The Owosso times., 1881-10-21
FOR THE CHILDREN.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVI.
DENCE.

DLNOCs
! Never condemn a person on circum.
stantial evidence, it is unreliable, even
when the circumstances seem to fit in
to each other like couple of cog
Wheels said John Il. Morris, who is an
experienced detective Of Springfield,
| Ohio.
Give us the story, Uncle john
Not long ago there resided in Frank
lin county a wealthy old maid, Miss
Sabina Smith. BY inheritance she was
the possessOr of large farm, on which
was an old-fashioned, though comfort
able dwelling house. She was reputed
to have a good square bank account
| How old is she?'
| We'll, on the shady side Of 20, and
she had weakness like all old maids,
not for kittens, poodles or canaries, but
for children. She had raised several
orphan girls, who are now well settled
in life. In 1865, she adopted six
year-old, black-eyed girl, bright as a
button, named Mollie Mccain, whose
father had fallen in battle fighting for
his country, while her mother, crazed
with grief, pined and faded away.
Mollie soon learned to love her new
mother, and from a prattling maid in
short clothes and pinafores she soon
bloomed forth into gushing school
girl, and at 18 was the belle of every
rustic gathering-the pretty Miss Mol
lie McCann, over whom the boys raved
and the girls envied. To all her ad-
mirers she turned deaf ear, and with
a pretty toss of the head and a merry
twinkle of her roguish eye, bade them
off and not bother her.
Miss Smith was sensible; knew that
MOllie would probably marry and have
home of her own some day, so she
neither discouraged her fondness for
society nor harped upon the miseries of
welded life in the maiden's ear, but
when she came back from the state fair
at Columbus in 1873, and told her
adopted mother about the young gen.
| tleman she had met, his attentions and
good qualities, Miss Smith was not
| pleased, nor did she hesitate to frown
her displeasure and advise her ward to
turn willing ear to the many suitors
of the neighborhood instead of seeking
in far-off fields that which was nearest
home.
But MOllie was like many another
struck on travelling man, and she
carried on secret correspondence
with him through lady friend for a
long time, until at last they were EN-
gagged.
Miss Smith and Mollie were the sole
occupants of the house. The bedrooms
were four in number, two of which
were used as spare rooms, one occupied
by Miss Smith and containing two beds
Mollie occupying one, Miss Smith the
other. The fourth bedroom was called
Mollie's, but was only used by her when
lady friend was visiting her. In one
of these spare bedrooms was an Oldfash-
ioned bureau and bookcase combined
the top drawer of which could be con.
verted into desk. The back part OF
this drawer was fitted up with small
drawers. One of these small drawers
had from time immemorial been used
as money drawer. In the summer
Of 1879 the sum of 1855 was missed
from the drawer; in the summer of 1886
5000 mysteriously disappeared, together
with quantity of old gold coins which
had been in the family for over CEN
tury. On the Goth day of last May
Miss Smith loaned to neighbor $500
giving him her check and he signing a
note in her favor. Sickness prevented
his presenting the check at the bank at
Columbus, and, learning that Miss
Smith was going to that city on the
30th, he requested her to get it cashed
She did so, and returned with Mollie
about dark ON that day, having the
money all in 800 bills.
The house was all securely locked
down stairs, and Miss Smith deposited
the $500 in the secretary drawer, closed
the drawer, locking it and placing tht
key in the bureau drawer beneath. Sht
then locked the room containing tht
bureau, and placed the key under some
Iquilts that lay in a wardrobe in her bed
room. Before retiring she locked hel
bedroom door and she and Mollie retir
ed for the night in seperate beds in the
same room. The next morning, JUNE
| l., the neighbor who had borrowed th'
money, having long journey to per
form, during which he expected tt
make payment on some land purchas
ed, called as early as o'clock, befor,
Miss Smith and Mollie had arisen.
| Awakening Miss Smith, she. tool
her key from the wardrobe, unlocked
the bedroom, then taking the bureau
drawer of the secretary, opened this t,
find the money gone. She went dowr
stairs: everythg was locked and boltet
as she had left it the night before.
} who took that money?
That was the question that con
fronted me. There were no signs of ;
burglary; no lock forced, windows ant
doors all right. No one else in th,
house but Miss Smith and Mollie. o
course, at once examined the girl
She talked freely, said she always hat
a presentiment that the money woult
be stolen-in fact had presentimen
that night, but feared to tell the OLE
lady for fear of alarming her. i sool
learned that Mollie had a key tina
fitted the bedroom containing tn,
bureau, hence my suspicious wer
strengthened that Mollie had arisen il
the night, either unlocked the doc
with her own key, or taken the one il
the wardrobe, and, securing the money
hid it either in or out of the hous
without awakening the old lady.
finally told Mollie that 1 should hay
to search her and make thorough ez