The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-11-25
JOHN JOHNSON PER|SAED N STORM:
WAS TO PLAY FOR WAITE Dance

With the Temperature Saturday n
furry Of SNOW falling ana swept along
with lntense Aarkness prevailing, little
besnx enacted only abeut six miles ss'
wednesday nlkht spelled n disastrous
Jehn x0hnson. vvhW had set ont afo0t Il
Little Powder river where he had Dronai
1t In knowa that Jehnson left His
Big Powder rivers, and that he took
his violin with him. but he did not
reach his dcstination and since Satur-
day afternoon no trace has been found
of him. His friends have given up
hope Of again seeing him alive.
Headed by Deputy Sheriff Lee War
rem, five neighbors constituted q search
ing party On Wednesday when they
visited all homes in the immediate vi
cintty and made a hurried search along
the draws. but to no avail. On Thanks
giving day, the search was resumed
with every neighbor participating. and
included among them were: Lee War
rem. Ed Doenan, 4. ]. Haley. Herbert
Draine, Glen Ames. Sidney Rlanken-
baker. F.lkins, r. l.. Ainsworth. G. L..
Russell, Carl Russell, John Esoeckel,
Henry Phillippi, Charles w. Waite.
Because of the hilly character Of the
country, the many barbed wire fences
and the snow that covered the ground
to nearly q foot in depth nc progress
could be made afoot by the searchers
SO that they went prepared for the
task on horseback.
It seemed to he the concensus of
opinion that Johnson lost his way in
the darkness and might have fallen
over q cut bank, sustaining injuries
that impeded his progress and MADE
him q victim to the freezing tempera-
ture that prevailed. The Waite ranch
is about four miles east of the john
son place and was being sought in a
course by johnson not followed by
trails Or roads.
Johnson drove his team and wagon
to Eroadus Saturday forenoon and
purchased some salt and baking soda
at local store. He returned To his
place. embarrassed his horses and
placed them in the pasture. The pack
ages he left in the wagon where they
We're afterward found. He partOok cf
Il lunch for the dishes were found as
he left them on his table. and then ne
made ready for the dance. Probably
not realizing the bitterness Of the tenn
perature he started out. leaving his
sheepskin coat behind. III, must have
taken his violin with him, fer it ss
not found at his shack. n sl1ort DIS
tance from his nome was found Il piece
OF cloth clinging to a barbed wire
fence. snagsed from his clothes when
he crawled underneath. This cloth was
recC enized as a sample OF clothes worn
by him.
II was in the middle of the week
that johnson WIS solicited to play his
violin at a dance at the e.. W. Waite
ra.ch the following Saturday night.
He promised to meet the appointment
aud inquired directions from, Carl Rus
sell. Saturday right came but John
son did not appear at the dance and
! at midnight messengers were sent tn
his place. They found his shack aban-
doned but they were not overly un-
easy for they believed he had been
otherv ise detained. Later. however
Carl Russell agaiV visited the Johns.,c
/ place and was ut cnce alarmed by 6nd.
| ing no signs Of habitation. The hogs
and chickens had been left unattended
Russell came to Eroadus and acauaint'
ed the authorities here OF Johnenn't
disappearance and his suspicious tina
the man might have pcrished in th'
tcold. The searching party was organ
ized Wednesday mt rning and startes
in quest Of Johnson. The heavy snow
fall of sunday and Monday had oblit
terated any tracks made by the missing
man so there was no train to follow
A more minute and critical search wa
taken en- THANKSGIVING day when tn
lsnowdrifts were examined as we'll \
coulces and cut banks where Johnso
}might have met with accident and per
ished.
johnson was a single man. about ;
years of age. and was always recoe
nized at a distance by his friends ia
he wore Il derby hat. He was a me
dinln sized man. and a hard worlse
He homesteaded about five years as
and had made good by building 4 Ettl
home and accommodating chickens. hog
and other property that made for hi,
a comfortable living. He was q brothe
Of Victor Johnson. now located at Bel
> lah. \. d.. ana d honesteader nea
t George Rules. He was also relate
{ a. an uncle to John Rosenberg. resii
{ ing en- Third creek.