The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-06
MYSTERIOUS MARY.


During the stay of Mary Churchill, the miss
ing st. Louis girl, in Indianapolis, she called
upon Professor T. j. McAyoy, the elucutionist.
for instruction in that ART. Her first call was
made shortly after the encampment, and she ex-
pressed desire to take lessons. She said that
she was graduate of the ST. Louis schools and
desired to go upon the stage Professor McAvOy
discouraged her from taking such a course, as
upon trial of her voice he regarded her unfit
ted for the stage She sang very sweetly but did
not give evidence of the possession of any espe-
cial talent as IA reader She afterwards called
again and arranged a date for her first lesson,
but upon stating that superintendent Fletcher
opposed her taking lessons, Professor McAvoy
declined to instruct her.
The following from the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
orat, Of yesterday, will be read with interest by
those who have given the case attention:
Colonel Churchill, wEO had been informed at
an early hour yesterday morning of the dIscuV-
cry of his daughter, could not remain at home
as calm over the announcement as hs appeared
to the reporter who called upOn him. At a sUll
later hour he received a dispatch from the
Glo6e-DemOcrat reporter in indianapolis, and
then he dressed himself and came down TO the
Globe-Demoerat office to wait until a copy of
the paper was off the press, giving him full
account of his daughters movements. From a
little after 4 o'clock until he sat in the office
and talked of the strange freak-for such ne
seemed to consider it-which could lead girl
of sixteen to leave her home and seek to earn
her living in the world unaided. His attention
was called to the fact that public comment was
that perhaps home had not been made as agree
able TO the girl as it should be, but with this
view he scarcely conceded.
I'VE had one or two cast-ircn rules, 1t is true, -
said he, but none severe that a girl should
run away from home to avoid them. For in
stance, Mary had to practice on the piano four
hours day whether she liked 1t or not"
will You 90 to indianapolis on the morning
tralnP he was asked,
well, don't know. There are reasons-busi-
ness reasons wn6h need not explaIn-which
should Keep me in st. Louis, but | may 20.
shall at least make such arrangement by tele-
graph as | can for Mary's care until the next
day-that is if do not go"
"Will you bring her home2"
sob, well, If she prefers TO earn her living as a
domestic to staying at home she ought to have
the privilege. She shall not he thwarted in what
she really wants"
Then the talk turned 70 the numberless false
cleWS that mad been followed and the general
interest that the strange disappearance had ere
ated throughout the country. Colonel Church
nil SAID he had received over 800 letters, OF
which scores were from people who believed
they had clews Of absolute value as TO his daugh-
ter's whereabouts. Many of these clews had
been followed up, but they had generally proved
TO nave been little more than imaginary ones.
some curious mistakes IN connection
with Mary's disappearance were also discussed.
AT first, after she went away, it WAS the impress
ion OF the detectives that there ives man in the
case, and this Impression derived chiefly
from the knowledge that before she left on Mon
toward Lucas avenue. and then came back hur-
redly and disappeared in the house, II she
had seen something or somebody to determine
her course IL was theOriZed that there might
have been some one awaiting her with car
rIage, and the story that she was seen at a later
hour with young man i'll buggy seemed but
To confirm this view Of The case. All search for
the mysterious young man in a buggy proved flu
tile, however, and the quest abandoned, not
because the theory was counted wrong, bur be-
cause the effort to trace the young man and
horse and buggy was given up as hopeless. Ma
rvs explanation that she went over toward Lu-
cas- avenue merely to get the correct time from
the clock in the tower of Pilgrim Church gave
easy solution of the problem afforded by her
movements on the night of her departure The
fact that she was supposed to have gone away
in a ''pinhead polka-dOt" dress another bar
to tracing her movements successfully, since no
allowance was made for the possibility of other
attire, when, i'll fact, she wore dark dress with
rose bud pattern, which, as she explained to the
GOOe-Democrat reporter, she had concealed in
the cellar. AS Colonel Churchill sad the de-
tective work in the ease had been thorough and
unremtJlng, but somehow none of the officers
employed had exerted themselves in the right
diraptiOn