Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1904-02-12
MILNE AS A SHERLOCK HOLMES.
An Attempt to Beat the Order
OF Home Guardians Results in
Grief to A Mr.. Coolidge.

| Tho following special from Mitchell
will be of local interest to LEADER
readers because of there being numer
ous frsternal societies involved.
"After being accepted as dead War
rem T. Coolidge, Of Redfield, is found tc
be very much alive
Some time in Jnly Coolidge secured
something like sl1 900 in the A o. U.
W., M. B. A., M. w. A Peoples Fra.
ternal Union. Christian. Burden Bear
ers and the Home Guardians of this
city. The last policy was taken out on
the day he passed through Mitchell
on his way to California on July 10 On
August 20 it was reported that Cool
idge was drowned at Long Beach. Cal.
and shortly after the proofs Of death
were forwarded to the various compan.
les, parties In California being witnesses
Of the accident.
Supreme Secretary Milne Of the Home
Guardians of this city, looked with
considerable suspicion upon the death
Of Coolidge, bis attention being drawn
particularly to the unusual number of
matters being set forth in the affidavits,
things that were not required in a
death that was above suspicion.
Mr.. Milne wrote at once to Benjamin
Smith. attorney for the M. W. A., at
Rock Island. ILL.,, and expressed his
opinion that there was fraud connected
with the death of Coolidge, inasmuch
as at no time had there been any evi-
dence submitted that an effort had been
made to recover the body Of the deceas-
ed Mr. Milne also wrote to the other
orders and informed them of the cir
cumstances, and all but one of the or
ders went together to find Coolidge,
hiring a detective for the purpose of
running him to earth. ~ \
The Workmen grand lodge came
near settling the claim. and up to Jan.
they were about ready to settle the
death loss, but they got information at
that time which led them to believe
that all was not right.
Supreme Field Marshal J. G. Milne
was empowered by the other orders
concerned in the insurance to make
the trip out west to locate Coolidge. It
had been ascertained that he had been
located at or near Sheridan. Wvo. On
Jan %, Milne left for Sheridan, having
received word that Coolidge could be
secured On arriving there the fol.
lowing day Mr. Milne found that the
detective did. not have his man in his
possession but was confident he was
near Sheridan. He ascertained that
q man supposed to be Coolidge waa
there and called for his mail at the
post Office under the name Of Frank
Farewell, but had never been able to
encounter him
They were finally able to secure
some trace OF their man by another
party calling at the postoffice and get:
ting Farwell's mail, and this eventual
ly led Milne and the detective to inves'
tigate the coal miner, located about
Is miles from Sheridan Farwell did
not seem to be known by the super
intendent of the mine. although 9
pretty accurate description was giver
Of him. From the company store
clerk it was learned that Coolidge, o,
Farwell. had secured voucher will
the mum Der 5O4, and by this means
Farwell was identified by the super
intendent. At the noon hour Milne
and the detective stood at the mouth
of the mine. we'll armed, and waited fol
their man to come from work. 4: The
miners were begrim1ned with coal dus
and had more the appearance of being
negroes than white men. When Cool
idge appeared at the opening Milne
stepped forward and addressed him by
his right name, but he denied his iden
tity stoutly, and maintained his name
was Farwell. Milne had picture OF
Coolidge taken some time before with.
out whiskers and he showed that before
his face, but the alleged dead man sur.
veyed it calmly and still maintained he
was not the man. The picture was one
forwarded by the relatives to the insur-
ance company as one of the proofs of
death. Milne, however, was sure of
him by his large nose. and together the
trio walked to the mining company e
boarding house to talk over the situat-
ion.
After dinner Milne and the de.
tective put Coolidge in the ''sweatbox'
and for an hour they quizzed him on
all points. This was the undoing of the
man, for in telling his story he made
several bad admissions, and when the
hope was held out to him that he would
not be prosecuted he finally gave up
and bursting into tears admitted that
his name was Coolidge.
Coolidge pleaded with Milne not to
bring any further disgrace on his fam.
lily and that he is willing to do any.
thing to strai ghten out the matter
Coolidge accompanied Milne to Sher.
man and there signed the papers which
established the fact that Warren T.
Coolidge was alive.
At this time Coolidge was in cor.
respondance with firm Of attorneys
at Madison, Wis, and with his daugh.
ter, who was the leading beneficiary IN
the policies. His wife had left him
some time ago and had commenced
| nr0ceedinps for q divorce Hoxu lnuch