The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-22

ter received here, written by a former
resident of the city, in which it was
stated that Mr.. Williams had played
the wrong horse"
Almost a Month.
Mr.. Williams left Billings February
%, when he gave it out that he was
going to Helena, with the intention Of
stopping over for a day or so at Boze-
man, on his return home. Two days
afterward he wrote to Mr.. Dunno,
from Helena, that circumstances had
arisen which would compel him to go
to Portland and Tacoma to complete
the business on which he was absent.
Only few days afterward Mr.. Dunno
received another letter from him,
this one written at Portland, in which
it was stated that he had been sue
cessful and would be back in Billings
in a few days.
Nothing further was heard from him
until March 5, the date of the San
Francisco letter, which was the first
intimation received that he had gone
so far south. While it's receipt occa-
stoned surprise, 1T was accepted as
explaining his continued absence after
the date of his expected return. AS
explanatory of his presence in San
Francisco Mr.. Williams wrote that he
had been obliged to go there to Sc.
cure certifcation of one of the banks
to some drafts, and that he had sue
ceeded in collecting 1926 In cash and
had taken notes for other amounts,
aggregating in all $1,5OO The letter
also contained the information that
the writer of it would start for home
the following day and that he would
return via Denver, where he intended
to stop day. BY making allowances
for the time required to make the re-
turn trip, including the delay at Den
YER, it was figured that he should be
back no later than March IL.
Daily his return was looked for and
the fact that he failed to arrive on
the date allowed for his arrival caused
MIR. Dunno to think that he had either
delayed his departure form San Fran
cisco or else mad tarried longer at
Denver than he intended. Thus the
days passed until last Thursday even
ing, when Mr.. Dunno began to feel
uneasy over the. long continued alb
sence and sent a telegram to the
San Francisco hotel from which Mr.
Williams had written. An answer was
received Saturday morning which
stated that no record existed there OF
the presence of the missing man.
That night messages were sent to
the police at both San Francisco and
Denver asking that search for Mr.
Williams be made. The telegrams
contained a description of him and it
was believed that some trace of him
would be secured.
Seen by Park City Man.
Last Friday D. A. Benedict OF Park
City was in town as a witness before
the district court. He said that j.
w. Sackett of that place had just re-
turned from San Francisco and in a
conversation had mentioned the fact
of having met Mr.. Williams at the
latter town. He also said
that Mr.. Williams had shaved
said that Mr.. Williams had shaved
off his moustache and whiskers, caus
ing marked change in his appear
ance. Mr.. Sackett is credited with
saying that he talked to Mr.. Williams
and that the latter told him he was
going to start for home the following
morning and intended to make a tour
of Chinatown that night. This was
March 5, the date of the letter receiv-
ed from the missing man by Mr..
Dunno.
Today Mr. Sackett was in the city
himself and corroborated the state
ment made by Mr.. Benedict. He
said that while he was standing on one
of the streets of San francisco talk
ing to an acquaintance Williams pass
ed. Recognizing Mr.. Sackett's voice.
he stopped and accosted him. Notic-
ing his changed appearance, Mr.. Sack
EFT jokingly asked him what offense
he had committed at Billings that he
should see fit to appear in disguise.
They exchanged number of remarks,
during which the now missing man
told Mr. Sackett that he had received
several drafts On a San francisco
bank and being so near and never
having visited the place he had con-
cluded to avail himself Of the oppor