Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-04-21
LIEUT.. BACKUS IS FOUND.
The Missing Officer OF the First Cavalry,
Who Was Thought to Have COM
mitted Suicide.
The Story of Domestic Trouble Told by s
Brother officer That Accounts For
Many Strange Actions,
Helena independent /

News was received i'm Helena n week
or more ago that Lieut.. Geo. b.
Backus, of the First United States
cavalry, stationed Mt FIT. Custer, had
disappeared in New York. He was
well known in Helena and his friends
Immediately concluded he had been
foully dealt with. 1t now develops
that he was given n sick leave that ex-
pired the latter part OF March. About
the 25th OF that month he arrived in
New York and stopped at the Sturte-
want house. April Bird the war de
partment at Washington received n
note from him, informing the officials
that he was going to kill himself, say
ing he had found it impossible to fight
off an insane desire to do so. At
| Washingt on it was believed the dread
of the court martial and the pressure
OF numerous debts he was said to have
contracted were the cause OF his
trouble. Another reason advanced
was that the lieutenant had been II
severe sufferer from neuralgia for sew
eral years, and this had driven him
into a state OF melancholia.
| NEWS WAS IOCtlNNNl lioiii AN'N d VI u
yesterday that the lieutenant had
been found by policeman wandering
about the streets. He was taken to
the police station and identified by
the manager of the Sturtevant house.
He could give no account of himself
and appeared TO be demented.
There is a sad story in connection
with Lieut.. Backus' army life told by
Capt. Huston, of the Minneapolis re-
cruiting Office, the other day. The
captain said:
"Iieut. Backus went on a leave OF
absence at the beginning OF the year,
and came through this city and re-
mained with me several days between
Christmas and New Years. He has
always been a remarkably efficient
officer and very popular. He is sub
ject to attacks OF neuralgia, from
which he suffers intensely at times,
and have no doubt that all his Off
cial troubles have arisen from that
malady / have seen him in the field
with me when | was satisfied that he
did not know what he was doing,
when he was utterly unconcious OF has
surroundings, practically insane, and
this condition arose from an attack
of neuralgia. Backus is about forty
years OF age and n graduate ot West
Point. His wife. from whom he was
divorced, was p very beautiful woman
and the daughter of n collector in the
State of Washington. / think very
likely he has sent in his resignation
from the army, and it will probably
be accepted as his disease will eventu
ally unfit him for duty His troop is
now located Mt FIT. Custer, Mont
The shadow of n great sorrow rested
on his life. In 1884, when the First
United States cavalry was stationed
at Fort Walla Walla, the wife o
, Backus was the most beautiful woman
in the garrison. Among the Officers
stationed there was ayoungman iron
Maryland. He was infatuated will
Mrs. Backus and she did not discour
age his attentions. One day Backu
made a discovery. After an interview
with his wife, the last time he eve
looked upon her face, he went to tn
other officer and said:
, "sAny other man in my position
: would shoot you dead on sight. | vii
not harm you now, but i'll shor
. time nv wife will be free woman.
in one month after that time yol
:, have not married her, by the eternal
| will kill you
"Backus then obtained leave c
absence for a short time. His wife oil
= tained a divorce for desertion, he a
= lowing the case to go by default
e Within one month she and the soutf
n erner were married. There is also
a. story in circulation to the effect tina
when Backus was in Saint Paul he b'
came interested in an English girl VIII
was singing in a concert garden ther'
y A Canadian officer made n slishtir
remark about the girl. Backu
promptly challenged the man and
'e duel was the result, in which the sno
!, was Redeemed by the blood OF bot
5. combatants. Since then Backus hs
he broken down greatly"