A Peculiar Case—April 18th a contest was heard in the local land office, being Gregory Wagram vs Joseph Kuchner, for the S½ SE¼ and E½ SW¼ 6-133-76. Claimant failing to appear, decision was rendered for claimant. Today the register recieved a letter from R.C. Burlingane, a business man of Brophy, calling attention to the case and stating that he feared Joseph Kuchner had met with foul play somewhere between Hazel S.D. and his claim. Burlingane had interested himself in the young man and when he failed to appear at the time he had written from Hazel that he would reach Brophy he wrote friends in Hazel to make inquiry for him. A Mr. Black from {illegible} Kuchner worked all winter, said he had left there March 26 with a team and wagon he had bought with his earnings and three hundred dollars he had saved to improve his farm, and he supposed he was on the claim. Nothing can be heard of the young man and Mr. Black has offered a reward for information of him. He is said to be a very steady young man and was working hard to earn money to equip himself for his farm life. He already had consideral improvements on his place and had only left it to work through the winter to further improve it.

Bismarck Daily Tribune, 5/22/1906