The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-08-03
STILL IN THE DARK
FOOtner's Disappearance as Much of a
Mystery as Ever.
BELIEVES HE IS INNOCENT
Mr.. Godfrey Does Not Now Think
the Man Has Skipped-May Be
Out on One of His Occa-
sional Mountain Trips.

Butte, Aug. THE fog OF mystery
surrounding the recent actions and
present whereabouts OF II. NJ. FoOtner,
the Great Northern Express company's
driver. who disappeared on Sunday
night with an express package OF $1,000
In his pocket. information Of which
was published exclusively In the stand
ard this morning. has not lifted to any
noticeable degree to-day and II is still
as impenetrab BILE as ever.
Local Agent w. II. Godfrey has
changed his hastily formed opinion of
yesterday, however. and he does not
believe now that Footner stole the
money. 1T seems to me-" said Mr..
Godfrey this afternoon. that II he had
had any dishonest intentions he would
have waited until he could get away
with a much larger amount instead OF
taking a paltry $1,000. He carried val
uable packages every day and he fire.
quently had anywhere from $4,000 to
$4,000 In his possession and IL would
naturally seem that he would have
taken one Of the large packages II he
was going to steal anything at all
There has never been a breath Of sus-
picion concerning his honesty during
all OF the Is years and more that he has
cannot entertain the belief that he
would sacrifice his reputation and pros
poets for such a small amount when
there was so much more within his
reach II he wanted to be dishonest. He
was agent at Spokane for more than a
year, during which time he handled all
kinds Of money and he could easily
have got away with $4,000 or 100000
IL he had been so inclined.
MY opinion is that he either got to
drinking In some saloon and was
robbed or that he forgot all about the
package OF currency in his pocket and
went off out into the hills with some OF
his prospector friends. IL he was
robbed he may have thought that we
would not believe his story and skipped
out rather than stay and face the mu-
sic. a thorough investigation OF the
case will be made at once, and / am
confident that Footner's reputation for
honesty will not suffer from It."
Sheriff Reynolds sent out kilograms
broadcast this morning ordering Foot
ncrs arrest and VI Is hoped that he
| will soon be found. The missing mar
is an enthusiast on mining and he had
been all over the mining regions OF tho
| Northwest on foot and on horseback
He had prospected all through Alaska
and he owns several claims In the Trai
creek district and in the Kootena
country. He had talked a great dea
recently OF going TO Trail creek. and u
IL thought that he may he headed ir
! that direction. He has about $50 com
| ing TO him for last month.
Footner Is between 80 and 3s years
old, feet 10 inches tall. and weighs
about l75 pounds. He has dark hair
strcalSed with grey. black eyes. smooth
face. prominent chin. square shoulders
/ and an erect bearing,
| T.. W. McCune. travelling auditor for
the Great Northern Express company
arrived In the city tonight to investi-
! gate the disappearance for the express
/ company and the National Security
/ company OF Kansas City, which was
on Footner's bonds for 5000.