The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-09-13


was visiting her. In one of these spare
bedrooms was an old-fashioned bureau
and book case combined, the top drawer
of which could he converted into desk.
The back part of this drawer was fitted
up with small drawers. One of these
small drawers had from time immemo-
rial been used as money drawer. In
the summer of 1879 the sum of 1866 was
missed from the drawer; in the summer
of 1880 $500 more mysteriously disap-
peared, together with quantity of gold
coins which had been in the family for
over q century. On the Goth day of last
May Miss Smith loaned to a neighbor
$500, giving him her check and he
signing note in her favor. Sickness
prevented him from presenting the
check at the bank at Columbus, and
learning that Miss Smith was going to
the city on the 30th, he requested her to
get it cashed. She did so and returned
with Mollie about dark ou that day,
having the money all in 500 bills.
"The house was all securely locked
down stairs and Miss Smith deposited
the $500 in the secretary drawer, locking
it and placing the key in the bureau
drawer beneath. She then locked the
room containing the bureau and placed
the key under some quilts that lay in
wardrobe in her bedroom. Before re-
firing she locked her bedroom door and
she and Mollie retired for the night in
separate beds in the same room. The
next morning, April lst, the neighbor
who had borrowed the money, having a
long journey to perform, during which
he expected to make payment on some
land he had purchased, called as early
as o'clock, before Miss Smith and
Mollie had arisen.
Awakening Miss Smith, she took
her key from the wardrobe, unlocked
the bedroom, then taking the bureau
drawer key from the under drawer of
the secetary, opened this to find the
money gone. She went down stairs;
everything was locked and bolted as she
had left it the night before.
w hO LOOh bhnU hOhOy
"That was the question that confront
ed me. There was no sign of burglary
no lock forced; windows and doors all
right. No one else in the house but
Miss Smith and Mollie. OF course, at
once examined the girl. She talked
freely; said she always had PRESENT.
ment that the money would be stolen
in fact, had a presentiment that night,
but feared to tell the old lady for fear
of alarming her. 1 soon learned that
Mollie had key which fitted the bed
room containing the bureau, hence my
suspicious were strengthened that Mollie
had arisen in the night, either unlocked
the door with her own key or taken the
one in the wardrobe, and securing the
money, hid it either in or about the
house without awakening the old lady.
/ finally told Mollie that should have
to search her and make thorough ex-
animation of the house.
"Well, she naively remarked, IF you
do find money about the house it won't
prove that stole it, will itp"
"' 1t will be prima facie evidence
said.
60 locked her up in her bedroom, and
began a thorough search; bandboxes
pried into, bureau drawers pulled out,
cupboards ransacked, and finally went
through her own room. Under the
carpet under her bed found in COM
pact wad twelve one hundred dollar bills
Now, the total amount known to be
missing was only Sl,O45. Where had
the Sl55 come fromS Where had the
gold coins gone to Was the bureau
drawer paying interest on its deposit2
"' Now I've got you Mollie, said as
confronted her.
s. Mollie tainted.
A bottle of camphor and little cold
water brought her speedily to, yet she
sturdily proclaimed her innocence.
g didn't take Miss Smiths money;
no, ] did not she conclusively exclaim-
ed between her sobs.
g Miss Smith would not allow me to
take her to Jail, where 1 reasoned con-
tinement would soon COMPEL her to
confess.
My work, however, was but par
TALLY done, for the gold coins had not
turned up.
T" determined that those coins must
be in the house, and resolved upon a
thorough search from cellar to garret.
The cellar disclosed nothing; and at last