Ambrose J. Small
| Ambrose Small | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 11, 1863 Bradford, Ontario |
| Disappeared | December 2, 1919 (aged 56) Grand Opera House, Toronto |
| Status | Presumed dead |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | theatre magnate |
Ambrose Joseph Small (January 11, 1863 – vanished December 2, 1919) was a Canadian theatre magnate, who owned theatres in several Ontario cities including the Grand Opera House in Toronto, the Grand Opera House in Kingston, and the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario.
On 2 December 1919, Small disappeared and his body was never recovered. He was 56 years old. It was alleged at the time that Small's wife and her lover killed Small and cremated his body in the London Ontario Grand Opera theater furnace (one of Small's holdings). It was further alleged that a police inspector was involved in a "cover-up" of Small's disappearance.
On December 1, 1919, Ambrose Small sold all his theatrical holdings, at a profit of CA$1.7 million. On December 2, Small met with lawyer F. W. M. Flock in Small's office at the Grand Opera House. Flock left at 5:30 p.m. and was the last person to see Small alive.
That night, Small disappeared from his office. No one who testified for the police claims to have seen him leave his office, or in the Adelaide and Yonge Street area, outside the building. A newsstand operator, Ralph Savein claimed to have seen Small and had an altercation with him regarding the late shipment of that days newspapers. At the time, however, this claim was repudiated by the police, who considered it to be an attempt by Savein to gain fame from the case.
Small had no motive to disappear: the millionaire did not take money with him, nor was there any ransom note, let alone evidence of kidnapping. At 56, Small owned theatres in seven Ontario cities and was the controller of 62 other buildings, a self-made millionaire at the height of his career. Because Ambrose Small was known to "disappear" occasionally to womanize and carouse, his disappearance was not reported nor was it really noticed for several weeks. In January 1920, Smalls attorney, F. M. W. Flock, along with Teresa Smalls, now alarmed by Small's lengthy absence, notified the local police. Teresa Smalls offered a $50,000.00 reward for any information about her husband's disappearance and current whereabouts. The reward went unclaimed.
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