The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-23
DAVE LANTER RETURNS.
Says He Was Carried Away-Police
Doubt His Story.

Says He Was Carried AWay-Police
Doubt His Story.
David B. Lanter, the Santa Fe air
brake tester of 225 Klein street, who
mysteriously disappeared from his
home last Wednesday morning, return
ed last night to the home Of Mr.. and
Mrs S. NJ Sawyer. 2OS Monroe street,
where his wife. Kate Sawyer Lanter
was staying. Judge =. T. Lanter faith
er of the missing man and a justice of
the peace of Grenola, Kansas, was at
the Sawyer house at the time of Dave
Lanter's return. His coming home was
as mysterious as his leaving.
Some man accompanied Lanter into
the yard and back to the kitchen door
Then he ran away Some people saw
two men enter the yard and one run
away. Lanter stumbled into the door
and his mother, who was in the kit
chen screamed. The rest of the family
came out there and saw Dave l4anter
thinner than when he left, moaning in
cOherently and much eXha listed His
moustache had been cut off His first
words were, I want to see Kate Why
don't you let me see Kate"
He was taken into the bed room and
lay down. where he continued to moan
and mutter and he complained of
severe pain in his head and leg.
The family was as much puzzled over
the strange return as they had been
when he left. They felt convinced that
he had been detained by someone
against his will
To day Dave Lanter continued to
moan and he can remember nothing
A State Journal reporter talked with
him at the house of S. NJ. Sawyer, where
he is being cared for by his young wife
Where have you been?' asked the
reporter.
20. 1 don't know. nv mind is
blank. I can't remember anything"
Did they take YOU out of the city,
20, cant tell I wanted to come
back, but they wouldn't let me"
who took you away2'
Il don't know. o, my head hurts"
He remem bered that he wore a new
cap last night and his Overcoat and cap
We're gone.
To persistent questioning last night
by his wife Dave Lanter said that the
people who had had him told him he
would never see his wife again.
A bruise on the back of his head is
somewhat swollen and on his left leg
there is a swelling which looks as if
there had been a blow dealt it. His an
kle is also swollen and sore.
Mrs. Lanter, the wife said to the re
porter; Dave was kidnapped. And
the right party is going to be found. 1t
wasn't very far from here that he was
kept. And if the ones who did this are
not punished I Will see that they are.
DR. Hamilton says this morning that
Dave was drugged. I think that they
gave him something when he went to
draw his check, for he acted Queerly
Tuesday afternoon and I noticed it.
that he never drank a drop"
Judge J. T. Lanter, the father said:
The Police are working on this case
and 1 have d private detective too. and
1 think something viii turn out. We
can't give anything out at present, but
there is something wrong, and what it
is, L can't say now know that Dave
was straight young man and have
heard that he had some enemies"
The police are inclined to doubt the
theory that Dave Lanter was kidnap-
ped. They hold to the theory that he
has been away from home on a spree
and running out of money returned
home and feigned this loss of memory,
etc.
Chief Gardiner when questioned said:
Il don't know anything positively about
this case. But from what the officers
have told me L think that the man is
fraud
Detective teller. who was called last
night and has made an Investigation, de-
cIafes that there was no Kidnapping about
it. He said: 1T is absurd to think that
he was kidnapped A big strong man
drew his time at the shops and then told
his wife that he had been discharged and
that was lie Then tel me thai he has
been Kidnapped (scornfullyD I think he
has been down to Kansas city or some
place else and has been having a time
and then acted as if he had been stolen
DR.. w. G. Hamilton who was sum-
moned last night to attend Dave Ilanter
and who made a thorough examination,
is puzzled over the causes of his condi-
ton. To a reporter he said. THE man
is suffering pain. / have seen men who
feigned sickness but that man has pain.
How he got those bruises 1 don't know.
1t would seem queer if a man could be
spirited away from town of this size
in the morning and kept in hiding for
nearly week. The fact that he told his
wife that he had been discharged and
that he was going to see some other man.
and the fact that he had not been and
did not go to see the man makes it look
strange The pain he is now suffering
might have been caused by a spree. but
I would not say what it is. I have no
idea. One thing I noticed which ma kes it
even harder to understand. His abdo-
men was contracted Now, if he had been
drinking. his abdomen would have been
bloated- The more I think about it the
less know about it
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