Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-03-01
MYSTERY PARTIALLY SOLVED
The Remains of Young Dan Cameron,
Who Disappeared Last May
from Deep Creek.
Were Discovered Il Week Ago Very
Near the Ranch from Which
lie Disappeared.

a mystery which has been a source of
grief to those Immediately Interested
and Of annoyance to many %neighbors
who were cognizant of it, has at last
been partially solved. In order that
the readers may be informed a brief
summary Of the affair is given. About
twenty-five miles from Great Falls, near
the Black Butte, is a highly respected
rancher uamed Duncan Cameron, Among
his family was a SOD named Dan A.
Cameron, aged about - years. On May
10, 1894, the son left home to work for
Alfred Alge, whose ranch is only a few
miles distant. He took with him his
clothing and saddle and bride. On the
Afternoon Of his arrival at the ranch Mr..
Alge left for Cascade to attend to some
business and did not return for two days.
Upon his arrival ne was surprised to
find the cabin locked and the young
man, d horse and the saddle and bride
gone, but in the cabin were the coat,
vest and shoes Of Cameron. Nothing
was heard of the missing for q day
or two and then his friends became
anxious. There was no reason for
him to run away; he had a good
home, was not in debt, and had no ene-
mics. The saddle and bride were his
OWE and he did not need TO steal a horse
for he owned several. In addition to
this ne was a steady, industrious young
man. After the disappearance inquiries
were made in all directions and searching
parties secured the country for miles
around. The only persons who claimed
to have seen anything of him were a
couple Of ranchers VINO live quite Il dis
tahoe from Ages, and they stated that
Oh the day of the disappearance they
had seen d man riding the horse and
going in d westerly direction. but hey ond
this they could give no information.
After 4 month or two the search was
abandoned and the affair became d mSs-
terry. Since then there have been umor
that young Cameron had been seen in
different distant places, but anxious in.
quiries have always proved that the Tu-
mors were untrue.
The affair had almost been forgotten
when interest in it was revived in a most
unexpected name on last Monday
evening, by a discovery which, while ii
partially solves still intensitie5 the mys-
terry. Late on the afternoon Of that day,
Il. ". Flint, who WAS returning home
from a hunt. noticed on the ground d lot
of clothes, and Upon examination they
were found to contain human bones.
The spot was only about three-fourth
miles from the Aige ranch. and
was on the open prairi, a short distance
from Il rugged deep couIee. He at once
reported the find and on securing as.
sistance a further investigation was
made. The clothing consisted of over
alls and drawers, overshirt and under
shirt and necktie. Within them were
the skeleton Of the body, arms and less
of a man, but the head, hands and feet
we're gone. At the point where the heaC
should have been was a flat stone half
imbedded in the ground. but showing
about three inches above the surface, its
peculiar position indicating that it may
have been used as a pillow. With the
discovery the thoughts of all reverted
to the missing young Cameron and his
parents were promptly notified, and
upon being shown the garments they at
once identified the remains of the shirt
and necktie AS the property of their losl
son. The bones were carefully gathered
up and given IA Christian burial, much
to the relief of the parents who though
they firmly believed that be was deaC
we're yet 10 doubt as t. his fate.
The finding of the body is a proof OF
death, but how he met his death ano
what became of the horse aud saddle il
still "A mystery. Had he been throwr
from the horse at the point where TIT
body was found, the animal would Ger
tainly have gone to the ranch or remain.
ed on the range, but he has not beer seer
since. There is too much snow to make {
search of the coulee. but there is I
theory that both horse and rider
may IN some way have been injured IN
the ravire and the latter managed Il
crawl to the place where hrs bones were
found, AS oon AS possible "A thorough
search VIII be instituted for the remains
OF the animal, a curious feature Of the
affair is that the remains should have
been found SO near the ranch and have
escaped detection for so long a period.
bat TINS Is explained by thu fact that no
one thought Of searching near ny. as the
last that was heard Of him, he was 4 lorG
distance off and going in an entirely diff
ferent direction.