The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-01-11
MANKATo FREE Press.
BUTLER IS FOUND.
He Does Not Remember LeaV-
ing Home, and Says There
was No Reason For 1t.

Ex-Congressman Butler, who has
been missing from home for two
months, was on Monday found at In
dianapolis and is now on his way back
to Oelwein, Ia, to rejoin his family.
III. G. Phillips, of that city, Identified
him at the police station, where
Butler had gone of his own accord
for fear of boarding a train and get
ting away before his friends could
come for him.
Buffers action in thus leaving home
without cause and keeping his
friends in ignorance for SO long
time are singular, and establish the
fact beyond doubt that he is men,
tally unsound.
To an Indianapolis friend he said
he could not recall any events attend
ing his leaving home and that all was
a blank.
"There is no reason whatever" he
said, "why l should have left. | have
a nice home at West Union, kind
and loving wife, one child, and no
mans domestic relations were ever
happier than mine have always been.
The only way | can account Tor the
uneasiness about me is that my letter
failed to reach my wife. 1t seems
strange, though, that no one OF many
people l met did not say something
to me about it if they knew inquiries
were being made for me. l made no
concealment Of my name or place OF
residence. | called on Matthews, Tag
CART and Bynum, having served with
the latter in congress, and none OF
them mentioned the fact that my
absence from home caused any COM
ment in the papers,"
When shown the statement of his
brother, DR.. Butler, of Cleveland, by
the Associated Press, Butler said he
did not think he was insane at any
time, for he did not fall or see any
thing accompanying insanity. The
book agency for which Butler has
been canyassing since November oath,
reports his accounts straight and
speaks highly of his success and intel
ligent presentation of certain books
which he was selling.
The way Mr. Butler came to make
known his presence in the city was
this: He read in an indianapolis
paper Of his disappearance and the
mystery surrounding it and went to
the Office of the paper and voluntarily
made statement. He said his mind
was blank as to how he came to this
city. He did not remember leaving
his home at all. The first thing he
realized was that he was here in In
dianapolis, with his watch and chain
gone and only 81. so in his pocket. He
was ashamed of his condition, he said,
and concluded that he must seek
some kind of employment by which
to earn sufficient money to pay his
way back home.
He had worked canvassing for a
book entitled "The Trial of Christ
Before Plate" He said he had not
made'more than a bare living out of
the work, but had written letter to
his wife informing her Of his where
abouts, and when he read the article
in the paper, received his first init
nation that she did not receive his
letter and knew nothing of his where
abouts. He said he could hardly tell
why he left home, but he was in deep
financial trouble. The Normal school
at Oelwein, which he had established
and of which he was the principal,
was losing money. He had recently
lost paper which he had owned, and
a mortgage on his home is to be fore
closed in February. He said he did
not intend to return home till he had
earned enough money to pay his way.