Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-10-04
Embellishments.
re MIstery OF Sd. Loals.
UNsUCcEssFCL SEARCH By DETECTIVES
AND REPoRTERs FOR MARY CHURCHILL.

The Churchill my stery is still unsolved.
and will probably remain 30 until the
grave gives up its dead. or until the girl
herself, ii alive, comes out OF her hiding
place and explains away the hideOus mys-
tery, writes a ST. Louis correspondent to
the New York Herald. This case 10 some
uf its features ranks with the Charlie Ross
affair; it has baffied the skill OF the detec-
tives. and the lynx-eyed reporters have
taken up SO many elews one after another
and followed them only To find themselves
on the wrong track, that they were for the
time bewildered and mysnfied. The
tracks of the runaway, il such she be, or
the traces and whereabouts OF the kid
nappers have been completely covered up
from the very start.
The facts Of the case are simply these ::
Sunday afternoon, August 18th, Colo
mel James o. Churchill. Vice-President
of the Anthracite Coal Company of
St. Louis started out with his wife
for an afternoon drive. As they drove
away their daughter Mary stood just in
side the gate, and watched them until the
carriage turned the corner at the end OF
the square Young drug clerk named
Baesle, passed the gate probably 90 min
utes after the hour at which Colonel and
Mrs. Churchill started for their drive, and
saw the Young lady standing there. That
is the last seen of her-absolutely the last
definite trace. Her parents returned a
little before seven O'Clock in the evening
and found their daughter gone. Inquiry
WAS made OF the servants but none of
them remembered seeing her that after
noon or evening. The superstition was
H. Ia b,I rnf tor "a na1l hnt = the
evening wore on and she did not return,
her mother grew nervous and her father
instituted search, first in person calling
at the houses of several neighbors, where
it was thought she might have been visit
ing; then he asked the assistance Of a
few confidential friends, desiring, il posi-
BILE, to avoid notoriety. After searching
all Sunday night and all day Monday
without result. Colonel Churchill called
at police headquarters and stated the case
to Chief Campbell. Detectives were i'm
mediaielv put on the case, but II seemed
absolutely impossible to get a starting
point.
A description of the girl as last seen by
her father and as her friends knew her
was the only thing there was to give the
detectives. She was sixteen years and
e1OnL DODIns Olu I'VE lccl tuIcc HUGS lstll /,
well developed for her years oferect car
riage: quite light brown hair. which she
wore in the prevailing fashion of bangs.
almost concealing her forehead. reaching
almost TO the eyebrows; gayish blue eyes :;
an oval face. rather too full for beauty.
though she was considered very pretty
girl regular features. with small nose.
She was an accomplished musician, her
proficiency as performer on the piano
forte being especially notable. She has
been kept in school almost constantly,
and while not marvel OF learning, had
IA considerably better education than the
average sxteen-year old girl. When her
mother last saw her she had on a white
lawn dress, with very small pin head"
black dots in it; plain full skirt, tight
sleeves a small plain white collar and Il
white tie about her neck. She wore a
plain gold ring. with gold dollar bangle.
BY Monday evening, the 10th ult., when
the police were given the case, anxiety
had completely Frustrated the mother.
and she has never fully recovered That
the matter might appear to her in the
best possible light, the theory ofelopement
was advanced and impressed upon her
mind. coupled with the hope that the girl
and her husband would return in few
days. But there was nothing, absolutely
no circumstance, To sustain that idea. The
girl had not really made her debut in So
cieiy yet. though she had attended prob
ably couple of balls in her mothers
company. She had no taste for society !;
in fact was a child yet; had no beaus nor
lovers-only two young men had ever
called on her. and these she did not re-
ceive alone. She did not like. but, on the
contrary seemed to have almost an aver
sion to companionship of the opposite sex
She has an enthusiast concerning music.
and the only thing aside from that and her
books that found an abiding place in her
thoughts was admiration for the drama.
and even that did not GO to such an extent
that she could be called stage struck. She
had never been to the theatre save with
her parents and was not known to talk oi
the stage. But since her disappearance
some letters have been found from some
OF her schoolma;es to her, in which her
admiration TOR Mary Anderson and her
ambition to become a great actress is
spoken of. The theory OF a runaway and
stage career was advanced, and in pur-
suance of that idea theatrical agencies and
people in this and other cities were CON-
municated with, but no sign was discovered
The Price or frOtters.