ground and was injured, morning of April 8 in their black Lincoln easy explanation. We related several such or worse, had fallen into the well. They set out Continental. Late that afternoon, they made incidents in a previous article, Vanished! to look for him, but he was just gone. There was their first overnight stop at a motel in Unexplained Disappearances. The fate of these no sign of a struggle or fall... only the clear Brunswick City, Georgia. It turned out to be people - sometimes groups of people - is left for tracks of Charles' footprints in the fresh snow their last. They checked in and dropped off us to wonder about. Did they unwittingly step that led halfway to the well, then abruptly their luggage in their room. Then they went into a time portal?... Were they swallowed up by stopped. Charles Ashmore had suddenly out, possibly to get some dinner. A highway a rift in our three-dimensional world?... Were disappeared into the void. (From Into Thin Air, patrolman might have seen their car on the they abducted by extraterrestrials in UFOs? by Paul Begg) road that evening. If so, it was the last anyone These are pretty far-out suggestions, to be sure, ever saw of the Romers or their Continental. but the circumstances of the following Gone in His Sleep - Bruce Campbell was right They never arrived at any restaurant and never unexplained disappearances leave us scratching next to his wife when he disappeared, although made it back to the motel. It wasn't until three our heads in bewilderment. she didn't see it happen. She was asleep. And days later that an investigation showed that perhaps so was he. It was April 14, 1959, and their motel beds were never slept in. A The Vanishing Prisoner - This first Campbell was traveling with his wife from their thorough search of the area found absolutely account is an excellent case in point because it hometown in Massachusetts to visit their son no trace of the Romers or their car - no clues defies any rational explanation for one simple some distance across the country. It was a long whatsoever. They simply vanished without a reason: it occurred in full view of witnesses. but pleasant drive across the U.S. with plenty of trace. The year was 1815 and the location a stops along the way. One overnight stop was in Prussian prison at Weichselmunde. The Jacksonville, Illinois... and it turned out to be ABOUT STEPHEN WAGNER: prisoner's name was Diderici, a valet who was the last stop Mr. Campbell was to ever make. He serving a sentence for assuming his employer's and his wife checked into a motel and went to Experience: Stephen Wagner has been a identity after he died from a stroke. It was an bed. In the morning, Mrs. Campbell awoke to writer and editor for more than 20 years, has ordinary afternoon and Diderici was just one in find the space next to her in bed empty. Mr. created articles for numerous magazines, and a line of prisoners, all chained together, walking Campbell had vanished, apparently in his has written several short stories on the in the prison yard for the day's exercise. As pajamas. All of his belongings - his money, car unknown. He is also a member of Central New Diderici walked with his prison inmates to the and clothing - remained behind. Bruce York Ghost Hunters. clanking of their shackles, he slowly began to Campbell was never seen again and no fade - literally. His body became more and more explanation for his disappearance ever found. Education: transparent until Diderici disappeared (From Among the Missing: An Anecdotal Stephen Wagner holds a B.A. in Theatre and altogether, and his manacles and leg irons fell History of Missing Persons from 1800 to the English from the State University of New York empty to the ground. He disappeared into thin Present, by Jay Robert Nash) at Oswego. air and was never seen again. (From Among the Missing: An Anecdotal History of Missing They Drove Away... To Where? - Here's http://paranormal.about.com Persons from 1800 to the Present, by Jay Robert another case of a couple in Illinois, but this time Nash) they both vanished - along with their car. It was May, 1970 when Edward and Stephania Stumble into Nothingness - It's difficult to Andrews were in the city of Chicago to attend a dismiss such incredible stories when they take trade convention party at the Chicago Sheraton place in front of eyewitnesses. Here's another. Hotel. Edward was a bookkeeper and Stephania This case began as a harmless bet among a credit investigator. They were both 63 years friends, but ended in tragic mystery. In 1873, old, considered average, upstanding citizens James Worson of Leamington Spa, England, who lived in a fine home in the Chicago suburb was a simple shoemaker who also fancied of Arlington Heights. During the party, other himself somewhat of an athlete. One fine day, attendees noted that Edward complained of mild James made a bet with a few of his friends that illness, which he attributed merely to be hungry he could run non-stop from Leamington Spa to (the party only served drinks and small hor Coventry. Knowing that this was a good 16 d'oeuvres). They soon left the party and went to miles, his friends readily took the bet. As James the parking garage to retrieve their car. The began to jog at a moderate pace toward parking attendant later told authorities that Coventry, his friends climbed into a horse- Stephania appeared to be crying and that drawn cart to follow him and protect their bet. Edward did not look well. As they drove away James did well for the first few miles. Then his with Edward at the wheel, he scraped the car's Chalk friends saw him trip on something and fall fender on the exit door, but kept on going. The forward... but never hit the ground. Instead, attendant was the last person to ever see the Art James completely vanished. Astonished and Andrews. They vanished into the night. Police