The Red Cloud chief., 1881-10-13
CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
John Albro, in Puck.l

n True Romance "A Girls Love 70
Her HetrOthed Braves Dangers, JstI
and q Detective.
Never condemn a person on cir
cumstantial evidence; it is unreliable
even when the circumstances seem Z,
fit into each other like a couple of cog
Wheels" said John 7. Morris, who /
an experienced detective of Springfield
Ohio.
Give US the story, Uncle John"
I" Not long ago there resided in
Franklin County a wealthy old maid,
Miss Sabina Smith. BY inheritance she
was the possessor of a large farm, on
which was IN old -fashioned, though
comfortable, dwelling-house. She was
reputed to have a good, square bank
account"
"HOw old is she?"
well, on the shady side of seventy,
but she had a weakness like all old
maids, not for kittens, poodIes, or Gu
narics, but for children. She had
raised several orphan girls, who are now
well settled in life. in 1865, she adopted
n six-year-old, bIack-eyed girl, bright
as a button, named Mollie McCann,
whose father had fallen i'm battle, fight
ing for his flag and country, while her
mother, crazed with grief, pinned and
faded away. Mollie soon learned TO
love her new mother, and from a pratt
Ting maid in short clothes and pinafores
she soon bloomed forth into q gushing
schoolgirl, and at eighteen was the
belle OF every rustic gathering-the
pretty Miss MOllie McCann, over whom
the boys raved and the girls envied.
10 all her admirers she turned a deaf
ear, and, with a pretty toss of the head,
and merry twinkle of her roguish eve.
babe them be off and not bother her"
Miss Smith was sensible; knew
that Mollie would probably marry and
ave a 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 al at Columbus in 1873, and told
her adopted mother about the young
gentleman she had met, his attentions
and good qualities, Miss Smith was not
pleased, nor did she hesitate to frown
her ~dispieasure and advise her ward to
turn a willing a to the many suitors
of the neighbOrhood instead Of seeking
in far-Of fields that which was nearer
home.
But Mollie was. like many another.
struck on a travelling man. and she
carried on a secret correspondence
with him through a 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 bed
rooms 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
bv her when a lady friend was visiting
her. In n of these spare bedrooms
was an Old-fashioned bureau and book
case combined, the top drawer of
which could be converted into a 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 q money-drawer. In
the summer of 1879 the sum of 1856
was missed from the drawer; in the
summer of 1880 $500 mysteriously dis
appeared, together with a quantity of
old gold coins which had been in the
family for over a century. On the 10th
day of last May Miss Smith loaned to a
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 re-
turned with Mollie about dark on that
day. having the money all in 800 bills.
1.-The house was all securely locked
down stairs, and Miss Smith deposited
the five hundred dollars in the secretary
drawer, closed the drawer, locking it
and placing the key in the bureau
beneath. She then locked the
room containing the bureau and placed
the key under some quilts that lay in a
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
morning, April LIST, the neighbor
who had borrowed the money, having
a long journey to perform, during
which he expected to make q payment
some land purchased. called as early
as five O'Clock, before Miss Smith and
Mollie had arisen.
awakening Miss Smith, she took
her kew from the wardrobe, unlocked
the bedroom, then. taking the bureau
key from the under drawer of
the secretary, opened this to find the
money gone. She went down stairs:
everything was locked aad bolted as
she had left it the night before. !,
who took that money! +,
THAT was the question that con- ,
me. There were no signs of q
burglary; nc lock forced; windows and :
doors all right. No one else in the
house but Miss Smith and Mollie. Of
course, I at once examined the girl.
She talked freely, said she ALWAYS had /,
! presentiment that the none would ,
De stolen-in fact, had a presentimeut .
hat night. but feared TO tell the old :
sdy for fear of alarming her. l soon :
earned that Mollie had a key which /,
itted the bedroom containing the bu- !
eau, hence my suspicious were
that Mollie had arisen in !
be night, either unlocked the door )
nth her own key OF taken the one in =
be wardrobe, and. securing the money. '
IA Il either in or out OF the house
awakening the old lady. It
naIlv told Mollie that / should have
|, sesrch her and make q thorough ex- d
mination Of the house.
81. w she naively remarked. 1T s
do find any money shout the house c
Won prove tbst | stole it. VIII fF ]
q. Il win be prima facie evidence. l g
81 locked her mp in her bedroom s
I'd began thorough SEARCH osao-i