The Mysterious Disappearance of the 'Captain'

Capt. Joseph Dilhan, the highly accomplished equestrian and fencer who cut such a swath in this city about four years ago and who has been the undisputed authority on such matters in the old city of Portland for the past three years, has suddenly disappeared, leaving many creditors to mourn his Arab-like flight. There is as much mystery about the antecedents of Capt. and Madame Dilhan as there is about nine-tenths of the so-called titled foreigners who come to the 'wild and wooly West' in search of adventure. Sometime in 1889 they appeared in Tacoma, but as Seattle was livelier they evidently concluded the field in the latter offered better advantages for their abilities. The captain took elegant apartments on Ninth, near Madison street, rented what was known as the Club stables on the alley between Spring and Seneca and Third and Fourth streets as an exclusively saddle horse establishment. Then he secured a hall in the Maydenbauer building on Columbia, between Third and Fourth streets, and announced that Capt. Dilhan, late of the French army, was prepared to give instructions in the use of the rapier and in horsemanship. A year or more passed and suddenly the truth became known. The captain and his beautiful wife had left the city and their creditors sorrowed greatly. There is very little doubt that the creditors suffered more than the gay captain, for he soon appeared in Portland, without funds, but as gay as a lark. He made friends on all sides and soon became the equestrian authority of the city. Tuesday night Capt. Dilhan came to the stables of his host, and that his horse—the only one he owned—be saddled. He had some words with the proprietor, Mr. C. H. Miller, over the board of his horse and then quietly left. He never came back. It is ascertained that he disposed of his horse and saddle for $50 and then probably took the train for San Francisco.