The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-07
FOUND IN PORTLAND.
Hillman Jones Still in the
Land of the Living.
THOUGHT HIS LIFE A FAILURE.
He Told His Brother He Would End It,
but ut Last Accounts Still Con-
tempiated Living.

Hillman F. Jones. who disappeared from
his home at Sidney about April q, did not
commit suicide, as he intimated was his
intention, nor did he 60 to South America.
for he has been seen at Portland since that
date. The news of his disappearance was
telegraphed to that city and attracted the
attention of c. A. Wheeler, who makes
the following statement, according to a
special dispatch received from Portland
last night:
Jones has been in Portland since May 3 ! am
well acquainted with him. He used to be a
hne-looking and well-dressed man, but when he
met me on the street on Wednesday and intro
duced himself I did net recognize him
at first, as his appearance was so
changed. He had shaved OF his whis-
kers and mustache, wore an old suit of
clothes, SLOUGH hat and flannel Shirt and looked
like tramp. Jones said he had just returned
from California, and was on the trial Of big
land case, and was going to Spokane and then
to Seattle. Yesterday saw him again. / was
with George Rivers and A. ]. Marshall. We
were talking politics, and Jones said that poll
tics would ruin any man. asked him if it had
ruined him and he said no. asked him how he
was fixed financially and he said he needed
some money to go to Spokane, and told him
would let him have some Saturday morning
He failed to meet me. the dispatch in the Ore
9onidn probably having met his eye. Jones
seemed very dependent At the time met him
l do not know there was anything wrong with
him. gave a description OF him to the police
authorities in order that he may be prevented
from doing away with himself and restored to
his friends who. I am confident, will come to
his assistance. Jones Is quito prominent Sc
cret society man. belonging to several fratsrnal
organizations. He 10 about 40 years old and was
formerly we'll off, He was police judge Of Seat
tie from 1887 to 1890 and when his term expired
he moved to Sidney, where he has . ranch. He
has . wife and four children. Drink has evi.
IDENTIFY ruined him.
Jones was in Seattle Thursday. April "a,
and was seen last about 7:3O O'Clock the
next morning in the Tony Faust saloon
on Columbia street. At the time he wrote
the note to his wife he wrote one to his
brother, o. S. Jones, OF this city, and
mailed it to him. In it he inclosed note
for $500, unused, that his brother had
signed with him on February II. At the
time the note was written II. +.
Jones expected to get money
from Thomas Ross. at Port Madison.
The contents of the letter indicated that
the writer was respondent over financial
losses beginning before the fire, culminat-
sidering his life q failure. had decided to
end it. He lett a bundle of papers, mostly
receipts, in the doorway of John Mltchell's
Office in the Bailey block addressed to his
wife. but with no explanation to Mitchell.
1t Is known that Jones was drinking hard
Thursday night and drew three checks on
the Guarantee Loan and Trust Company
when he had no funds to meet them.