W. Curt Vincent
Editor
Every single day, we receive quite a number of “missing persons” reports from the state. Today, we are filing one of our own.
Mr. McBogle is missing.
Anyone who has been employed by The Laurinburg Exchange since way back in the late 1800s knows Mr. McBogle. He wasn’t a reporter or typesetter or pressman. He wasn’t an advertising salesperson or secretary or editor.
Mr. McBogle has been the one responsible over the years for all of the eerie creaks and mysterious sounds within the walls and ceilings of the old Exchange building in downtown Laurinburg — usually evident late at night when a reporter came back from a meeting, or early in the morning when the first employee came in to get the coffee started.
When the newspaper staff finally abandoned the old building in downtown and moved out to The Oaks professional building book-ended by Atkinson and South Main streets, Mr. McBogle came with them. After all, by then he had become somewhat of an icon. Family, of sorts.
But now, he is missing.
I should mention that none of us actually know his name. I’m not sure when he was first referred to as Mr. McBogle, but it stuck — the reason being that “bogle” is the Scottish word for ghost. And let’s face it, Mr. McBogle is surely that … a ghost.
We have come to know Mr. McBogle as a friendly ghost, kind of Casper-like. He’s never once, as far as we know, done anything to scare anyone. Most of his antics have been subtle. Besides the little noises here and there, he might move something slightly just to annoy someone or find a way to keep the air-conditioning on just a little longer than needed.
But in our mind, at least, he did these things with a smile on his face.
And now, that smile is missing.
There have been many theories about his sudden disappearance, which took place last Friday. It’s possible his ghostly time finally came to an end. Or perhaps he has decided to reside in another building.
But my own theory is this: With the looming Scotland County Highland Games the very next day — something that wasn’t able to be held the previous year because of a pandemic — I think Mr. McBogle decided to take the opportunity to go searching for someone, perhaps his kin.
And with so many people there — something like a record 5,000 — he got lost and couldn’t find whom he was searching for or find his way back.
So he is missing.
Mr. McBogle is out there. Somewhere. Surely still in Scotland County, but exactly where? We don’t know.
Is he roaming the John Blue House? Maybe.
Wandering around the old Wagram Prison? Possibly.
Zipping around the Stewart Malloy House? Why not?
Out at the Richmond Temperance and Literary Society Hall? Might be.
Could it be he’s looking for his ancestors in his boyhood home or someplace else? Hard to say.
But just as law enforcement does, which works so very well, we are asking for the pubic’s help in locating Mr. McBogle. He is described as light as the wind and white as a … well, ghost. There have been some reports of sightings around town and even a handful of photos are circulating on social media, but he is long gone from each of those locations.
Please be on the lookout. And starting on Wednesday, there will be clues as to where you might find Mr. McBogles. There will be a new clue for six straight print editions — but the day before that, each new clue will also be found at specific businesses that are assisting us in the search. You’ll see where those are soon, too.
Use those clues and your imagination to solve the case, and when you find Mr. McBogle, please return him to The Exchange office. You will be well rewarded (that prize will be revealed on Wednesday).
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or [email protected]
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October 09, 2021 at 01:57AM
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Wanted: Mr. McBogle’s safe return - Laurinburg Exchange
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