The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-07-22
Defaulting Postmaster of Utah
Town Lies Dead in Lossee
Valley, While Entire Coun-
try Is Secured for Him.
DREAMS SHOW AN UNCLE
WHERE DEAD BODY LIES
IgnobIe Death Ends Criminal
Career of Joseph Walter
AhlStrom While His Wife
and Three Children Mourn,
STEALS FEDERAL FUNDS

Especial 10 The Herald Republican,
~ ROpIC. Utah Juiy 2t--wbiie post
office officials secured the
United states and Mexico for
traces 90 Joseph Walter Ahi-troHl who
disappeared from his home here on
Way ~. the defnuitinE postmaster Of
Tropic lay dead I'm lonely and inac-
ccssibie spot on the rocky slope Of
through the dreams 80 ht- uncle. ole
Aht-trous. VS. the dead man found
For days after the disappearance of
Ahi-trora. friends md relatives In
Tropic hunted for him I'm vain. and fin
ally gave up the search.
NJ was the belief OF many that ne
had ridden over the mountains and des-
ert~ 60 Green River. where ne had oh
tanned ticket and left Tor Mexico.
Z pon this theory the government
crct service men kept constant viEil
points where he might have touched
with the belief that he was hendcd for
the Mexican country.
NJ was several days after he had left
home before the postal officials In salt
lake rnrte 90 the conclusion that ALL
sfrorn had enibexEied Sz-J5s-Sf during
the ycar aud hair he acted n post
would have been able TO cross she
Mexican border and there seek relief
from the detectives
on May ~, r. r. Nelson. postoffice
% Investigate the books OF Postmaster
Nhlstrom. % years old. Because II the
Irregular reports sent TO the nNHfNItlce
department IN Washington. attention
lad been directed 10 the TropiC post
master. and the inspector was sent
here. The books were checked up. but
found 10 be I'm such condition that no
action was taken az that time. as the
inspector stated ne did not know
whether Ahlstrom had emhczzlad gov
eminent funds or that the shortage
ing.
Takes Leave Of wife.
-Four days after the inspector left
this little hamlet. Ahlstrom appeared at
his home on HIS horse and told his
wife be was going into the hills to
hunt for "a COW which had strayed
away. lie had told his wife OF 20
worry m he did not return that right.
but that ne would be home the next
day. But when he did not return the
next day. nor the next. his wife be-
came anxious. Relatives and friends
started search for him and were in
formed that he had passed through a
sheep camp on May rs. on the read
toward Green River. 10 was tris that
straight 20 Green River and had then
left the country. But I'm spite Of this.
q search was made through the hills
without result.
some time after the disappearance Of
Ahistron. ole Ahistrom. an uncle. had
q dream In which he saw his nephew
lying dead screened by heavy under
brush. Tie told or his dream 20 y few
members OF the family. but nothing
was thought Of the phenomenon. Later
ne had another dream. and the same
spot was shown him whore the youn &
man was lying I'm death. with tho two
horses dead near him. More curiosity
was aroused by this but even thfn
there was no search made, for 70 vas
six weeks after the postmaster had
gone.
But on July ~. ole Ahlstrorn had n
third dream and the identical scene
tContinu-d on PAGE Thrcc-)