Major McLeary's Car Located Near Canton, Now Search for Body Begins, July 14, 1924

McLeary’s Auto Was Found Near Canton, His Cap in Car. . . Hunt for Missing Major Continues Throughout Three States. . . Fear McLeary Has Been Killed

By the Associated Press

Asheville, July 13—Canton and Haywood County authorities tonight positively identified a Dodge touring car found near Canton Saturday as that of Major Samuel H. McLeary, missing United States army officer. A search is being conducted for Major McLeary but so far no information has been obtained concerning his whereabouts.

Authorities have in their possession two suit cases and an army uniform, which they say belonged to the officer, and the cap in which is written his name. The car was found abandoned about two miles east of Canton. It bears a Kansas State license tag number 19718 and the motor number of the machine is 591739; serial number 539237. These numbers are identical with those given in the description of the officer’s car.

Positive identification was made however when a permit to operate the Dodge car on government reservation at Fort Leavenworth was found in the name of Major McLeary.

When reports of the finding of the car began to arrive here, Major S.M. Williams, United States army, instructor, national guard, attempted to communicate with the adjutant general of the State with a view of calling out the local cavalry unite for a searching party, but he was unable to reach General Metts on the telephone. Major Williams’ action came following the later reports that blood has been found on the cap of the missing army officer.

Major Williams then gathered a party of local citizens and left for Canton where others will join the searchers and the night will be spent in an effort to locate the missing officer.

Major Williams said that he had received a report that McLeary’s car was seen in the vicinity of Thickety, an outlying mountain district, on July 3rd and that two men had emerged from the car and had asked a farmer who lived nearby to give them some water with which to wash their hands. The farmer, he said, tonight reported that the water was furnished and that later he discovered the car in a ditch abandoned. He said that it was blood was discovered on the officer’s cap.

Belief was expressed by the authorities who communicated with Major Williams that Major McLeary had been murdered and his body buried at some point in the mountains and it is on this theory that the searching party will work.

From the front page of the Tri-City Gazette, Leaksville, N.C., Monday, July 14, 1924