Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-11-29
Copyrighted. 1900. by the J. B. Lippincott Col
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
q Benton's murder was certainly the
sensation of the week in Manila, for
there were features connected with
the case that made it still more per-
picking, even mysterious. q
Maj. Farquhar, who must have seen
young Foster frequently at Fort
Averiil, had been sent to survey the
harbor of Iloilo and could not b.,
reached in time, but DIR. Frank, called
I'm course of the day to identify the
remains. long and carefully studied
the calm, IvaXen features of the dead
soldier, and said with earnest con-
viction:
-'This is undoubtedly the young
man who appeared at Col. Brent's
and whom I sought to question, but
who. seemed to take alarm at once
and, with some confused apology.
backed away. He was dressed very
neatly in the best white drilling sack
coat and trousers as made in Manila,
with fine straw hat and white shoes
and gloves, but he had a fuzzy beard
all over his face then, and his man.
ner was nervous and excitable. His
eyes alone showed that he was I'm
strung, bodily and mentally. I set
him down for q crank or some one
Just picking up from serious illness.
The city is full of newcomers, and
rs yet no one knows how many stran-
gers have recently come to town. I
saw him only that once in a dim
light but am positive in this identi-
fcation."
Two Or three non-commissioned Off
GERS Of Benton's regiment were ex-
amined. Their stories were concise
and to the point. The young soldier
had come with the recruits from San
Francisco along late IN August. He
was quiet, well-mannered, attended
strictly to his own business, and was
eager to learn everything about his
duties. They "sized him up" as u
young man of education and good
family who hadn't influence enough
to get a commission and so had en-
listed to win it. He had money, but
no bad habits. He helped. in the
office with the regimental papers,
and could have been excused from
oil duty and made clerk, but wouldn .
be. He said he'd help whenever they
wanted him, but he didn't wish to be
excused from guard or drills or. pa
troll or picl<et-said he wanted to
learn all there was in it. Even the
rougho fellows in the ranks couldn't
help liking him. He had a pleasant
word for everybody that didn't bother
him with questions. He made one
or two acquaintances, but kept most
ly to himself; never got any letters
from America, but there were two
from Hong-Kong, perhaps more. If
he wrote letters himself, he posted
them in town. They never went with
the company mail from the Quartet
Everybody seemed to know that
Denton wasn't his own name. but
that was nothings The main thing
queer about him was that he got a
pass whenever he could and went
by himself, most generally out to
: Paeo, where the cavalry were, yet he
said he didn't know anybody there
1t was out Pace way on the Calzada
Herran, close to the corner of the
Singalon1 road, the patrol picked him
up with his head laid open. and he'i
been Eighty pretty much ever since
and troubled about being robbed
Seemed all right again. however
when reporting for duty. and per
fectly sane and straight then
Two very bright young soldiers
Clarke and Hunter, were called in fol
their statements. They. too, had en-
listed in spirit eof patriotism ant
desire for adventures; never knew
Benton till the voyage was nearls
over, then they seemed to drift to
gether, as it svere. and kept up then
friendship after reaching Manila
Benton was not his real name, AM
he was not graduate of any Amer
lean college. He had been educated
abroad and spoke French and Ger
man. No, they did not know VIVA
university he attended. He wa
frank and pleasant SO long as nobod,
tried to probe into his past; neve
heard him mention Lieut.. Stuyvesant
All three OF them, Benton, Clarke an,
Hunter, had observed that young off
Ger during the month as he drove b.
barracks, sometimes with the gen
eral. sometimes alone.' but they di,
not know his name, and nothing in
1cated that Benton had any feeling
against him or that he had seen him
They admitted having conveyed tn
idea to comrades that they kne,
more about Benton than they woul
tell, but it was a 'sbluff." Everybod
WAS full of speculation and curiosity
and-well, just fer the fun of tn
thing, they ''let on" as they sai<