The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-10

A'tso DSNAA tSAo iAA tiiS beAi IL
yard at night AS Weston was miss
ing. search was at once begun, and it
was finally shown that he had been
seen in company with two strangers
at railway station, where all had
taken the train for buffalo. AS the
tinsmith had lost nothing he did not
care to follow the case up. 1t was
pretty generally known that Weston
and his wife did not live agreeably,
and although she insisted that he had
met with foul play, and wanted the
search continued, 1T was soon drop
ped on the idea that he had run away
from her. He was little missed by
the community, and when the case
was called up it was universally con.
ceded that he would turn up sale when
he got ready.
One day, five months after his dis
appearance, Weston returned. He
was first seen at the depot by three or
tour citizens who had known him for
ten years. One of these a Mr.. Will
Jams, saiuted him with:
We'll, Hi, you aren't dead?'
ooh, no."
"Come back to stay?"
"I guess So"
(Which M way have you been?"
II was talking with your wife yes
terday, and she SAID you had never
written line to her."
Weston grinned and scratched his
head, but made no reply. A Mr.. De
Mann then said:
"We spent four weeks looking for a
case of murder. Next time you're 60
ing to step out you'd better let some
OF us know it"
"Ies, l will.' answered Weston, as
he stalte up the street. 1t was aft
erwards remembered that he acted
like a strange man in strange place.
He inquired OF a boy about hotels,
and the lad directed him to one, and
added:
81 saw your boy Fred. yesterday,
and he has got an awful boil on his
leg"
The landlord OF the hotel saluted
him as Hi Weston, as did some OF the
guests, and the fact of his engaging
| board was not considered strange
| though his wife lived only a mile
away. Perhaps he did not intend to
go back to her at all, or perhaps he
wanted to get certain promises be-
fore he did 90 back. He entered the
town at 10 O'Clock, in the forenoon,
! and it was s in the evening when his
son Fred, a boy OF ten, and his daugh-
ter Edith, a girl Of seven, called ut the
hotel and urged him to come home.
They kissed him, called him father,
and he seemed glad to see them In the
! presence OF the landlord he asked some
| questions about their mother which
! seemed very strange at the time, but
| were at once forgotten. He asked her
age how many children she had, how
long the father had been gone, and
what vocation he followed when at
home. He did not ask these questions
| direct, but yet in such manner that
satisfactory answers were returned,
and IN such a way as to cause the land
! lord to remark:
why, Hi, one would think you
had forgotten your family and had
lost yourself,
Eyes" he replied, as he rose up to
go with the children, "but I've been
gone quite q spell, you know.
Mrs. Weston was neither q smart
nor an educated woman, and had the
reputation OF having bitter tongue
Several people followed Hiram home
to see the tun, but there was none.
The wife met and kissed him at the
door and had no reproaches After
two or three days he went to work
digging well for a citizen, and for the
| L, Isl
steadily-so much SO that it was gen
orally remarked that Hiram Weston
had changed his tune. He seemed to
live very happily with his family, and
his wife's father, mother and brothers
were often at the house to speak i'll
his praise. At the end OF about six
months q very serious thing occur
red. Hiram Weston started off one
day with his dinner pail, having been
/ hired to repair a fence tor a suburban
farmer. At 10 O'Clock that morning
/ Hiram Weston also came in on the
| train from Buffalo, and the first thing
when he got off the cars he asked after
his family.
"Why, l saw you home last even
| ing" replied the citizen who had been
| questioned.
But have not been nearer home
than this for over eleven months!''
He was laughed at. He went straight
| to his house, and, as he entered it, his
wife asked:
Whats the matter; and where is
your dinner pail?"
Now. scott if you will; but it is a
matter Of record and also of newspa.
| per publication, that there were two
Hiram Westons. That is, there We're
two men SO exactly alike in build,
height and general appearance, that
even wife and children were deceived
! For time Mrs. Weston believed the
newcomer to be the other Hiram
returning from his work, but he
| told her story which opened her
eyes. He had gone off with % couple
OF sharpers, and, in return for some
"work" done in Buffalo, he had been
sent to State prison for year. He
was in prison when the other Weston
discharged only the day previous to
his own arrival. 1t may be stated
here that all his allegations were found
to be true. He was identified by the
prison officials, and there was his de-
scription on the books. The hedetective
who arrested him and the Judge who
sentenced him further identified him.
Who, then, was the other Hiram
| Weston? Although he left the house
with his dinner pail to GO to work he
did not show up at the place, and has
not since been heard from. When
people came to see and talk with the
true Weston many peculiarities were
remembered. He used more oaths
than the other; he had habit Of