The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-12-20
Mysterious Disappearance Is
Still UnsoIved.
tuE STATE LINE SECTION IS EXCITED
Nsahbors Still Believe He Was Muir.
asred by Enemies-The Story Of
Strange Man.

Nine out of every ten men in the
Valla Walla river country firmly be-
ieve that G. w. George, the state line
farmer, who disappeared from his
last Saturday night, has been mur-
dered and that his body has either
been taken out Of the country or else
lies hidden in some isolated place
along the Walla Walla river. The
theory that his body has been sunk
in the river has been given up, as
every foot of the stream for miles
above and below the ranch has been
| thoroughly dragged.
Nothing in recent years has stirred
AAh so much excitement in the state
lie country as has the disappearance
4 Of George. Neighbors of the missing
man stoutly maintain their belief that
| he has been foully dealt with by en-
emies but by whom they do not
know. They claim there was no mo-
tive for George to kill himself or leave
the country The recent troubles that
| he has had over domestic affairs, these
neighbors claim, were not of a serious
enough character to cause him to
leave without acquainting relatives of
his intention.
Deputy Haviland and a reporter for
the Evening Statesman drove to the
George ranch on the Walla Walla
Yesterday afternoon. Just as the Of
fcer and reporter drove up a party
Of neighbors returned from a hunt
down the river They were disheart-
ened over their inability to obtain any
clue Of the missing man. Earlier in
the day two bloodhounds from the
penitentiary, in charge of a prison
guard, tried to take up the trail from
| the house but without success. The
Scent was too old and after following
the trail for a couple of hundred yards
the dogs We're at sea. Repeated at
tempts to pick up a trail left by
George resulted in failure.
Neighbors Greatly Exercised.
The George ranch yesterday, as it
has been since Sunday morning, was
The cent-r of attraction for farmers
niles around. Groups of neighbors
NNl had just returned from trips
aded the country stood about and
discussed the mysterious affair. Not
man would express any other opin-
ION, except that Neighbor George had
oeen done away with. The finding OF
nat, covered in places with human
ffoodt was the nearest approach to
cue Of the possible fate of George
mat has yet been found. The hat was
ouhd on the state line road about a
nile due south of the George ranch
~ A1St 1t was declared by neighbors
% be Georges hat but relatives Of the
HlSslng man declared it was not his
Inc only difference between the hat
worn by George and the one found
yesterday was in the color of the band
0eorge's hat had a navy blue ban6
while the hat found yesterday mad g
eearl gray band. In this however the
'eld'lves may be mistaken.
deputy Haviland yesterday spent
nearly two hours at the ranch going
over every bit of ground hunting fol
any clue that might have been over
'OoAed in the excitement. Neighbor:
we're closely questioned for any in
iOrfnation that might lead to a clue
''unlors were flying about but they
p'0'ed to be merely hearsay or elst
''e Imagination Of some one.
The Man On the Bridge.
Neighbors lay great stress on thu
'' mat strange man was seen sew
al times last week on the bridg'
4oW the George ranch This is tn,
an Suspicioned of being responsible
deorges disappearance, but VIII
man is or where he came from M
seemed to know. c. A. Mcdonald
"eighbor of George and the las
70 see him, yesterday said tina
vile had seen the mysterious mai