The Helena independent., 1893-12-08


Cherington grew up rs friends 1t cannot
be said that they were lovers, for Eliza at
the time this story begins was but school
girl 13 years and months old, while James
Butts was more than 81 and hard fisted
fellow who could split rails, break colts and
cut away brush for the fall blowing. The
Cheringtons had but few neighbors, so it
was natural that they associated moro or
less with the Buttses, who lived 200 yards
away on the winding wagon road.
Early in the spring Of 1877 series of re-
vival meetings was held in the township
church. Eliza had for years been q member
of Sunday school class, and when she
manifested more than passing interest in
the success of the revival people living in
the neighborhood said she was going to be
a good woman when she grew out of her
short skirts. The two Butts boys-John and
James-were not SO devout. They were, in
fact, two young men who would now be
called brushheap dandies, for they often
boasted Of the power they possessed to win
the affections of women. Nothing worse
could be said about them, however, but
there were long bearded men living in tho
township who said that mary one of the
boys could keep from running down the
red lane" That meant that the two boys
liked liquor, and when a farmer in Knox
county begins to drink whisky his neigh
bors say he is "going down the red lane''
The night of Feb. 20, 1877, was cold but
bright. The evening meal at the Cher
ington household was eaten at an earlier
hour than usual, in order that the family
might have ample time to reach the church
before the choir began to sing. On their
way along the starlit road they called at
the Butts homestead. Here they were
Joined by James Butts and one of his sis
tiers. Then the party started ON foot for
the church, the lights in which could be
seen cleaning through the bushes up the
road.
James Butts accompanied little Eliza.
They walked behind the rest of the party,
but nobody thought there was any wrong
in that, for it must be remembered that
they were neighbors and had known each
other from infancy. When the church was
reached, the party paused on the threshold
to see what had become of James and Eliza
But as they were not in sight it was reck-
oned that they were spooning along the
way and would be at the church before
services began. The evening wore away,
the choir had sung its last hymn, and the
preacher, standing in the glare of lamps on
eiJlef SLUG VI Uuc puAplus LOU piohouISoA
the benediction, when the Cheringtons. now
thoroughly alarmed at the strange conduct
of Eliza, started on the long tramp back to
their home. They found no trace of the
girl and what was worse the people in the
Butts homestead said that James had not
been home since he set out for church.
Early the next morning searching party
started out to scour the woods. The dis
tracted father of Eliza left sick bed to
join in the hunt. Every thicket for miles
around was searched, but no trace Of the
missing couple could be found. Finally
Alonzo Woods came into town and said
that he had seen Butts and Eliza walking
in the roadway near Altoona. This infor,
nation gave the Cheringtons some encour-
agement, but their hope was pitifully
ephemeral.
The mystery grew deeper and deeper, and
as the days passed the feeling against the
missing farmer grew in intensity. Had he
lured the little girl away from the old
homestead Or had he murdered her and