The Baker Who Walked Up Fourth Street and Vanished
Herman Schwarzbach, proprietor of Olympia's city bakery, left work one Thursday afternoon and was never seen again — leaving a small debt, a failed property sale, and friends who feared foul play.
Olympia.—The friends of Herman Schwarzbach, proprietor of the city bakery here, are becoming anxious over his whereabouts and fear he may have met with foul play.
Schwarzbach left his place of business at 1:30 o'clock last Thursday afternoon and was last seen walking up Fourth street to the east side. The next day his place of business was attached, John Harbst asking for a receiver on complaint that Schwarzbach owed him $100.
His friends say there was no object in Schwarzbach leaving because of the debt, as his business would pay off that several times over. They have been looking for Schwarzbach everywhere, however, and cannot locate him. Inquiry has been made in both Tacoma and Seattle, but without result. It is not known that he had any enemies. He seemed to be in good health when he left, but was down-hearted because he had failed to make a deal for the sale of his property. He had been intending to sell out and go to Nome. He is a comparatively young man, and unmarried, and has few intimate friends.
“His friends say there was no object in Schwarzbach leaving because of the debt, as his business would pay off that several times over.”
Before national databases and Amber Alerts, a missing shopkeeper was tracked by neighbors, newspaper notices and inquiries wired to the next city. Schwarzbach's case — a small debt, a failed sale, a plan to leave for Nome — could read equally as a fresh start or a crime. Olympia's bakery patrons did what communities still do: they refused to assume the worst until they had searched.
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