Arizona republican., 1895-08-25
VAMOSED! Monte CriStO of Arizona Silently Disappears. Geo. T. Johnston Seeks to Evade Arrest. He Does Not Say Farewell to
 His Many Friends.
Fond Mamas With Marriageable Daughters Camped on Ills Trail
 and Girls Smiled on Him.

|. Cristo, has suddenly disappeared from his favorite haunts at Santa Catalina and for good reason the minions of the law are seeking for hlm. By the Asso- ciated Press he was forewarned in time that Murphy, Grant & Go. of San Francisco, has issued warrant for his arrest and he vamosed. The Los An geles Times of Friday thus exposes Johnston:
 Sheriff Burr has been teIegraphed by the San Francisco authorities to arrest Johnston, who was in the city yester- day, but managed to dodge the min ions of the law. Johnston was seen at the Hol!en beck hotel by several people who know him well, as late as 5 p. m. He is said to be staying at lodging house on spring street between Third and Fourth, and had an engagement to go to the Los Angeles theater yesterday evening, but whether he kept it is not known. The sheriff and his deputies were handica pped in their search be- cause they had no description of the man.
 Johnston may have seen the dispatch about warrant being out for him, in the evening papers, and gone into hid. Ing or left the city; at any rate no one could be found who knew of his where sbouts after D, m
 4 former resident of Phoenix who saw Johnston on the street yesterday afternoon, informed Times reporter that the story about his clearance sale is correct, although he would not vouch for the statement that 1t was done to defraud creditors. The gentleman said Johnston was formerly a dry goods clerk in Phoenix. About a year ago he bought a large stock of goods and opened dry goods store of his own. Several months ago he went east and telegraphed his manager at Phoenix that he had inherited $35 ,OOO in Eng land and had to go there to prosecute his claim. He instructed his manager to sell everything in the store at any price, as he did not wish to be encum- bered with the business any longer. A big clearance sale was, therefore, started Flaming advertisements in the Phoenix papers, stated that the goods had to be sold. and gave the reason why. Such bargains were never before offered in Arizona and the stock of goods was sold out in trice.
 It appears that Johnston, who is @ dapper young Englishman, about 30 years of age, did go abroad and re- turned with some money, which, with that realized with the sale of his goods, he proceeded to "blow in" in royal style. He came to Los Angeles with an excursion party which left Phoenix about August z, and immediately hied himself to beautiful Avalon, where he soon distinguished himself as the swell est nabob on the island. He spent money with such lavish hand and en- tertained SO gorgeously that he was dubbed "the Monte Cristo of the West. "
 While some of the islanders doubted that Johnston was all that he repre- sented himself to be, the majority of the giddy throng courted his acquaint- ance and were happy when he deigned to smile upon them. Mamas with mar riageable daughters especially tagged after "Monte Cristo," and the alleged millionaire was soon acquainted with every pretty girl on the island. He was munifcent in his entertainment, one ot his favorite forms of amusement being to hire steam yacht and take as many as hundred guests on fishing excursion. Nothing but champagne went in the way of liquid refreshments, and Monte Cristo's" fishing parties were all the talk of the island. It is not often that visitor comes to the island and spends $100 day for boat hire alone.
 Johnston brought with him from
 Phoenix, as a travellng companion, a young man whose expenses he has been paying. This young man told an ac. quaintance in this city that Johnston ' really did fall heir to about $35 1000 in , England, but that he could not get it for long time; he therefore sold his
 claim to the legacy for $7 1000 or $S,000 and this, with the money derived from the sale of his store, was all he had tC
 "blow in." At the rate he has been : spending it since coming to Southern l California he cannot have much of ii left. It may be, though, that he stil l, has enough to pay off Murphy, Grant l Co., 's claim, and will thus get out of the , clutches of the law in case the officers
 succeed in finding him today.