American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-01-13

Tells Story Of Wanderings and EN-
ployment and Recalls q Few Names,
But Cannot Link Them Together
Story and Picture to be Widely Cir
clated.

The man who was slugged and rob-
bed the night Of December 81, near
the Oregon Short Line depot. and who
has lost knowledge Of his identity
and most Of his past as a result Of
blow in the back Of his head, told
the editor Of the Press all he knew Of
himself and his past, Tuesday after
noon. What he knows is not much,
but it may be enough to result in
finding someone who knows him.
Sheriff Jeffries and E. e. Geesey we're
present throughout the interview and
aided IN asking questions which
brought out all he knows.
The man is intelligent and evidently
has travelled much. He answered
questions readily and all those pres
ent we're familiar with some Of the
places mentioned by him and able to
check him up to some extent The
story will be told in his own language
as far as possible. He said:
Il must have been a travelling man
selling some specially, possibly some
thing connected with soda fountain.
It was something small, and as 1t
seems to me, / carried sample with
me. OF course, what l say may be
only the result OF something like a
dream. 1t may not be true at all.
"It seems that the house l travelled
for was located at Columbus, Ohio. My
territory was mostly in West Virginia,
possibly a little Of 1t In Kentucky,
Maryland and Ohio. i must have
been in Wheeling, West Virginia, on
the 29th or 30th Of June, 1914. 1t was
a day or two before the state went
dry"
Here the man mentioned the towns
and railroads Of that section OF country
some OF them having been in each Of
the three states named above. He
readily stated what state the towns
were in and what railroads he trav-
elled on to reach the towns. Sheriff
Jeffries came from within ten miles
OF wheeling at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio,
and was able to verify bis statements
about the towns and railroads. The
towns mentioned included Fairmont,
wheeling, Weston. Clarksburg. Mar
tinsville, Warrington. Benwood. .Urich-
.viI,e, New phs,edelpbia Tunnelton and
others. He mentioned the little Waldo
hotel at Wallace, and said he must
have stopped there. de said he made
at least three trips between Wallace
and New Martinsville and Clarksbure
over the B & o. Short Line. Con-
tinuing he said:
at seems to me that nave gotten
hold OF a family group. Bill Jones,
his son, Roy Jones and his sons wife,
Hannah. / don't know where these
people lived or whether they ever
lived at all. They may have been
dead for ten years, If they are real
people, for all I know"
His greater familiarity with the Sec
tion around Wheeling suggests that his
home may have been in that part OF
the country. He thinks he knew a
character, a one-armed negro named
Jay Bird who had been best man at
more weddings than any other man
in the United States. This was at Deer
Park, Md. the mecca for eloping West
Virginia couples. He said he had
been more or less in Norfolk. Va, and
at Fort Gay, West Va.
Leaving West Virginia he traces his
route as follows:
"I went to Columbus and settled up
with the house worked for. 1t seems
that had some trouble with the house
From there / went into Kentucky and
I travelled much on foot and horse
back. Pike county is the only county
I remember. I made one trip out from
Williamsburg. / made two trips tc
Ronoake over the Norfolk & Western
Then I went TO Mount Carmel, Indiana
and Carmi, Illinois. Then to Carlo
Bird Point, Mo-. Poplar Bluff. Charles
ton and Sykeston. Stopped at Poplar
Bluff few days and was around Mo
ark two OF three months last winter
from about November / to February
/. II seems / worked on dredgt
boat, probably firing. Tnen 1 went u
Little Rock, Ark, and from there into
Oklahoma, visiting Muskogee. Sapul
pa, Drumrite and Oilton. From there
went to Coffeyville, Kas.. Cherry
vale and Joplin, Mo. ] took sub
urban trips to Girard. Kansas and t.
Carthage, Mo. took another trip In
to Oklahoma, to Miami and Hatton
Vile. and back to Neosho, Pierce City
and Starksville, Mo.
The next remember was going u
Enid, Oklahoma. ] think / received
$4,000 there. ! must have been ex
pecting it, as / was there only thre'
or four hours. ] don't know whethe
! sent II to a savings bank or to al
uncle TO take care of It for me. thinl