The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-03-29
A MYSTERY
OF The HILLS
Disappearance of r. G. Barnum Re-
mains UnsolVed.
WAS HE AWcTIM OF FOUL PLAY
Harry Banks, Charged With Horse
Stealing, Suspected of Being ImpIi-
Gated in the Affair-Went Hunting
February "a, and Never Returned.

The mystery of the disappearance |
OF r. G. Barnum, which occurred sew
eral weeks ago, is still unsolved, but |
the authorities are making a deter |
mined effort to solve it, and from the |
present outlook it appears that with
the finding of the body another MUIR
der case will be added to the crimi-
nal annals of the county.
One day in the last week in Febru-
airy Barnum and Harry Banks started
| from the cabin of Louis st. Clair,
| about 80 miles north of jennings, on
hunting trip. In the evening Banks
returned alone and when asked about
Barnum he said that they had sep
arated and each had gone in differ
ent direction. He volunteered the in
formation that the missing man was
! all right and said that he would re-
turn soon. The night and the next
day passed away, but Barnum did
not appear and st. Clair notified Dep
uty Sheriff Bockman, at jennings,
who investigated the case and organ
izing searching party, hunted
through the hills, but found no trace
of Barnum, and the search was given
up. One of the party noticed trail
leading to the bank of the Kootenai,
and when the search on land was
abandoned, the river was dragged,
but to no avail. Banks stated that
the trail was probably Barnum's, and
the opinion was general that the I'M
| f0r hod fol init a
river and had been drowned
Deputy Sheriff Bockman was not
,,satisfied that all was right and re-
ported the case to Sheriff Hand, who
ordered him to continue the investi-
cation.
1t was learned that a short time
previous to taking the fatal hunting
trip, Barnum had purchased new
pair of hobnailed shoes, and that the
imprint of the nails was plainly visi-
BILE wherever he walked.
A close inspection of the trail lead
ing to the river revealed no traces
of nail marks, and it was thought,
from this fact, that Barnum had not
, gone that way, but that the trail had
been made by some other person.
A short time after Barnums dis
appearance Banks and St. Clair left
! for Washington, but the latter left
his address, saying he would return
/, whenever wanted. The officers kept
trace of the men, and few days
afterward Banks returned to Jen
nings and then started for this city
while st. Clair went to North Yaki
. ma, Wash. Deputy Bockman kept
: close watch of Banks while at en-
: nings, and when me latter left fol
Kalispell, he notified Sheriff Hand.
The sheriff did not receive the tele
gram until the next morning, wher
he instituted a search for the man
but could find no trace of him. Dep
. uty Bockman did not arrest Banks
at Jennings, as there was no positive
: evidence against him, and it wa'
. deemed advisable to keep watch o
5 him until Barnum's body was founC
U or the mystery of his disappearance,
cleared up. When no trace of Banks
was found in Kalispell Deputy Book
n man was ordered to leave for Wash
L ington and arrest st. Clair. He lef
st for that place and while waiting TO
n a train at North Yakima, the Grea
< Northern train pulled in and Bank
L got % He did not see the office
until the latter walked up to him
Both men were surprised, but Bank
l. was plainly startled by Bockman'
@ sudden appearance and was yer
a nervous and excited. Bockman place
Y, him under arrest and took him t
d Spokane and telegraphed to Sheri
is Hand. The latter then sent Unde
% Sheriff Therriault after st. Clair, an
ID few days ago both men wer
e. brought to this city and placed i
ID Jail.
Tuesday, Sheriff Hand, accompal
led by St. Clair, went out to Jenning
i'd and organized another searching pa
ia ty, headed by Deputy Bockman, wit
Is st. Clair as guide, who started fo
ip the hills in another attempt to solv
I'd the mystery, of Barnum,s disappea
IN ance.
,e 1t was afterward learned that til
Is night Banks came to Kalispell, b
ne waited around the depot after the a
or rival of No. until No. 8, the ives
as bound passenger came in. He the
n boarded it and told the conductor /
was going to Bonner's Ferry. Whe
nearing Jennings Banks claimed
al be sick and ordered a berth in tt
tv sleeper, which he used until aft
e. that town had been passed when I