1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Abscond

ABSCOND (Lat. abscondere, to hide, put away), to depart in a secret manner; in law, to remove from the jurisdiction of the courts or so to conceal oneself as to avoid their jurisdiction. A person may “abscond” either for the purpose of avoiding arrest for a crime (see Arrest), or for a fraudulent purpose, such as the defrauding of his creditors (see Bankruptcy).