The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-21
WHO WERE THESE MEN
Enquiry Comes From Illinois
About George Nelson.
BURLINGTON TELLS STORY
How Two Ranchmen Dis
appeared in a Night

burlington, of this city, and the Illinois
men making the inquiry. claim that Mel
sons father is old and that there is a for
tune awaiting the son somewhere in the
east. Mr. Burlington says that this man
Nelson and his associates, was always
E. mystery to him and that this inquiry
does not unravel the mystery in the least
The Illinois parties have asked Mr..
FuIlington 10 write down what he re-
members Of Nelson and send IL to them
ana this he has agreed to 90. He let a
reporter for the Eagle read what he had
written last night, remaTking that they
could get whatever comfort from It they
could. The statement makes strange
reading and is as follows:
AS 10 any positive facts or in1orma-
ton as TO the identity Of the parties IN
whom you are interested il IS q question
whether 1 could be Of any benefit to you.
However I can briefly make statement
INCORPORATING all I know in reference to
the parties and their cornection to me.
in September, 1882, left Kansas City
for Caldwell. Kansas. with purpose in
view Of receiving a herd Of cattle at that
point Upon my arrival at Caldwell, I
10 salt Fork at a point about forty miles
below Caldwell We arrived at Lee Kok-
ernut's camp, I think about September Q.
This date is approximately correct We
were probably three days after that re
ceiving and counting the cattle When
we found that We were ready 10 start on
the trail, we were short handed and be-
gan to make some inquiry IS 10 where
we could gel help. On the second day out
from Kekernuts camp, two men came 10
US giving their names as Joe Smith and
George Nelson, saying that they would
like to have a JOB on the tran with us.
Upon inquiries as TO their qualifications
as trail men they replied that they had
come By tran from southern Texas and
were familiar with the work Later de-
vclopments seemed 10 indicate that they
had never had any experience on a cat
tie trail. They acted more like farm Ia
bOrers SO far as their work with cattle
was concerned, so 1 think 1t is safe in
saying that they had deceived me when
they represented that they had come
from Texas with cattle. Passing over
the three or four weeks that we were on
the trail and coming up 10 October and
our arrival at the Home ranch. in what
y now Kiowa county, Kansas, I paid
Smith off and discharged him. retaining
Nelson in my employ. he being the brigh-
ter and more active man Of the two. He
did the ordinary work required Of an
employe at the headquarter camp for
about two months, doing nothing to at
tract my attention TO him
About November 18th or Goth Of the
same year on Sunday afternoon q horse
man rode up to camp leading C. pack
horse He was about six feet tan. blue
eyes, broad forehead, smoothly shaven
and I would judge about 30 or IS years old
He said that he was in search of a job.
Upon talking TO him after dinner. I vas
very much impressed by his apparent
Intelligence and good breeding. He stated
that he was not familiar with the rattle
business, but was willing TO learn ana
the matter OF wages was not much mo-
ment TO him. After remaining with me
two or three days discovered that he
was capable accountant and was pos
essed with more than ordinary educa-
ton / closed a contract with him for
SIX months at SIS per month Tor the
next two or three weeks his duties were
such that ne did not come much I'm con-
tact with the men, but after that time I
noticed that he had become very intf-
mate with Nelson This surprised me
for Nelson appeared TO be but an or7i-
nary farm boy, not possessed even Of
ordinary education, rather uncouth in his
manner and with seemingly nothing 10
attract such person as Campbell
viii say right here that the last named
arrival had given his name as c. d.
CamDheu
Along about January of 1893 Mr.
Campbell came TO me ana asked pernis-
sion for few days absence for the pur-
pose Of going after some of his .iur-
gage This was granted and after three
day s absence he returned with n nev
ootdr consisting OF blankets. chaps. six
shooters one large long rance rifle and
about 7e9 rounds Of ammunition About
such an OUTFIT as a weI-to-do tanderf,ot
would he liable to acquire There vvas nor
much doinE during this sesso, of ~
year and Campbell and MYSELF epent a
good deal Of time practicing at long
range with his heavy rife. In Anri1 of
1873 Campbell came 10 me and asked rer-
mission 20 take q couple OF saddle horse,
hei3nsias 10 tie ranch. for the risht.
saving tiat he and Nelson were e,ir-
T. dance 1T old men Blenders on Tur-
hcv Creek. ab7It twelve ul5les di~.e,ca
4 nSent WAS given ana be ava Nelson
shaved and changed thcir claiaas ana
started eG bout o'clock 81 tho even
'ns The next morning at brea afast. tbev
vre absent. but nothing was Thought az
THIS, as there was no importart work On
hand ana the boys had pretty much
their own way in Che WATER time. Dur
Ing The afternoon I had occasion t. 70
- the Dostof3ce ~ Rockefeller K WI
sons ranch. about five miles down ths
river. This was tbe Star Route Office
81 which neishboriue rsnchmen Tor miles
ground, got their nail. While there
met one ~ The Bender bows a-f -ei-sz
him II he had seen Campbell OF Nelson
Tho inquiry developed the fact thrt thew
had NOT been 1T his house the night b.
iore The postmaster hearing the INQUIRY
Volunteered the Information that IRE
BOYS had stopped there on thefr Wv q,
henaers and DE- hat delivered d lec4s~ p,
tsmpbell bearing G foreign post-r.a-z
M-ih ihe request IN the envelope chat ira
postmaster for' ara same hy special mes
FeaeT u Campbell EXPENSE kf---
readlns this letter the boys mounted
iallr horses and rode away. on r,v ~
trrn 50 the ranch that evening i v-e-+ =,
Cmr1 s room ana discovered tha- AZ
ot s belongings had disappeared E---
th=r inFestisation ct The car,rh,itse d.
Ntiooed the fact that Nelson's BELONGINGS
had disappeared also. This lea - ~
round up The horses 10 see whether ~
ro- we Tere short any saddle horses
lr1 thllg WAS an rleht and the horses
fhasr had ar.a.ar--