Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-01-30
FOUL PLAY
WITH GIRL
SUSPECTED

| NArllonit) REVIEW recently nave furn-
ished a clue to certain Durango and
Mancos people who are Interested in
| learning the whereabouts of r. j. VIII
liams, the former agent in this city
OF the Singer Sewing Machine com
pany, and the man who was in Iall
for while for shooting George
| Chesebro.
Durango people never knew what a
deep-iyed william he was when he
was here. Opinion was divided as to
his provocation for shooting. But this
| story has to do with something be.
sides his shooting scrape. Chesebro
got we'll and Williams Was released ON
straw bond and skipped out
Previous TO his shooting scrape he
took up with a woman named Mrs.
Berg. who had two little girls and liv.
ed AT Mancos for a time. He appar-
| entity had complete control over the
woman and was extremely cruel to
the children. Williams ard the woman
left the children in the house alone
on two occasions noted by the neigh.
bors, and one time they were gone
from home from TUESDAY TO the fol.
lowing Sunday. The neighbors were
so lncensed at this. because the child.
rem were 30 small that they came
near chastising Williams ani the
woman AT that time the oldest girl
was about eight and the younger about
six They were left to sleep alone and
rustic something to eat from the cup.
board the best way they could. A
neighbor discovered them after they
mad been alone for two days and took
them in and looked after them till
their mother and Williams got home.
The family took the name OF williams
and We're forbidden to tell their real
names.
Then they came to Durango, rent
Ing house OF Mrs. Corney, the col.
ored WASH woman who lives on Main
avenue. near the bridge. The family
here went by the name Of Williams.
and the two little girls were great
favorites in the neighborhood.
Then when Williams got ready 10
run away, ne took the family to Man
cos and stayed few days. Mrs. Will
liams left the younger girl, who had
then reached her seventh year. with
family. saying she WAS going TO Wis
it on u ranch near Durango a few
days, after which sne would return
and get the child. The other three
members OF the family then left Man
cos on the train, but they never went
| back The family with whom the
child had been left. thought nothing
| of the matter until a couple OF weeks
wonder. One day the rumor reached
tnem that the elder child had been
| deserted in Durango, and the lady of
the family came TO Durango and put
in several days with the assistance OF
friends trying TO get some trace Of
the child. In the meantime she wrote
TO the grandparents of the children.
Mr. and Mrs. |. N. Virgins, farmers
near Monte Vista, and told them of
| the little ones desertion, and they
begged her To send the child to them,
This the lady did, at her own expense,
the grandparents not having .ne
money for ner fare then, although
they promised to pay 1t when they
were able
All efforts to locate the elder girl
were fruitless. The Mancos lady was
afraid Williams nad made way with
the girl, and her reasons for such
fears were based upon statements
made principally by the smaller girl.
which led her TO believe Williams
would not be bothered long with her.
The little one was afraid even after
deserted TO tell her real name. and 1t
was with the greatest difficulty that
che was induced to tell 1t, or the
names of her grandparents, or any
thing about herself, saying that VIII
liams would kill ner-that he had
frequently threatened to kill her and
her sister, II they told things. Those
threats, together with leaving such
little children alone for days and
nights. and then deserting one Of them
made it easy to believe that he would
not hesitate at murder.
When Williams and the wDman lef1
here 1t WAS believed they went tG
Arizona or New Mexico.
Now another link has been added
to the chain OF evidence tnat streng
thens the belief that the elder CIR
has been made way with. for II aht
! were still alive and deserted II II
more than probable raat something
J would have been heard of hsr sr'
this.