The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-28
ROCK ISLAND & MERCER CO.. r. ]
Wednesday. December IS, 1881.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN.

| WHAT DUES 1t MEAN.
/ The Chicago Inter Ocean is authority fo1
the following story which is of local inter
| est.
| About three years ago the Inter Ocean
published a letter from its Paris cores
pendent. Margaret Bertha" which pur-
ported to give the history of a young lady
| who had formerly lived in Rock Island
County. The story was to the OBJECT that
the young lady had gone abroad under the
| patronage of relatives in the east shortly
| after her marriage to a young army officer
| and with the understanding that after de-
voting three years to the study of music
expired her husband received letter an
nouncing her death, and in due time the
remains were forwarded to friends in the
east, inferred, and formal notice taken of
the funeral.
This was the accepted version, but
Margaret Bertha" declared that the
woman was not dead, but was, under an
assumed name, leading brilliant profes
sional career in Europe, and that she had
been seen on the streets of Paris within a
few days of the date of the letter
The letter gave a number of interesting
details, leaving the impression that one
branch of the lady's family was in the
secret of her scheme to make her old
acquaintance and friends believe her dead.
While the narrative was made purposely
little obscure, those who knew the particu-
lars of the case at once jumped to the con-
clusion that the Paris correspondent of the
Inter Ocean referred to Miss Minnie BeaIls,
who, about the time mentioned in the let
ter, was married to Lieutenant Philip Reed
of the army. Mrs. Reed left Topeka
Kan, for Europe few hours after her
marriage: She was to remain abroad
three years to complete her musical educa-
ton. At the expiration of the time Mr..
Reed had completed preparations for his
departure, when he received intelligence
that his wife had died suddenly in Paris
The remains were forwarded to Boston
A story was circulated at the time that, on
opening the coffin, it was discovered that
the hair of the corpse was of different
color from that of Mrs Reed while living.
From the gossip about this rumor or re-
port. it was said. originated the story that
Mrs. Reed was not dead.
The story told by Margaret Bertha
agreed in essentials with the career of Mrs. |
Reed up to the time of her death, and |
those familiar with the story of the latter |
filed up the blanks in the letter with Mrs. |
Reeds name. This caused much annoy I
ance to the relatives, and some of these, |
among them the father of the lady, called /
at this Office to ask for further information. |
An investigation was set on foot, and the
Inter Ocean gave, through its correspcn-
dents and others, all possible assistance.
Gentlemen who visited Paris in 1878 made
careful inquiries. and they returned salts
led that Mrs Reed had died as her friends
believed. Their report was received as
settling the question of fact, although
Margaret Bertha still maintained that
he story she told was in the main true,
md some of Mrs. Reeds relatives were
lot satisfied with the evidence furnished
" the gentlemen who had Investigated the
ase.
So the matter rested until few days
go, when the attache of the American lc
'ation at Alexandria, Egypt was inter
iewed by the Kansas City Journas. This
Gentleman incidently mentioned that he
ad seen Mrs. Reed in Europe travelling in
er profession as the wife of anoted tenor.
Ie had known her as Miss Bealls. in To- |