Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-06
Found by a Reporter In the Ser
vice Of an insane Asylum.
Proofs Positive Of Her Identity
Her Conversations with Or.
Fletcher During the Seven
Weeks Of
Her Stay nj the Institution, aud
Numerous Interesting IRei-
dents.


try has been searched. A Times re-
porter at once drove to the asylum
and found DR.. Fletcher, the superin'
tendent OF the institution, at his desk
in his private Office. He welcomed
the reporter, and at once told his rea-
sons for suspecting that the young
woman in his employ is Mary
/ Churchill. A
! THE DOCTORS STORY.
sOn the Sth Of September" said
the Doctor, Il was in my office al
work when a good looking young
woman came in and asked for employ.
ment. She was neatly dressed in a
dark calico, with a black straw hat
on, and had every appearance OF being
refined and educated woman. |
asked her what kind Of work she was
| in search Of, toWhich she replied any
thing that was honorable. | was
greatly impressed with her, and At
once asked DR.. Thomas If there was
not some kind of place we could give
her, but he said there was not, and !
returned to my Office and so informed
her. The tears then came to her
1 eyes, and she asked if | could lot
| find something for her 10 do for four
| or Eve days, as she was out OF work
and had no place to 60. This touched
ne, and | determined to find her
something to do. | asked her where
she was from, and she said East st.
Louis, aud that her name was Jennie
! Lockwood. | told her that her hands
did not look as if she had been in the
habit Of doing hard work, but she
assured me that she could do any
thing about a house. When asked
where she had last worked she said
that she had been a chambermaid at
the Brunswick Hotel, but she did not
like the associations about the house
and had been directed to call on me
| for work. While she was talking to
me noticed that she had book un>
der her arm, and | asked her to let me
look at it. When she handed it to me
I saw that it was one Of Irving s
works, and remarked that she read
good books, to which she said: 81 have
been taught not to read trash. This
convinced me more than ever that she
had been raised by persons who had
net made q house girl Of her, and |
asked who had brought her up. She
said some good peoplein East St. Louis
saw By her tone that she
DID NOT WANT TO BE QUESTIONED
On this point, or that if she was she
would not tell the truth SO dropped
this subject. l looked about the
building and found that there was q
vacancy in the ironing department
and offered her the situation, which
sic gladly accepted and has been
working here ever since. / have all
the time felt that there vas history
connected with her, in some way or
other, and have spoken to my family
and others regarding the matter and |
myself have kept close watch upon
her. So strongly did | think that she
bad been well reared and had left a
good home for some reason or other,
that l wrote a postal card to the Chief
Of Police Of st. Louis during the mid
die Of September, asking if glrl was
missing from that city, but never re-
eeived any reply, and | dropped the
matter, thinking that some day some
thing might happen that would divulge
her secret. In coming Out Of the asy.
lum on the ears this evening | read an
item IN the paper regarding the Mary
Churchill matter, Then / began to
think about Jennie Lockwood, and
knowing that you newspaper men
would know something about it sent
the message to the city"
ias reporter then produced a pic,
ture Of the missing girl, and the mo-
meut the Doctors eyes rested upon it
be exclaimed:
Il THAT Is TIE GIRL"
For several moments be sat aud
gaEed at the photograph, repeating
several times, That is her, sure. y
After a few moments be calledin Mrs
Ialbott, the superintendent Of the
ironing department, and, handing her
the picture, asked: who is thst?"
The moment the lady's eyes rested
upon 1t she said:
Why, that is our little Jennie
Lockwood. "
The Doctor was then convinced that
the mystery was solved but vas greatly
worried that Jennie was not at the
asylum, as she had gone to the city
during the afternoon 70 cash a check
for her monthly salary, and, beiug in
company with several Of the other
girls, had asked permission to 70 10
the theater 10 the evening and return
to-day. So the reporter did not get 70
see her.
SHE IS STAGE STRUCK.
0n the day Jennie drew her first
months salary il appears that she
called upon DR.. Fletcher and asked
him il be would allow her TO spend
the afternoons that she was Of 10 the
city, as she wanted 10 take lessons In
elOcution. To this tie Doctor ana
not take kindly. He said:
Jennie, why do you want to take
lessons in elocutionYn
Because ] have for some time been
very fond Of the study, and while /
worked at the hotel / took lessons
from a gentleman in Fletcher &
Shapes building"
But there must be some other rea-
son for you being so anxious 70 take
lessons Did the Professor iell Won
that you had a fine voice and would
make an actress?"
Yes, sir, he told me that with a liz
dc study you'd soon be able 10 20
on the stage, aud that is my great de-.
sire. ! yant to be an actress. and |
know | will If can only get a chance
TO study elooution."
Il tell you one thing, my Girl, if YOU
take these lessons you will be more
than likely to land upon the variety
stage, and will surely 70 to the bad.
and l cannot consent 10 see you do
that. | intend as long as you are en-
gagged at this institution 10 watch
your welfare, | would certainly not
let one Of my daughters take these
lessons, and | will not let you; that e,
so long as you work here"
The Doctor says that after their
conversation she said: ~ will taLr
your advice, aud left the room Il
heard no more about the elocutiop
matter for two or three weeks when
one day, while sitting in nv Office
Mrs. Talbot, who, BY the way. hs,
taken a great interest in Jennie IN
company with the girl, came in, and
Mrs, Talbot asked me if,I would not
consent to let Jennie take lessons IN
eloeution, as she had a fine voice apd
could, by cultivation, support herseiI
more easily. | turned around in m,
chair, and looking the girl in The face
said; No, she cannot, unless an,
leaves my employment. / would MOI
let one OF my daughters take lessons "a,
, the purpose Of going upon the STAGE
and know more about this youn,
. woman than you do, aud a great dea'
more about her than she thinks I A.