Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1912-01-30
SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE OF MAN
REPORTED MURDERED ENDS
ACTION FOR DIVORCE.
ABSENCE IS EXPLAINED
Long Missing Contractor Wandered to
Many Parts of the World in Search
OF Money With Which to Clear His
Home of Mortgage-Wife Who
Had Abandoned Hope Overjoyed.

Obsessed by the ambition to make
enough money to enable him to pay
OH mortgage on his home in this
city, lost to friends and family for
over two years, during which period
ne twice crossed the Pacific ocean,
mingled with the almond-eyed natives
OF Hong Kong, touched the shore of
far-off Australia and suffered the
trials of the frozen north, John s.
HOvis, for many years a wellknown
contractor of this city, gave up the
weary search for fortune and ended
the long suspense of loved ones by
walking in upon his family at 1O9
East Broadway Saturday afternoon.
He was once reported murdered and
his wife, having abandoned hope of
ever seeing him again, recently insti-
tuted a suit for divorce. Had he
yielded to the wanderlust for a few
more months or years, perchance the
story OF Enoch Arden would have been
repeated and in this peaceful village
far away from the scene Of Long
fellows immortal tale.
The Disappearance.
Some three years ago, finding him
self in financial difficulties, Hoxis left
this place for otner parts, hoping to
recoup his fortunes and then return
to resume honorable position which he
had once held in Lewistown. He first
went to Deer Lodge, where he made
about $4,000, and his wife urged him
to pay off the mortgage with this, but
he thought he saw an opportunity to
double his stake by investing in a
Ininir@g venture. This venture went
wrong and he lost ALL
Determines to Lose Himself.
So discouraged was he over his mis-
fortune that he determined to lose
himself from family and friends until
some such time as he could once
more get together sufficient money to
pay off the mortgage. At Ogden,
Utah, an unknown man who answered
the description of Hovis was found
murdered and that fact was tele-
| graphed to his family here. An in.
yestigation proved that it was not
! Hovis who was murdered. He him
self knew of the facts but made no at
tempt to reassure his anxious family
| For about a year following his dis
/ appearance in March, 1910, Hovis
wandered over the west and finally
on January ! of last year, took a
boat for Hong Kong, China. He was
| absent on this voyage for about three
months, making the return trip via
Sidney, Austrana. Once more on this
side, he went up into British Columbia
prospecting or gold, and there, few
months ago, ran across an acqua1nt
ance, to whom he told his story. The
friend wrote to Hovis' wife, who theI
sent her husband letter urging hin
| to return .-Ome. But for this, ne
! should have continued his search fol
gold in the northern country.
Divorce Action Dismissed.
AS soon as she knew that her hus
band was coming back home, Mrs
Hovis ordered her attorneys to dis
miss the action for divorce, instituted
several months ago. Although he die
not bring back sufficient money t.
pay off the mortgage, Hovis was sin
! cerely welcomed by his family anf
friends. He says that in all of hi:
wanderings, which have carried hin
to many of the busiest and most beau
tiful spots to be found on three con
tinents, he saw none where oppor
tunity is freer or where the people
are more generous than right here IN
Lewistown, and, like the Arab, who
searched the wide world through fol
coveted treasure, only to find 1t q,
last in his own front yard, he has
come back to the garden spot of the
Treasure state to make his home and
h,Ii1d IN &c,