The Van Buren press., 1904-08-27
DR. r. c. LlGHTLE is ALIVE.
Missing Physician Returned TO Home
at Searcy on August 20.

DR.. Richard G. Liehte, the Sesrcy
physician who is alleged to be wanted
for conspiracy to defraud several in
surance companies. and whose sup
posed death May % and the develop
ments of tine past two weeks that he
was alive. created one Of the greatest
sensations in the state, has returned
TO his former home at Searcy, He ar.
rived there alone. from Memphis early
on the morning OF August 20, and go
ing TO the home Of his mother who
was away from home, Crawled
through the window There he was
seen a few moments later by CORES
pOndent who telephoncd his paper at
Little Rock. That paper called up
the Lightle residence in Searcy on
,he long distance telephone and DR..
Lightle, himself, answered the phone
and submitted to an interview. When
asked why he left. he said that he
was working in his barn disecting a
and the place caught fire. Realizing
the serious penalty for rohbing a
grave, he made his way quietly out OF
the town and went to South Crolin@
and from there to Georgia. He did
not communicate with his wife until
recently Ho says he did lot know
that he was supposed to be dead, but
was afraid to return for fear that he
would be arrested for grave robbery.
He recently returned to Memphis and
was there when the sensation was
sprung that he was still alive. He
says that he then learned for the first
time what a mess be was in and de
cided to return to Searcy and face
the music. He says he did not know
until then that the insurance money
.ad been paid his wife He stated
that he returned home voluntarily
and alone and that he had seen no Ar.
kansas officers since be left the state.
He said that he would surrender him
self at once TO the officers. He in
sisted that there was no attempt at
fraud, and that he had simply left
after the barn caught fire for fear
that he would get into trouble for
robbing a grave. He would not state
whose body he was working on, but
intimatcd that Il was that Of Pitts.
The first thing Dr Lightle did when
he returned home was to call up his
wife at Little Rock on the long dis.
tance telephone and tell her that he
was again at home.
The Lightlo case forms an intense.
ly dramatic story On May % the
LiGhtle barn at Sarcy was burned and
the charrcd body Of man was found.
Beside it was a watch Identified as
that of Or. LightlC Al the COroner's
inquest the body was identified as
that of the doctor who had not been
seen since the previous night The
body was inferred in the Lighuc lot
Later it developed that DR. LiGhtle
carried $4,000 lire insurance. Sev.
cral circumstances were recalled
which gave rise 10 the belief that Dir.
Lighuc was not dead, and that the
body was that Of another person,
Detectives were put to work and
became convinced that the rumor was
correct They had the grave Of Ed
Pitts at Searcy who had been buried
about the time Of the fire. opened and
II was found to be- empty This and
other evidence caused suits to be
brought at Little Rock attaching the
life insurance money in Little Rock
bank to the credit Of the supposed
widow. Later she paid 1t all over to
the companies. On August l6, re.
QUESTION on the governor Of Georgia
was secured for Lightle and officers
left at once to arrest him While
they were away he returned home.
Sheriff j p Wood Of White county
and Deputy Sheriff Chichester Of Lit.
tie Rock, the latter representing the
insurance companies, returned on Aug,
ust % from Georgia where they went
week previous with roquisition for
the arrest Of DT Il LightIe Of Scar.
cy They had TO ride l40 miles over.
land in buggios while gone Sheriff
Wood gave out the following inter.
view;
Deputy sheriff A, Chichester and
reached Clayton, Ga, which is In
the northeast corner Of the state, just
a day after Or Lightic left We knew
where he was, but cannot state how
II was we found out Dr Lightle had
been going under the assumed name
Of r. Il Graham, and was working "a
n carpenter People in the ncighbor'
hood say he was a pretty good carpcn.
ter, too have in my possession an
afndayit signed by woman IN Goor.
gin which will have an important bear.
ing on the case should the insurance
companies press the charges against
Dr. Lightlc."
Old Cotton Stock Movinq.
The stock OF old cotton which has
hcnp on hapI iu uJurChpuyc, at 1 lttle