The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-30
IS MARY CHURCHILL HERE?
The Missing ST. Louis Girl Commune
Gates with Her Parents.
The letter Ostensibly from This City-A
VigiIant Search Fails to Reveal Any
Trace of the Girl.

Readers of the papers will remember the mys-
teriOus disappearance of Miss Mary Churchill,
OF st, Louis, daughter OF Colonel ]. c. Churchill,
a gentleman of pFomi hence and high social
standing. She was an unusually bright and in
~telligent girl, her age being hut sixteen, and her
family relations were altogether pleasant, and,
so far as was known to her
people, there was no reason for
her leayiAg home. On the 10th
of August, however, she disappeared and
until yesterday nothing was heard from her,
although excellent detectives were constantly
at work in trying to find her. An Associated
Pr ess dispatch, which is printed below, from st.
Louis, last night, indicates that the girl has writ
ten to her father and that the letter was dated
and posted at Indianapolis. The account is rs
follows:
THE GIRL LETTER.
News has been received at last of the missing
girl, Mary Churchill, WHO disappeared mys-
terlOusly from her fathers house, one sunday
evening i'll August last. Her father, Col. j. G.
Churchill, has received a letter from his
daughter dated the 25th inst, and mailed at
indianapolis on the 27th. He refuses to make
the con ents public, but furnishes the following
card for publications: "TO the public-After a
suspense of three months, | am, to-day, in re
ceipt of a letter from my chilo. Mary Churchill.
mailed at a distant city. As all the
papers all over the country have accorded me
every facility within their power and in many
cases at great expense, in my search, notwith-
standing the INDUCTION imposed by my cblld TO
withhold from the public the contents of the let
ter, a sense Of duty which l owe my friends I'M
pels me TO give It's purport, which 1 herewith
attach, as follows:
OCTOBER %.
"Mv Father-T write to let you know that I
am alive and well. l am not on the stage, rs
you suppose. neither have [ eloped. Oh, how
could you think so when 1 care so little for gen
tlemen's society2 / am earning my own bread
honestly. Teach my little sisters and my darling
little brotherto think kindly of their sister.
"MARY,"
Colonel Churchill expressed the utmost CON
1dence in the authenticity of the letter, and both
he and his wife identify tine handwriting per
fectly. They have no nformation of their daugh-
ter's whereabouts, but Doth feel confident that
they will hear from her again sOon, and that size
VIII return home shortly.
H EARCH IN INDIANAPOLIS.
As soon as the above Information reached the
city, last night, Journal reporters at once began
and kept, until an early hour this morning, as
vigorous and extended q search for Miss
Churchill as was possible with such meager in
formation as was obtaInable. In one of Col.
Churchill's circulars he expressed the belief that
probably his daughter had adopted the stage as
a prOfession-and for that reason all of the the
alters were visited and a diligent in
quiry instituted, but to no avail, and
it is evident that she has not been employed by
any of the local managers, neither has she made
dlAllOdtAOu U Lu6m u an CuSdE6illGuts liz
letter to her father indicates that she is ''earn-
ing a living honestly" and if she is in the city
she is probably in some private family. The pO-
lice, who were also informed Of the matter. Wis
tied nearly all the public houses of il-fame in
the city, but their search was as ~fruitless as that
of the reporters. Miss Churchill may be N the
city, put it is not at all probable. Her
photograph, which accompanies the circulars,
sent out, shows her to ne au attractive looking
girl, and she is described as being rather short
in stature, fairs complexion, light hair and
eyes, prominent ears, and a small scar on her
nose directly between her eyes. If she is in the
city, that fact will be discovered to-day. 1t is
possible that she may have passed through here
last week, and mailed the letter TO her father en-
route. AT any rate, the suspicion that she was
here caused the reporters infinite trouble
last might, and if she has any regard
for their feelings she will make known her
Whereabouts at once. AS an Indication of the
widespread interest manifested in the case, it
may be interesting to know that leading papers
from all parts of the country photographed to the
Journal. last night, for whatever particulars it
might have about Miss Churchill, and what she
had to say for herself.