The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-21
MAY BE A WITNESS.
Portland Man Who Know, something of
The AIIpori VIII Case.

the Allpori VIII Case.
In the Portland Oreeonian of January
is appears the following, which viii be
read with interest by the people OF NJ m
tana.
"A man who might figure one Of HE
most important witnesses IN million
dollar will case. which IS set for trial n
Boulder. Mont. next Wcdne sday is
resident of Portland He housed and
cared for John -. Airport, whose Death
and property are the cause Of impending
litigation, which promises To be sci sa-
tional in its nature. Recent Associated
Press dispatches have conveyed the M
tellgence that the will of John d. Airport,
the Boulder hermit. who died in supposed
poverty three years ago, and was after
ward found To be rich, will he contested
by TWO sisters. who failed Io b. included
in the benefits. The sisters charge he
real beneficiary with having made up and
forged document, which she filed Tor
probate as the will Of John -. Allport.
Few people thought that Jack Alipoft
was worth anything for years before is
final illness. nor for some me after Ills
demise said II Portland restaurant. ur
yesterday. i'm commenting On TIE cis-
patches concerning the will contest.
His associates around Butte censid-
cred him dead broke when he came
down from Boulder. and imbered cut -
that they had to put him to bed. They
called on me aud asked for quart rs
my hotel the McDermitt. for an oil
friend about TO make a last clean up If
life. They Clipped in together and hand
ed me a purse which was sufficient 10 de-
fray all expenses. so | acquiesced TT q
patient was brought in and furnished Il
nurse.
Sometimes | relieved the nurse When
we were alone. Jack often mutioned me
to his pockets, and babe me fird for h m
a chart Of his mine He would go over 1t,
mumbing uninteligible directions with
Il T1iln
with his finger the shafts and crosscut Of
his mine which out at Boulder.
Knowing nothing of mining. and net be-
ing able TO understand them. | alw vs.
urged Airport to let me call in Marshal
McDermitt an expert in subterrest al
science. who might be able to interpret
his signs. To every such proposition Jack
Airport shook his head. After a few days
he died and the boys saw that his re-
mains were decently disposed OF.
When the attending phys'c clan ro-
nounced Airport beyond recovery. We
asked the sick man If We should rotifS
his relatives. lie replied afiirmatiVoly.
and Indicated where the address of his
sister Mrs. Charlie Kelley. might be
found. We wired Mrs. Kelley. who WIS
living in Colorado. She answered by ct
ter about week afterward. and by that
time the old miner had been lei down into
the ground for the last time.
Among his effects was found will,
which left all his property Ia his sis Ter.
Mrs. Kelley. This was the only .ster
mentioned in any of his letters and pa
pers, and this was the only one VIII Sc
name he had spoken to his friends. Mrs
Kelley. being notified that she was her
brothers beneficiary, finally came on and
took possession of the property
Mystery hung over the life rs well
ms over the death of Jack Airport. lie
lived much of the time as hermit, n his
cabin near Basin. He always referred To
his mine as poor property but said that
he hoped to strike Vein of pay ole some
time. The Minnie Haley had been aban-
doned quite awhile before. and Airport
was generally regarded a "busted citi-
zen" His personal appearance, as well as
his assertions of poverty. made tn eolin-
ion general But his few close compan-
ions in saloon reyelries thought differ
entity.
"'When Jack Airport visited Butte his
acauaintances who had established The M
selves in his confidence in prospecting
tours in the early days, were given a
treat. Airport did the buying and iadle-
ing out spirits until his chums were in Il
condition to forget the quantities Of wine
and free gold with which the bartender
was paid. But. afterwards. they some
times assembled and exchanged coniidt n
tal opinions as to the good thing that
Jack must have i'm the abandoned tunnels
of the Minnie Haley.
when Mrs Kelley got possession of
the mine she had 1t explored. and lis
great value made known 10 her.
This and some of Allport's other property
Is now estimated To be worth Sl0l0.l0t.
The other women who now claim to be
Allport's sisters. Mrs. Farleieh and Mrs.
Miller. in their suit against Mrs Kelley
and in their efforts to have the will /
aside on the grounds of forgery are con-
tending for big prize.
BY II strange decree of fate, my clerk
unwittingly assigned Mrs. Kelley To the
room where Airport died. when she came
10 Butte to look after the estate. When
She found out that she had occupied n
chamber where death had stricken n
member of her family. she was quite over
come, but insisted that so long as she
was detained in that part OF Montana
the room must he hers
" After the discovery OF the iich ve1n
which Airport had been working in the
Minnie Haley, ali kinds Of stories re
circulated to the treasure which he
had probably taken out ana buried rear
his cabin. But nothing was ever found
except what existed In its natural stat .
far below the surface of the earth where
Airport knew IL was safe for him and
could he drawn upon SO long as the world
was kept ignorant of its existence.
GrandeSf Seenerx In th. WnrIu