The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-09-12
MIR. HIGHTON'S STORY.
His Explanation of an Unfortunate
occurrence

ST. Paul, Sept. 5.-About 4 year ago there
appeared in a large number OF Northwest
ern newspapers a Geographic dispatch from
Duluth. in which Mr.. a. q. Highton was
charged with forgery. 1t now appears,
from the statement given TO Tie press 10y
Mr.. Highton, that the charges were not
true, but were greatly exaggerated state
ments of actions, for which, IN his unfortu-
nate condition at the time, he was not re-
sponsible.
In his statement TO the Pioneer Press of
Aug. -, 1896. he says in substance:
He went East on business and took re-
turn passage To Portland, ore, by way Of
lac great lakes. He left Buffalo on Sept.
IL, 1884, in the steamship India: in his
party there were four. He took with him
a five-gallon demijohn of whisky and drank
excessively on the trip, arriving In Duluth
Sept. - on the verge OF dellrium tremens
He put up at the Spaulding hotel, and after
making arrangements for transportation
and sleeping car accommodations, set ont
with his party on a tour of the town, IN
which all the drinking establishments were
visited. An expensive dinner followed, and
then more drinking. Mr.. Highton's condi-
non became such that his mind Is a blank
as 10 mis- subsequent actions, until he woke
up In his car at the union depot, ST. Paul,
Sept. 20. He went to the Merchants hotel,
where. on looking through his papers. he
found that he had given a check for SlU9.l 10
TO Mr.. w. 5. Written for a private car,
and also a check for 10000 for an option
on the Spaulding hotel. His friends eX-
p,ained 10 him, regarding the 100000 check,
that he had negotiated, the previous even
ing, with Mr.. A. Harrington, of the Spauld-
ing company, for the purchase of the hotel.
He notified his friends in Buffalo how to
act and no check from Duluth was paid.
In ST. Paul more drinking was INDUCED
In. Seeing the account of the HinCkley fire
in the papers, and half-crazed with drink,
he gave Col. Carson a check for 81 900 for
the sufferers, went to Minneapolis and
offered Mr.. Pillsbury $4,000 for the same
fund.
On the afternoon of that day he was ar
rested in the office Of the Great Northern
railroad, Minneapolis. Such. he says, are
the plain unvarnished facts as TO what Oc-
CURED on Sept. 10 and 20 last, SO far as he
can learn. As proof OF his condition he
says that Chief of Police Armstrong teSti-
fed in court as follows: His condition was
that Of a man suffering from the effects Of
a long spree, and | had 10 give him whisky
every hour to keep him from breaking down
on the way from Minneapolis to Duluth -
! ANY thinking man." says Mr.. HightOn,
reviewing my actions on that day, seeing
| that there was no gain, no object to be at
| tanned. must come to the conclusion that
| there was no criminal motive, but only the
mad freaks Of a man whose brain was ut
terly crazed by liquor. Not the slightest
charge of forgery has been preferred
against me In this case. On the sensational
stories the fictitious interviews and the
many COlumned articles which appeared Ia
excite the community against me. | shall
not dwell. Suffice it TO say that they have
done their work and u~njustly sent TO Still.
water an old man who was g~uiltless OF any
Intention to commit "A crime"