The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-08-23
o1RCuMsrANT1AL EVIDENCE.
A Thrilling and True Romance
from Far of Ohio.
a Girls Love for Her Betrothed
Braves Dangers, Jails and
Detectives.

Detectives.
cincinnati Enqsirer.
s'Never condemn a person on cir
eamstantial evidence, it is unreliable,
even when the circumstances seem to
lit into. each other like a couple Of cog
Wheels said John T. Morris, who is
an experienced detective of Spring
Geld, Ohio.
"Give us the story, Uncle john"
"Not long ago there resided in
Franklin county a wealthy old maid
Miss Sabina Smith. By inheritance she
was the possessor of large farm, on
which was an old-fashioned, though
comfortable dwelling-house. She was
seputed to have a good square bank
account"
"How old is she?"
"Well, on the shady side of seven
~, but she had weakness like all old
maids, not for kittens, poodles or ca
aaries, but for children. She had
.aised a number of orphan girls, who
.re now we'll settled in life. In 1865,
sAe adopted a six-year-old, black.
eyed girl. bright as button. named
Mollie Mccain. whose father had fall
es in battle fighting for his flag and
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 a gushing school girl, and at
eighteen was the belle of every rustic
sathering-the pretty Miss Mollie
McCann, over whom the boys raved
and the girls envied. To all her ad-
.nirers she turned a deaf ear, and with
q pretty toss OF the head and merry
swinkle of her roguish eye, babe them
III and not bother her"
"Miss Smith was sensible; knew
shat Mollie would probably marry
and have a home Of her own some
day, so she neither discouraged her
soDdness for society nor harped upon
The miseries of welded life in the
aaidens ear, but when she came back
srom the state fair at Columbus in
1873. and told her adopted mother
shout the young gentleman 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 a willing
ear to the many suitors of the neigh.
scrhood instead of seeking in far-of
Selds that which was nearest home.
but Mollie was like many an.
osher struck on a travelling man, and
she carried on
A SECRET CORRESPONDENCE
Eith 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
,ooms were four in number, two OF
ghich were used as spare rooms, one
occupied by Miss Smith and contain.
ing two beds, Mollie occupying one,
Miss Smith the other. The fourth
Vas Mollie's, but was only used by her
Ehen a lady friend was visiting her.
in one of these spare bed rooms was
IN old fashioned bureau and bookcase
combined, the top drawer of which
could be converted into a desk. The
hack part of this drawer was fitted up
With small drawers. One of these
small drawers had from time immemo.
rial had been used as a money drawer.
In the summer of 1879 the sum Of
1856 was missed from the drawer; in
the summer Of 1880 $500 mysterious.
y disappeared. together with a guam.
tity of old gold coins which had been
N the family for over a century. On
the Goth day of last May Miss Smith
loaned to a neighbor $500, giving him
, check and he signing a note in he,
favor. Sickness prevented his pre-
senting the check at the bank at Co.
}umbus, and, learning that Miss Smith
was going to that city on the 30th, he
requested her to get it cashed. She
did 50, and returned with MOllie abou,
dark on that day, having the money
MI in 500 bills. .
1.-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
she key in the bureau drawer 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 retiring
SIZE LOCKED HER BEDROOM DOOR
md she and Mollie retired for thu