100 years ago: Parents didn’t see note left by missing son

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 5, 1914:

  • “If Dr. G. W. Jones had attended to his personal appearance as carefully as he generally does and had shaved himself Wednesday night he would have saved several anxious days for himself and family and some little money. A note from his son, Stanley Jones, who has been missing since Wednesday evening, was found this afternoon by Dr. Jones when he went to his shaving outfit. The boy had left it where he felt sure his father would find it Wednesday night. The note cleared up the mystery. The boy had gotten into debt in a small way and thought it best to go to work in order to liquidate. The note said he had gone to Coffeyville and it did not take his father long to get into communication with him and the boy will be home tonight…. Some time ago Dr. Jones purchased a small house in South Lawrence and told Stanley if he would fix it up he could have the income from it. The boy contracted some small debts on the strength of the expected rent and when he found the house had been vacated and his income from that source, was stopped, rather than stand off his friends or ask for money he thought he would go to work. When heard from today young Jones said that he had landed a job in Coffeyville and would have commenced work soon.”
  • “The fire hose which the city ordered a few weeks ago is here and will be initiated into service immediately. There is 1000 feet of the hose divided into 50-foot sections. Monday will be the regular drill day at the fire department and the hose will be tested to see if there are any defects in it. The city bought as good hose as could be secured and it is guaranteed for five years.”
  • “Thomas Stewart McGee, age 80 years, died last night with apoplexy at his home on 917 East Lee street…. Mr. McGee was one of the oldest residents of Lawrence. He came here before the war when the town consisted of a few scattered buildings. He has lived to see the town grown into a city and Mr. McGee did his share of the work. He was a man of pleasant appearance and made many friends. Few men in town were better known and few had lived here longer. His death came as a great shock because of its suddenness. He had accompanied a relative to the porch at 5:30 and remarked that he had not been feeling as well as formerly but nothing was thought of it. Then he went back in the house, stooped over to pick up something and fell over dead. It was a painless death.”
  • “Late last night a once quiet poker game was broken up by the police and four men giving their names as Carl Jones, John Preston, Tom Jones and Will Hicks were taken to the police station where they were fined $10 each. The men dispersed from the police station and gladly went home.”