Connecticut western news., 1880-10-20
A NOVELIST'S SHADOW.
Was tho Woman Killed in St. Paul the Second of the Author of
 " Rutledge? ?''

A dispatch from St. Paul, Minn., an nounced the violent death of Q lady of means who claimed to be Mrs. s. s. Harris, the author of Rutledge" and other well-known novels. She had been in St. Paul for few weeks only, and said that her home had been in New York. She was intelligent and spright- ly, md her social standing was excel lent. She liked spirited horses. On Sunday with three female friends she went on a pleasure ride behind spirited horses. The animals ran away, Mrs. Harris was thrown out of the carriage and picked up insensible. A few hours afterward she died from concussion of the brain. Her three companions re- fused to divulge their names. A rela- tive of the author of "Rutledge"v visited the hotel,. but did not recognize the lady. Strangely, however, among the lady's effects was manuscript o1 an unfinished novel, and it was appar. ently in the handwriting of the author of Rutledge." An undisputed photo. graph of the son of the author of thai work was also among the papers of Mrs, Harris.
 MT. George W. Carleton, the pub fisher, said to 8 reporter that the au thorship of that novel was kept secret for some years. Many guesses were made as to the authorship and all were wrong. It finally came out that young lady, native of this city, Miss Miriam Coles, wrote the work. Soon after this fact became generally known he heard that an author was writing serial stories for "story papers in Chicago and other Western cities, and signing the name Miriam Coles to the articles. They were written with ability, and in the style of the genuine Miriam Coles. Miss Coles was exceedingly annoyed, O course, and her sensitive temperament made her fret over the matter. MT Carleton made many efforts to learn whe the author of the stories was, but ht never succeeded. The unknown write: made no attempt to deprive the genuine Miriam Coles of her literary honors, ant therefore could not be reached by th' law. Eventually Miss Coles married MT. Sidney s. Harris, lawyer of thi city. She continued to write novels fo Carleton to publish under her name o Miriam Coles Harris. Almost immedi ately the unknown writer in the Wes also changed the signature to her storie from Miriam Coles to Miriam Coles liar ris. It was learned that she travele' about between Omaha, Chicago, La crosse, and Hudson, Wis.
 In August last MT. Carleton receive letter from the Western writer askin that Rutledge" and all the series c Mrs. Harris's writings down to "Missy, the latest, should be sent to her O. c D. They were not sent.
 Mrs. Miriam Coles Harris is now i Southampton, l.. l., with her husband at their summer residence. MT. Carle ton added that Mary J. Holmes has similar shadow, who follows or precede her in her travels, and who represent herself as the author of Mary J. Holmes works. This person has Mary J Holmes's name on her visiting cards and under the name is printed, "Authc of Tempest and Sunshine, etc." Mr' Holmes has arrived at hotels in Euror and found that her shadow had prt ceded her. Sometimes it required som persuasion to convince people that sh was not the impostor herself. MI Carleton says that he never heard ( any other instances similar to these.- " Y Sum-