The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-17
CANNOT EXPLAIN IT
B. T. Benefits Mind Was a Blank
For One Year.
1T is A MYSTERIOUS CASE
He Deserted Ills Family. Changed
His Name and Lest Himself In
East acknowledging for
His Family.
T is A MYSTERIOUS CASE

In the Helena Independent attention
is called to a man in Livingston who
goes by the name of John Kelley, but
who now believes he is B. F. Bennett,
formerly of East Helena, whose wife
and children are thought to be in
Butte. Bennett worked at the East
Helena smelter but suddenly disap-
peared on Feb. IL, 1895. A year later he
found himself in Livingston, working
under the name of John Kelley. He
can give no explanation of the change.
He does not know what he has been do
ing or where he has been during the
year. His mind is perfectly blank from
the moment when he disappeared in
East Helena and awoke in Livingston
to find himself working under the name
of Kelley. He is now seeking for his
wife and three children who he desert
ed so mysteriously a year ago. The In
dependent says of the case:
THE city marshal received a letter
from John Harvey. mayor of Livings-
ton, Monday, in which Mr.. Bennett
strange story was told. Mayor Harvey
said that a man going by the name of
John Kelley, who had been stopping in
Livingston, had come to him and asked
him to find out who he was. Kelley
told the mayor that he believed that his
real name was b. F. Bennett, and that
If that was his name he had a wife
and three children in East Helena. He
said that he left them Feb. H. 1895. He
did not know why he went away, and
has not the slightest recollection where
or how, he came to take the name OF
Kelley. He further said that IL he were
Bennett and not Kelley, he had worked
as furnace man at the East Helena
smelter and he entreated the mayor to
find out whether he was Bennett OF
Kelley. Mayor Harvey said that he
had known Kelley several months, and
that he was unable to account for his
queer actions. In conclusion he asked
the city marshal to ascertain whether
or not a man named Bennett had
worked in the East Helena smelter, and
report to him.
city Marshal Mccain became inter-
ested in the case, and lost no time in
making the investigation. He found
that b. F. Bennett had been employed
at the smelter and that he mysterious
ly disappeared Feb. IL. 1895. leaving his
family without a clew as to where he
had gone. Mrs. Bennett was unable to
account for her husbands disappear
ance by any other theory than that OF
wilfull desertion. She remained i'm East
Helena some time and then moved tC
Butte. The marshal obtained a de-
| scription of the man and sent IL L
| Mayor Harvey of Livingston. BY re-
| turn mail he received the following re-
ply:
w. II. Mccain: This man Kelly 1.
| surely the man Bennett who left East
Helena. 1 have shown him your letter
| to-day and he is anxious to find his
family Anything you can do will bt
appreciated by myself. Kelley answers
to the description given all right, anC
the next thing to do will be to find hi:
| family. Hoping we shall succeed In
this, I am, your truly,
John Harvey, Mayor"
Inquiries made at East Helena re-
vealed the fact that Mrs. Bennett, aftel
| her desertion, removed to Butte, and /.
| probably in this city now. Her name
| is Clara Bennett. Mr.. Bennett, ALA:
| Kelley, will come to Butte and try t.
| explain as best he can what he ha,
| been doing the past year
Dr. s. Weir Mitchell, in his famous
book, characteristics tells of a sim
| liar case which came under his per
| sonal observation. A wealthy man IN
| Chicago suddenly disappeared. leaving
| wife and several children and a fin
mansion on one of Chicago's most fash
ionable streets. His wife ADVERTISED
| for him but could not receive any in
| formation of him. Several years aft
| erward the man came to himself in tn
same city, dressed in the commones
workingmen's clothes and carrying
dinner bucket, apparently on his wa,
| home from work He did not know
where he had been working or wher
he was bound for. The last thing n
| did remember was his leaving his ele
| CANT home for a walk, years before
bat he had no recollection of what ha,
happened, in the interim. He went t
his former home to find his famil
there. His wife had long since give
him up for dead. Detectives were EN-
ployed to ascertain what the wandere
had been doing all the time. and hi
history was traced out. During tn
years of his disappearance he had live
under another name, had been com
mon, uneducated laborer, had marie
and raised another family, and lived /
howell His life and his tastes were a
different from what they had been 1
his former career. as was possible.
BY YOUNG PATRIOTS.