Changes

Ratcliff in 1895 wrote George Miller, the superintendent of the Michigan Creek School Board, to request one of the following: (1) that the school be moved closer to the Ratcliff homestead, (2) that a special homebound teacher be assigned to assist him in the education of his children, or (3) that he be allowed to use the school textbooks and materials for [[home schooling]]. At the time, public school was held in Park County only in the winter, as children were needed for farm and ranch chores during the remainder of the year.<ref name=vandusen/> Ratcliff asked for the assistance to accommodate Lizzie's handicap because the school was seven miles away.<ref name=transcript/> When the school board would not meet any of his requests, Ratcliff became frustrated, and events soon turned to disaster.<ref name=vandusen/>

Ratcliff in 1895 wrote George Miller, the superintendent of the Michigan Creek School Board, to request one of the following: (1) that the school be moved closer to the Ratcliff homestead, (2) that a special homebound teacher be assigned to assist him in the education of his children, or (3) that he be allowed to use the school textbooks and materials for [[home schooling]]. At the time, public school was held in Park County only in the winter, as children were needed for farm and ranch chores during the remainder of the year.<ref name=vandusen/> Ratcliff asked for the assistance to accommodate Lizzie's handicap because the school was seven miles away.<ref name=transcript/> When the school board would not meet any of his requests, Ratcliff became frustrated, and events soon turned to disaster.<ref name=vandusen/>

Some believed that Ratcliff was involved in the disappearance of a neighboring rancher, Gottlieb Fluhmann, a [[Switzerland|Swiss]]-American, with whom he may have quarreled. Ratcliff and Fluhmann lived thirty miles apart separated by a rough road. Ratcliff was never a suspect in Fluhmann's disappearance, which was not resolved until 1944 and then only partially so.<ref name=carrigan>{{cite web|url=http://tri-lakestribune.net/stories/Gottlieb-Fluhmanns-ghost-and-Ratcliff-side-of-the-story,66720|title=Rob Carrigan, Gottlieb Fluhmann's ghost and Ratcliff side of the story, October 27, 2012|publisher=trilakestribune.net|accessdate=January 21, 2014}}</ref> Ratcliff fenced off his property so that his neighbors could not gain access to water from the Upper Tarryall.<ref name=vandusen/>

Some believed that Ratcliff was involved in the disappearance of a neighboring rancher, Gottlieb Fluhmann, a [[Switzerland|Swiss]]-American, with whom he may have quarreled. Ratcliff and Fluhmann lived thirty miles apart separated by a rough road. Ratcliff was never a suspect in Fluhmann's disappearance, which was not resolved until 1944 and then only partially so.<ref name=carrigan>Rob Carrigan, "Gottlieb Fluhmann's ghost and Ratcliff side of the story," ''Tri-Lakes Tribune,'' October 27, 2012.</ref> Ratcliff fenced off his property so that his neighbors could not gain access to water from the Upper Tarryall.<ref name=vandusen/>

==Crime and punishment==

==Crime and punishment==