The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-31
WOMAN TRAVELS
in MANS ATTIRE

Rclette Examiner: Dougal Johns
ton was picked up by Albert Benson
Wednesday in the vicinity of Overly
and taken to Roletts on the charge Of
having stolen $40 from Belmore Men
serud with whom he sept at Hotel
Rolette on Tuesday night and In con-
nection with this affair comes one of
the most interesting stories heard In
this part of the country.
Belmore Monserud lives near Glare
in Stutsman county. He is a married
man and last July had a hired man
named Billy Barnes who had been
one OF the most ardent suitors of his
wife before her marriage. On July JIG
Monserud went to Glare to get some
money for his wife who had planned
to go to Canada to visit with her sis
ter. When Mr.. Monserud returned he
found the hired man and his wife
missing and also a team Of horses.
They had left together and nothing
was heard from them and nothing
known Of their whereabout until about
a week ago when the erring wife re-
turned to her husband, having come
from Canada where she went after
leaving Billy Barnes. She Is said to
have told the whole story of her ro-
mantle adventure over a period Of a
month or more and this explains why
Belmore Monserud arrived in Rolette
Tuesday night on his way to the home
of Dan McCune, who lives seven miles
northwest of Overly, where Billy
Barnes was said to be working with
the missing team of horses. Albert
Benson took Mr.. Monserud out in his
auto Wednesday morning but only got
as far as Overly when Bernes was
found in town driving one of the
horses which he had brought from
Stutsman county. Mr.. Monserud walk
ed right up to his former hired man
and put the proposition UP to him
that he might as well settle up or
there would be action taken to prose-
cute him to the full extent Of the law.
The matter was settled up in some
way and Mr.. Monserud went out to
get his team from the McCune farm.
While returning Albert Benson ran
across man who tailed with the de-
scription of the man wanted for rob-
bling Mr.. Monserud in his room dur
ing the night. Benson arrested him
and took him back to the McCune
farm for Identification. AS he was the
right man he was taken to Rolette
where he confessed to the charge and
claims Is was due to drink as he was
quite badly intoxicated when he COM
mitted the deed.
When he left in the early morning
he did not take his hat or shoes and
walked to Fonda bare footed where
he bought a pair of shoes and a hat.
One Of the most sensational feat
ures in connection with this story is
the claim that Mrs. Monserud cropped
her hair short after leaving her hus-
band and dressed in mans clothes so
that during most of the time she was
with Billy Barnes she was masquer-
aiding as man. The couple drove
the team from Stutsman county and
in their travels stopped at Rolette
where they registered at the hotel as
two men. From here they went to
Dunseith where they stopped for
short time and then went west and
hired out at the McCune farm as la
borers. After a few days Mrs Mon
serud feared that her sex might be-
come known and she managed to get
away and went to her sister in Cam
ada. From there she went home and
told her husband what she had been
doing and where he might find his
horses.
On his trip to Rolette Mr.. Mon
serud met Dougal Johnston at Leeds
They became friends and as Johnston
was without funds Monserud paid his
expenses upon the understanding that
Johnston got money from home which
was telegraphed for at the expense of
Monserud.