by Laurel | May 5th, 2010
May 5, 1932
Holyoke Business Man Who Disappeared 14 Years Ago Appears at Sister’s Home
Thomas J. Kennedy Makes No Explanation to Brother and Sister of Why He Left, Where He Has Been or Why He Has Returned — Live in West Springfield at Time He Went Away.
Thomas J. Kennedy, former head of a large and profitable trucking business here, who disappeared in 1918 and had not been heard from since, walked calmly into the home of his sister, Miss Margaret G, Kennedy of 16 Cabot street tonight to her great astonishment and pleasure as he had been given up as dead. A brother Patrick J. Kennedy of Pleasant street of this city, was notified and an impromptu family reunion was held.
Lived in West Springfield.
Before his disappearance Mr. Kennedy lived with his sister and other relatives on Riverdale street in West Springfield not far from the Holyoke-West Springfield line. There was great surprise when he left and much money was spent in advertising and in other ways in the vain effort to locate him.
He vanished without leaving a hint of where he had gone or why and his relatives are as much at sea tonight as to why he left, where he has been, what he has been doing and why he came back as they were at the time of his disappearance. Nor would he tell his relatives about his adventures if he had any.
Had he been married since his disappearance was asked Miss Kennedy. She laughed and said, “That’s one question I asked him, be he said he was still single.”
After his visit at Miss Kennedy’s home he left with his brother, Patrick, to spend the night at the latter’s house. He seemed to be willing to talk about old affairs and inquired about many people he knew but vouchsafed nothing about himself. So tonight his relatives know nothing about why he left, where he went or what he had been doing. Asked if he would talk to a newspaper representative, Miss Kennedy said emphatically not. He never cared for publicity at all, she said, but she intimated that later he might possibly tell something of his experiences.
From The Springfield Republican.
