The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-17
MRS. BATEs's DISCOVERY.
The Interesting Family from Cincinnati
Who Came Highly Recommended.

Two months or more ago man giving the
name of Bradley applied to Mrs. Bates. at No.
81 West Michigan street, to rent rooms. He
gave Rev. o. g. McCuloeh as referen ce, and pay
ing months rent, moved in with his wife and
two small children. They were young people,
evidently we'll educated and of good families.
The man represented that he was reporter for
Cincinnati paper. The position, of course,
would not only render him princely support
but would, also, account for his being out until
very late of nights. 1t was not long before Mrs.
Bates began to miss valuable clothing. ana silks
and laces not made up Meanwhile Mrs. Brad
ley had repeatedly informed Mrs. Bates that a
certain colored family, employed to wash and
do chores about the house, were in the habit of
awaiting themselves of the liberty thus allowed
Of general access to the house, to ransack the
premises in Mrs. Bates's absence. When, there
fore, The goods were missing, Mrs. Bates natur
ally enough supposed that these colored people
were the offenders, and she called the
attention of the police to the facts
in the case, hoping to detect the
thief in this way. AS the tenants were "nice
people," and had given Mr.. McCuloeh, as refer
ence, she naturally enough told them of her loss
and her suspicious. Soon afterwards Mrs Brad
ley was taken violently i'll, and her life was
dispaired of. Two physicians were called and
Rector Bradley, of Christ Episcopal Church, was
called in to administer the sacrament to the dy-
ing woman, which he did when so near DEATHS
door that she conld answer the usual questions
only by signs Nj. McCulloch and wife were
also called friends of the family, aud a nurse
was employed, Mrs. Bates having become ex-
hausted by watching the sick woman day and
night, and procuring for her such delieacies as
the scanty means of the sufferer could not pro-
cure, and oy taking care of the children.
1t Jranspired in interview with
Mr.. McCulloch that he knew moth
ing of the families of the Bradleys as they
had represented and that all that he knew of
them was that through the charity organization
he had several times procured employment for
Mr.. Bradley, who seemed competent yet iDef-
fcient and vacillating, and they had sometimes
extended help TO the family-that they seemed
to be sufferers for want of knowing how or
what to do. BY this time the suspicious of Mrs
Bates were thoroughly aroused as to her stolen
goods, and she believed they had gone to the
pawnbroker's, and that Mr.. Bradleys late hours
could not he attributed to his place on any pa
per, and that they were all the more suspicious
because they were continued even after that pre-
tense was abandoned and while his wife was pre-
tending to die. She, therefore, took the earliest
possible moment to get them out of her honse.
The parting was without even a whisper of sus-
picion as to the lost goods, or even an
aliusion to the sickness, which was
now known to be all sham, or at
most case OF acIte ny sierra, and Mrs. Bradley
invited hits bbGeS 10 DC sure anu Cali on Hef at
her new home the corner OF Michigan and
Liberty, all of which she promised. But several
weeks had passed and Mrs. Bradley had evident
~ come to regard the invitation and the prom
Use as one of those innocent formalities in which
society ladies indulge without meaning any
thing in particular, until last Saturday afternoon,
when Mrs. Bates, full of the conviction that Mrs.
Bradley had her goods went to make her a call.
She had hardly seated herself before she noticed
several small pictures and other ornaments be-
longing TO her, but she engaged all the more
Justify in call conversation of the ordinary
topics, like skilled detective. never giving
lock or word that indicated suspicion, until
the allotted time of a call had expired, when she
left. with the usual pressing request that Mrs.
Bradley should return the call soon
as convenient Her next call attor-
ney, and the next on Squire WalpOe, who issued
search warrant making slight detour to call
on Mi Bradley, who was serving as a clerk in
real estate office. and collecting small balance
on rent The search warrant unearthed all the
stolen goods. amounting to more than 5000 in
value. Yesterday a warrant was sworn our and
Mrs. Bradley was arrested by the police. but be-
ing too sick to be taken to the station she gave
bonds and was permitted to remain at home in
the doctors 1t is possible that further de-
velopments may soon be made