The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-09-13
BOSS SENSATION
IN TIE TOWN or pANvILLE.
A Professor Disappears from Home
and is Brought West Among
the Indians-His Ex-
perience Here.

conference by the startling and mex
plicabie story of Prof. Harper, of the
Danyille, Ind, school, WHO was alb
Quoted from his home in November
last and returned only a few days ago.
As he claims to have been in Cheyenne
his story possesses some local interest.
An of the Indiana papers are filled with
the strange story which has few par
allels In history.
The Indianapolis Herald contains the
following account of tho affair:
Readers of the Herald will remember
the mysterious disappearance of Prof
Harper, of the Danville normal school,
| who was traced to this city about the
18th of last November, since which
time, up to Saturday last, nothing more
was heard of him. The disappearance
of Prof. Harper gave rise to a score of
theories in Danville. Some thought he
had run away on account Of pecuniary
embarrassments; others scented the in
evitable ''other woman'' in the case;
but by far the larger portion of the
community felt sure that he had either
been murdered, or was overtaken by
sudden insanity, and had wandered off.
The mystery is about to be cleared up.
On Saturday last Harper's wife re-
ceived a letter from him, postmarked
and dated at Cheyenne, which contain
ed the following startling story:
He said that he came to Indianapo-
lis on the day Of his disappearance, on
business, with $500 in money, which
he was imprudent enough to exhibit;
that he was decoyed into an unfre-
quented place, and struck a violent
blow on the head, which rendered him
insensible. From that time until he
recovered his reason among a party of
Indians, about nfiy miles from Chey-
enne, a few weeks ago, all is total
darkness. He absolutely remembers
nothing. As soon as he recovered his
reason he began trying to get his bear
ings, but it was not until some weeks
had elapsed that he found out where he
a He thereupon set out afoot and
walked to Cheyenne. He told his wife
TO send him fifty dollars to go to Dem
yer with. Prof. Harper wrote that he
was still suffering from the wound in
his head. He inquired aff~ectionately
about his family, and also how Profs.
Adams and Smith, his associates in the
normal school, were getting along with
out him. lit may be mentioned as
corroborative of IIarper's story that
Smith left the school two weeks after
his disappearance, and If he had been in
his right mind, and in communication
with any INT about Danville. he would
have known this. The letter also
asked for the particulars of his disap-
pearance, what had been learned about
it at home, and If any clue had been
found. 4Nftl
Prof Harper's father, thinking pos
sibly that the letter might be a forgery,
determined to 20 to his son, instead of
sending the money, and accordingly
left on the next train. A dispatch was
received from him yesterday, stating
that he had found his son, and that
they would reach home to-day.
The above is, of course, u mere out
line Of the story. The particulars will
be looked for with q great deal of in
terest.
Until the public is in possession Of
the full text Of Prof. Harper's story it
will not be safe to pass an opinion upon
Its reliability. If true it is infinitely
stranger than fiction. 1t seems al.
most impossible that the sense could
be knocked cut of a man in this city,
and his money taken from him, and he
wandering 80 far without something
turning up to establish his identity and
restore him to his friends. 1t is GER
tain, however, that Harper has been
found, and will soon be at home again,
when he can explain at length.
The indianapolis Sentinel contains
the following additional Information:
From Prof. Harper's residence the
reporter went to that OF Harper, the
elder. IS soon as his mission was
made known Mr.. Harper became COM
municative, and said: A great deal of
talk has been INDUCED in about the
city, and some even say I knew where
my son was all the time, but nothing
was ever further from the truth. From
the day he left here until his wife re-
ceived the letter from him we never
heard q word, and though we had de-
tectives at work all over the country,
we were unable to obtain any clue to
his whereabouts, and we gave him up
as dead. don't know any more about
the case than my son has told you.
When l reached Cheyenne l inquired
at one hotel and they said no person
answering the description OF my son
was in the city, and l was told the same
at the postofice; but 1 found him sit
ting In front Of the next hotel I visited.
He recognized me before I did him,
and beckoned me towards him. When
/ went up to him he wanted to know il
I recognized him, and when / made an
affirmative reply, he said he wanted to
60 home. He said that since his ar
rival at Cheyenne he had been staying
with the soldiers canped near there,
and that he had just partaken of a
most excellent dinner, including wine,
which was furnished by the lieutenants.