Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-06-14
IS MONTFORT
MAN VICTIM
OF AMNESIA?
Clyde Stephens, Banker,
Missing Since
Thursday.

Clyde K. Stephens, Montfort banker,
disappeared from his home Thursday
evening last and yesterday morning
dawned with the mystery still un-
solved
In the meantime every foot Of the
rough country north of Montfort,
where Mr.. Stephens had been seen
last, was secured by hundreds Of
searchers. Blue River, a stream ris-
ing in the hills near CentervilIe, was
dragged for several miles, the rock
creyices along the river cliffs looked
into and the wooded recesses in the
hills searched. The only things found
were Mr.. Stephens coat and vest in
one place in the woods and his collar
and tie by q rock a few feet away.
Bloodhounds, used Friday, traced the
scent from q pair of Mr.. Stephens
stockings, from the road where he
left his car, through the woods and
back to the nigh road oil the hills
above, there the trail ended.
Mr.. Stephens left Monitor. in his
Mitchell car about 4 o'clock Thursday
afternoon. He sent word to his wife
that he was going fishing at Parish's
bluff, along Blue River, about three
miles north of town. Upon his fail
IRE to return after midnight Mrs.
Stephens summoned Dr. Ketterer and
Jas. K. Stephens, Clyde's father, and
a search was made in the moonlight
of the region where Clyde was sup
posed to have gone. Nothing was
found, but next morning a larger
party of searchers found the articles
of apparel mentioned, in a spot gone
over the night before.
Searching went on all day Friday
Saturday and part of Sunday, but was
finally abandoned in the belief that
the search was futile.
Numerous stories have been afloat
about Mr.. Stephens being in financial
difficulties, errors in bank books,
Minnesota land speculation misuse of
trust funds, ETC., but to date nothing
has been discovered to bear these out
in the examination made by the state
banking department since Friday
when officers took charge at the re-
quest of the family.
Mr. Stephens is cashier of the Mont
for State bank and the son-in-law Of
Mrs. P. T. Stephens. widow of the
banks founder. His wife, Mrs. Tina
Stephens, owns $4,000 of the banks
total stock of $4,000. The last state
ment, issued in May showed footings
OF $3.50, 232.S2. According to people in
touch with the situation the banks
affairs have been checking up COR
rectly and the paper seems to be gen.
orally as good as that of any bank in
these trying times.
On the other hand it is said that
Mr. Stephens had been dealing in
Minnesota farm property and this is
not disputed. 1t may be that the
slump in land values caught him as it
has caught thousands OF others, caus-
ing him considerable worry.
After going over the ground, talk
ing with Montfort people familiar
with the case and endeavoring to get
at the facts the Herald's conclusion is
that Mr.. Stephens is alive. We be-
lieve that his affairs outside the bank
worried him to the point that he be-
came muddled and wandered away.
His driving a car out OF town and
leaving it facing the village, his word
to his wife, the finding OF the cloth
ing, these and other things point to a
condition known in medical science
as "amnesia," or loss Of memory. Mr..
Stephens was popular, trusted and
not under suspicion. Had he desired
to "Skip" he could nave easily uoue
so and been thousands of miles away
without exciting suspicion for two
weeks or more. Our conclusion is
that he will be found and his affairs
straightened out. What report the
bank examiners will make remains to
be seen.
A boy named Eifert, swimming in
Blue River, saw Mr.. Stephens late
Thursday afternoon. The banker was
walking along the road with his coat
on his arm. From there his trail, so
far. has ended in thin air. A pathetic
side of the story was told at Montfort
Sunday. During the long night hours
Mrs. Stephens headed the searchers
calling her husbands name in firm,
clear voice. The pathos of this made
tears come to the eyes OF the other