Shelby, April 4—Captain and Mrs. S.M. Van Ness and Lieutenant Ollie tucker, who came here three months ago to take charge of the American rescue work, disappeared suddenly Sunday after the Saturday’s collections for charity were made, leaving behind a young man named Miller, who, with his family, are stranded in the dwelling recently rented as headquarters of the American rescue work in North Carolina.
Van Ness bought a handsome closed car when he arrived in Shelby, furnished his home in elegant fashion, and little Miss Ollie Tucker do the soliciting funds, most of which was spend on themselves. Grocerymen, hardware store, furniture dealers, an automobile salesman, a printing establishment, a dry good store and others are laughing at their folly in extending such liberal credit to Van Ness, who left unpaid bills at all of these places.
Van Ness boasted that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan and represented that he was recently elected “commander-in-chief” of the American Rescuers in North Carolina. His sudden departure has been the subject of comment on the streets today. The furniture dealers having a lease on their merchandise recovered belongings which were too heavy and bulky to be taken away, but the other creditors have no recourse.
An effort, however, is being made to locate him in order to protect other communities against him.
From the front page of The Monroe Journal, Friday, April 6, 1923.
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