The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-11-27
British Consul at Chicago
Makes Inquiries.
CAME HERE IN JUNE
And Has Since Mysteriorsly Disappeared.
Had Considerable Money About
Him-Investigation Will
Be Made.

Was Tom Burton murdered as
some of the city police department
believe, or did he willingly leave
Kalispell having due him more than
$50 in cash from different parties in
the county? Officer Hannah, who
came to this city with Burton, is a
strong believer in the murder theory
and has thought he met with foul
play since August, 1899, when Bur
ton mysteriously disappeared from
this city.
Saturday, Chief of Police Johnson
received letter from the British
consulate, in Chicago, asking for in
formation as to the location of Tom
Burton. The letter is in part as fol-
lows: AN inquiry has been made ut
this consulate as to the whereabouts
of man named Tom Burton, who
was last heard of in August, 1899, as
being on the point of leaving Kalis-
pell, to which place he had gone from
Clontarf, and asking that letters
should be still sent to Kalispell, which
would be forwarded. His mother is
very anxious for news from him and
| shall feel very much under obliga-
tions to you if you will be coed
enough to give me any information
about the man.
io1f rAo toI ok
once, and it has developed that Tom
Burton had arrived in Kalispell some
time in June, 1899 and had worked
for a number of farmers in the val
ley, among whom were John Lang,
Jr., and Forester McGregor He was
friend of Officers Hannah and
Writh, and was well and favorably
known by most of the police officers
in the city. In August he came to
this city from one of the places where
he had been working and consulted
number of friends ON the a1yis;:-
bility of engaging in the poultry bus
mess on an extensive scale, and it
was known, at the time, that he had
considerable money, in checks, drafts
and cash. Officer Writh was per-
haps the last to see him in Kalspell,
and at that time he was starting for
ranch in the valley.
Burton was not a man given to
drink and consequently his dis
appearance caused no little surprise
among his friends at the time. He
is known to have had but one debt
and that for only five dollars, while
there was many times that sum due
him. Officers Hannah and Writh
have often talked of his sudden van
ishment and have always attributed
it to foul play, owing to the fact that
he had considerable money, and the
belief that he would certainly have
consulted them before leaving the
city. AS time went on he was al
most forgotten, and his mysterious
disappearance counted among the
many hundreds which occur each
year. The letter received from the
consulate has reopened the case and
vigorous investigation is being
made either to locate the missing
man or learn something of the cause
of his silence.
Tom Burton, an Englishman, is de-
scribed as being about feet, inches
high, weighing 155 pounds and 2S
years of age. Blue ewes. ruddy com
plexion, and a decided blonde, with
a small mustache, and wore when last
seen a light gray suit of clothes. His
walk was peculiar, as he always took
lonk strides.
Officer Hannah, in speaking of Bur
ton, said: He came to Kalispell about
the 21st of June, 1899, with me, and
worked for some time in the country
At different times, when in the city
he would come into our office and
write letters to his mother and rela
tives. He was an honest and in
dustrious young man, and very sci
dom indulged in drink, even to the
slightest extent. 1t is my opinion
that when he wrote. saying that his
letters would be forwarded to him
he did not mean that he was leaving
this county, but rather that his let
ters would be forwarded to him al
the place at which he would locate il
FOR NEWS, TAKE THE BEE.