The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-22
HE
HAS LEvANTED
ABSENCE OF +. A. WILLIAMS RE-.
eARDED susPIcIoUsLY.
UGLY sRUMORS ARE AFLOAT
Missing Mans Friends Discredit Foul
Play Theory Advanced by
Some Last Week.

Some Last Week.
Much as they dislike to bring them
selves to accept the belief, the friends
and acquaintances of I. A. Williams
are beginning to be of the opinion that
his long continued absence from the
city is the result of deliberation on
his part, rather than the outcome of
an accident that may have befallen
him. In other words, they place lit
tile credence in the theory that he
met with foul play and was robbed
and murdered for what money he
may have had with MIN at the time
he was last heard from, which was at
Sam Francisco, when Marcn 5 he
wrote to e. w. Dunno, his deputy in
the Office of the clerk of the district
court. The letter was received four
days later and was written on station
cry of the Golden West hotel. In their
opinion Mr.. Williams is absenting
himself rather than face some people
whose confidence it is believed he
violated to ain extent that makes him
fearful of the consequences, should
they care to apply to the law and
courts for redress
Rumors Are Many.
During the last few days many
|rumors have been corculating freely
that a, weakness for venturing on
games of chance has been the cause
of his downfall and that in giving
way to that weakness he lost money
not his own, and being unable to make
good the various amounts credited to
his shortage he has concluded to add
another to the many cases of mystic
rious disappearance. One report is
that transaction involving land scrip
approximately 5000 in value is in part
responsible for his absence, and still
another report has it that shortage
of something like $500 is chargeable
to him. In the latter instance it is
alleged that the money was given to
him to be paid to the Northern Pa
>cifc land department for land bought
by settler. Complaint was made
through second party a few days
ago that the money had never been
paid. This, it is said, was the first
intimation the man had that anything
was wrong, having believed that the
money had been paid, as Mr. Williams
was local agent for the company, act
ing under the company's state land
agent
In the other case it is charged that
Mr.. Williams was given money to
buy large amount of scrip; that he
did SO and that when the scrip was
received it was in blocks larger than
the purchaser could apply; that the
purchaser then gave the scrip to Mr..
Williams to sell, as he was in a po-
sition where he had frequent oppor-
>tunities to dispose of collateral of
that Sort This occurred months ago
and it is said that the owner of the
paper has never been able to secure
it's return or it's equivalent in money,
notwithstanding frequent demands for
return of the scrip have been made.
Each time, it is alleged, he made
some excuse, usually saying the scrip
was at his home and that it would
be returned the next day, when he
would bring it to his Office.
Those familiar with his habits and
movements say that during the last
few months Immediately preceding his
departure from the city Mr.. Williams
gambled heavily and invariably with
poor results. Specific instances are
related where he lost much at differ
ent gambling houses on the south side,
and some who pretend to be informed
allege that his losings aggregate no
less than $4,000. The amounts he
is credited with having lost are con-
sidered to have been greatly in ex-
cess of his salary as clerk of the court
and this gives rise to the suspicion
that he played money not his own.
Whether true or not, the reports are
that he was heavily involved, owing
money to many parties, when he left
the city.
Since leaving town and after his
arrival at Seattle, it is said, he played