The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-07-15
Demented Passenger Jumps From a
Passenger Coach Near Coram.
FOUND WANDERING IN WOODS
BY Search Party Next Day-Was
T.. Almost Naked and Weak and
Wounded When He Was Taken
Into Camp-He Was Round for
Everett, Wash. <,

4
An aged German named M = had
an experience last Thursday q rht
that is one of the most rema =. 'e
of the kind that ever occurred il ~
county and that ne escaped ain
unhurt is miraculous. In compa
with his wife and daughter, and thre
grand children, he had boarded No
at st. Paul, with Everett, Wash,
as his destination. All went we'll un-
til the train was about two miles east
of Coram when Miller left his seat,
saying he was going to the toilet
room. The train stopped at Coram
and, after leaving that station some
miles behind, his wife and daughter
became alarmed at his long absence
and the latter went to the toilet room
and found it empty. She screamed
and notified the conductor, who i'm
mediately instituted a thorough
search of the train, but without re-
suit, and it was decided that Miller
had leaped from the moving train
from the window in the toilet room.
The train came on to Kalispell and
it was decided that on account of her
speaking the best English, Miss Rup-
pie, Miller's daughter, should stop off
here and take up the search for her
father the next day, while Mrs. Mil
Ter and the grandchildren should go
on to Eeverett. kilograms were
sent to the section foreman at Coram
to be on the lookout for Miller's body;
all trainmen were notified to the
same effect. Friday forenoon, Mrs
Ripple remained at the home of
Mrs. P. t. Mettler and when by noon
no word had been received other
than the finding of Miller's hat, she
decided by the advice of Mrs. Nett
Ter to go up to Coram and take up
the search herself. A freight train
was just leaving for the east and by
order of the railroad officials it was
held until Mrs. Ripple and Mrs
Mettler could board it. Coram was
reached late in the afternoon and
the two women, accompanied by the
daughter of Mr. Ward, the section
foreman, started out on the search.
The section men pointed out where
Mlller's hat was found and nearby
where the grass was bent down in
the shape of a human body. Foot
prints were also found leading off
into the woods.
For several hours the search was
maintained, and at one time it was
thought that an answer was re-
ceived to the calls of Mrs. Ripple,
but about 7:30 o'clock it was given
up and the party returned 10 the Sec
tion house to await the arrival of
NO. 3, to return to Kalispell. They
had been there only a short time
when Miller walked up to the house
clad only in light pair Of under
drawers He was apparently not in
Jured by his experience, but was out
OF his mind and did not recognize his
daughter when she approached him.
His feet were bruised and bleeding
from walking over the stones with
out shoes and he presented a most
pitable appearance. He was taken
into the house and supplied with
clothing and brought to Kalispell
that night.
After nights rest he was more
rational. but only for short periods.
and was unable to give any account
of his nights wanderings. He had no
recollection of jumping from the
= train and said when he awakened in
the woods he had no idea how he
came there. His clothes, he said. he
had taken off because he was so
warm, and had hung them on
bush. He remained in bed all day
Saturday and left that night for his
destination.
His daughter said that he had acted
queerly throughout Thursday and had
taken off his gold watch and given it
together with $50 to his wife. There
was nothing of value in his clothes.
Miller at different times in the past
few years claimed that there were
several men after him whom he was
AFRAID of, and on Thursday he
claimed that he saw one OF them on
the train, and it is supposed that he
jumped from the crain to evade his
imaginary pursuers He had been
watched throughout the day, but it
was not thought that he would take
the desperate step ne did. His health
was badly shattered by his rough, ex-
perience, but beyond a few slight
scratches on his face and a bruise on
his shoulder, he has no marks to
show for his jump from the train
Miller was a member of the Mod
ern WoOdYnen and the locaI camn