The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-02-27
A Mysterious
Disappearance
A Story Of the Workings Of
Lynch Law
By JOHN TURNLeH

7 By JOHN TURNLeE +
One evening when the stagecoach
stopped at the tavern at B.. a town in
New Mexico. a melancholy looking
man alighted. with no baggage but a
gripsack in his hand. and. being re-
ceived by the landlord. the two went
inside together.
Landlord" said the stranger. II
have come out here from the east to
settle and try to make a living. l
have been recommended to this town.
among others. as one likely to grow.
and I've concluded to put in my stake
here, but ! haven't a cent. It's better
to tell you this in the beginning than
to stay with you awhile and then have
you turn me out for nonpayment of
board. I'm an educated physician and
hope to gather a practice. If you'll
board me while I'm getting patients
I'll pay as l get in fees"
That's just the kind of man we
want out here.' replied the landlord.
Il like the frank way you put the
Henderson refused to help any man
coming into New Mexico to try to
make a living. Most of our people
who have come here from the east
have come strapped. If they hadn't
been strapped they wouldn't have
come. But l don't remember any Of
them that have been as frank about it
as you have. Enter your name on the
register; supper is ready. and after
you've filed up I'll show you to a
room.'
The newcomer thanked the landlord
for his kindness and entered his name
n "Dr. George Atwater. City"
II e you don't give the point you
hail FROM" said the landlord.
"What's the use? I'm a citizen OF
this town."
8 you are-sO you are. Nobody
here cares where anybody comes from
or what he's done elsewhere so long
as he behaves himself after he gets
here"
DR.. Atwater was recommended by
Henderson. the landlord. and occasion
ally got q case in some one of the
guests Of the tavern. he became popu-
lar In the town and would have sue
ceeded had there been people or
q greater proportion Of invalids there.
But B. did not grow as fast Ia had
been expected and was q very health
full place. Atwater managed to pay his
board by turning ove a fee when he
got one. but after he had been at the
tavern about q year there came an in
terval when not q person in the town
was Ill. and. there being n fees. there
was no money to pay board.
In new countries where there is no
law the punishment for crime ia usual
" assumed by a vigilance committee.
There may be conditions Of society
where q vigilance committee is better
than no law or ven poorly admins
tered law, but after all Judge Lynch is
but q return to barbarous methods.
There were ut this time more or less
shooting going on among the citizens
Of New Mexico and considerable horse
stealing. There was no objection to
the shooting SO long as each man had
a fair chance, but the horse stealing
was bitterly condemned. A vigilance
committee was organized to punish
murderers and especially horse thieves.
Since shooting them vas not con
sidered murder the principal business
Of the committee was catching and
Furnishing horse thieves.
One day Bill Evans. one Of the com.
mittee. entered the barroom and of.
Gee combined Of the tavern. Hender-
son was sitting by the stove with his
back to the door. while DR.. Atwater
was leaning against the bar. Evans
came in just in time to hear Hender-
son say to the doctor:
You haven't paid any board in four
months"
That was all the conversation Evans
heard. for Henderson. hearing q step.
turned. and the doctor left the room.
The remark made no further impress.
sion on Evans than to acquaint him
with the fact that Atwater was in debt
for his board.
Ouc U0y 1T. ACWdCST ESCclVcU q lcl-
ter that seemed to produce a marked
effect upon him. After reading it he
put 1t back in its envelope without re-
mark, but Henderson. who was with
him at the time. noticed that be had
received some unwelc0me news. The
landlord. however, was not q man to
pry into other peoples affairs and made
no mention Of the matter to the doctor.
II was not long after this that a
summons came in the middle Of the
night for DR.. Atwater to attend an in
valid. He went on bis errand and did
not return. When q week elapsed and
nothing was cen or heard of him
people began b talk about the case.
Curiosity was the chief incentive tt
debate the matter. and Ill ~specuiated
upon q reason Tor the mysterious dis.
appearance. No possible, clew to the
cause Of his going away wal suR-
eested until Bill Evans told Of the re
marx he had overheard when he had
suddenly entered the tavern and
! A~.r~A unsn6n~nM o~Ala At~~tnr ~