The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-04-29
DECLARES HE
SAW WILLIAMS
TRAVELLER SAYS HE SPOKE TO
MISSING MAN.
KNOWS HIM VERY WELL
Startling Story Brought from Butte
by Judge Matheson Regarding
Absent Clerk.

by an acquaintance extending over a
period of several years, during which
at intervals OF a few months they
have met in social and business way,
| d. C. Anderson declares he saw and
spoke to T. A. Williams at Butte,
no longer ago than last Wednesday,
the Gay before yesterday
This somewhat startling news was
brought to the city yesterday morning
by Judge J. d. Matheson, who spent
Tuesday and Wednesday at Butte.
Met in Hotel.
Wednesday evening at about z
O'Clock the Judge met George A.
Griggs, until week or two ago a resi-
dent of Billings, but now residing at
Butte, and was told by him that Mr.
Anderson had declared earlier in the
day that he had seen Williams and
spoken to him that afternoon. While
the two were still talking about the
matter Mr.. Anderson appeared and
repeated, word for word, the story re-
lated by him to Mr.. Griggs. This was
that at about 2:30 o'clock that after
noon he had entered the rotunda of
the Thornton hotel and had seen Will
liams sitting down talking to a man.
Noticing that they were apparently
engaged in an important conversation,
Mr.. Anderson said he had simply re-
marked to Williams, as ne passed him(
Hello, Williams" For reply WI
liams had merely said, Hello" and
continued to address the man with
whom he was talking.
Mr.. Anderson, who travels for Bar
nard & Co., st. Louis stationery
concern, was emphatic in his assevera-
tions to Messrs. Matheson and Griggs
that he could not possibly have been
mistaken, as he knew Williams we'll,
having repeatedly called on him in
his Office here. He furthermore said
IuoC w A1A1oAAS LoO q 1Ql1 OCoiu, liz
same as he was wont to wear until
he shaved down to moustache, short
ly before he left, Billings.
An UnavaiIing Search.
AS soon as they had heard the
statement of Mr., Anderson, Messrs.
Griggs and Matheson started out to
make a search of the city, hoping they
might see or hear something OF Viii
liams. They went to the principal
hotels and scanned the registers, but
could not find where he was register
ed, is in the city. Next they made a
tour of all the resorts and public
places where it was thought he might
have dropped in, but with no better
success. They spent a considerable
time in the hunt and finally gave it
up, convinced that further search
would be useless.
Believe It a Mistake.
While it is regarded as quite un-
1lhSuy Iudl luC lIdVSlluS uldu was
mistaken in his Identification, still it
is believed by Williams friends that
a mistake must exist somewhere.
They cannot bring themselves to the
inbeQief that he could have been in
Butte, even for a short time, without
some one who knew him meeting him,
as many there are known to be per-
sonally acquainted with him. The fact
that Mr.. Griggs as now been there
for about two weeks and has not seen
Williams is considered strange by
them, although on the other hand it
is contended that this could very cas-
lily happen, as Mr.. Griggs is confined
closely to his business during the
day and but little given to going out
at night, and particularly to such
places that Williams would be likely
to visit.
Acting on the information brought
by Judge Matheson, E. w. Dunno, dep
uty clerk of the court, said he would
send telegram to the police of Butte
and ask their aid, in the slender hope
that Williams might be found there.
Miss Panton has choicest sweet pea