The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-19
Ben Buxton. the Minneapolis
Banker, Not Murdered.
NOR HAS He GONE TO CUBA
ARRIVED IN SALT LAKE ON
JANUARY ELEVENTH.
Put Up at the Templeton and Had
Big Roll of Money-At That
Time His Disappearance Was
Creating a Big Stir in Chicago
and Minneapolis.

Ben A Buxton. the young Mime
apolis bank cashier, whose disappear
ance from Chicago on Saturday, Jan
9, has been followed by not an inkling
as to his whereabouts. was not
murdered, as all of his friends be-
deve.
Buxton registered at the Templeton
hotel in this city on the afternoon of
Monday, jim. Il. having arrived on
the Union Pacific express from the
east which reaches Salt Lake at $40
D. III. The traveller partOok of dinner
and occupied room 81 until after
breakfast on ~the morning of the 18th
instant, when he took hack for the
Union Pacific depot intending TO make
connections at Ogden with the Central
Pacific express bound for the coast.
At the time of the young mans visit
here the realization that he was
actually missing had not dawned upon
his relatives and friends either in
Minneapolis or Chicago and cOnse-
quently no press dispatches had been
sent over the country announcing the
fears of those nearest to him. The
day clerk has a distinct recollection of
Buxton. He describes him as a young
man about 80 years of age, with light
color. He was attired in light over
coat but the suitinS which he wore
is not recalled. When he stepped up
10 the register he was quite calm and
betrayed no excitement. In every
respect he made no more impression
than does the ordinary tourist. If he
had grip or Valise that circumstance
Is not memorable but the clerk cannot
remember any article of the sort.
When ready to retire Buxton re-
moved from his person what seemed
like q large sum of money in currency.
This he asked the night clerk to de-
post i'll the safe until morning. The
foregoing particular was remembered
by the night cletk for the reason that
Buxton had some difficulty in getting
his money the next morning as it was
necessary to awaken the cashier to |
set into the safe. The porter heard |
him direct the driver OF the coupe to |
get him TO the Unicn Pacific in time to
catch the train connecting with the /
San Francisco express.
Inquiry at the passenger offices of !
the roads leaving here failed 10 render /
a trace of Buxton, so that it is
presumed he had through ticket
reading over the Central Pacific
or was paying his fare as he pro-
ceeded. The preceding information IS
the first clue that has been obtained
of Buxton since he dropped out of
SlSHI III tDiCdSO one week ago / he
discovery is due 10 the day clerk of
the Templeton who by chance fell
upon an account of Buxton's dsap-
pearance in one of the MINNEAPOLIS
papers of recent date.
1t has been the belief Of the family
and friends Of the young man that he
was en- route to Cuba to join the in
surgents as he had often expressed to
associates an intense sympathy for the
Cubans and a strong desire to take
up arms against Spain.
DR. Z. F. Rush of Chicago, who is a
brotheU-in-law of Buxton. declared in
an interview at Chicago on Jan. IA that
the young mans tastes inclined TO the
military and he was ambitious of dis
tinction in such service and felt that
if confronted by the real difficulties of
war, his ambition would be attained.
The Cuba clue was borne out to ,
some degree by the fact that Buxton
took an unusually affectionate fare ,
we'll of his mother in Minneapolis and
displayed more feeling than was his ,
custom al parting from his sister when I
about 10 depart from Chicago some !
days previous TO the time that he sud
denly left there. All of his where {
abouts while in Chicago are thoroughly |
known. Incidental 10 the strange case c
is a press dispatch TO the Minneapolis 2
Times, which states that Van Gorder L
a mar Of whom Buxton was a partner {
Chicago recently and tried to dispose
Of some internal revenue stamps a. Q
The United States office there but the t
officials refused 10 purchase them. Van
Iorder has not been seen since. Other v
IF BuXton's friends are of the opinion o
hat he has been murdered and the 5
body sunk in the Chicago river Is
Meager Geographic accounts of the a
Buxton disappearance throughout the "
vest has operated against the obtain W
nS Of d detailed account Of the young [,
,ashier's disappearance and the rea-
sons which induced such a radical S
move upon his part No information p
# anything being wrong with his ac- o.
cunts is known at this end. Why he II
hould be travelling over the country.
clustering his name, If ne desired to i
void detection. is one of the incOmDre- p
ensibie things; the very fact how pl
Yer, that he had even stopped IN Salt
AXE, would have been entirely for te
often had not a hotel clerk hap pl
eneG upon a stray newspaper story. 81
nd those Interested in discovering the 81
ERECTION Of his route might not have pC
cen any the wiser. That Buxton had
lenty of funds is evident from the or
are he took to prevent losing his cur Sc
ency. IF mis- intention was TO leave or
he country, he could easily have been la
y this time on the Pacific heading for
&c south seas. On the other hand is Sc
he possibility that the young mans u
rental condition may not be sound. ju
-hich would at once exDlajn the or, In
attic conduct of parading his true per to
enality upon hotel registers en-
Ore Of the most noted Pinkerton de- FL
ectives in the west was in the CITY Ia
esterday. He was seen by a Herald pc
'porter, to whom he is personally ha
noWn but whether his nresence 49,, his
ears any significance 10 the Rr+-to,, aiC
vstery IS a problem which only that fei
stute individual might solve. No
The police headquarters here have clI
zen notified Of Buxton's ston in Salt WI
AXE and the local authorities NAV lie we
ipeeted to communicate the fact to
-s-zxs-a- - sa!
PORTER GOES FREE ha
VIII