Huntsville gazette., 1883-11-10

! Mary Returns to her Home in Company
sith her Father.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Nov s.
| After nearly three months of anxiety,
during which time nearly the entire detec-
tive force of the city, aided by the repor-
torial fraternity, have followed clew after
clew, only to find themselves on false
scent in their search for the missing Mary
Chuchill, the girl has at last been found !;
and the credit Of her discovery and return
to her home belongs to Mr. Thomas j. Gal
lagher, st. Louis newspaper reporter.
| On Saturday last, from information re-
| ceived in the course of following up other
| clews, the reporter in question became con-
vinced that Mary Churchill was an inmate
in some capacity of tho Insane Asy-
lum at Indianapolis, and, in company
with Captain Campbell, of the Indianapolis
police, drove out to that institution, carry
| ing with him likeness of the truant girl.
! Upon meeting DIR. Fletcher, the Superin-
tendent of the Asylum, and producing the
| likeness, the Doctor declared it to be that
of young lady employed in the laundry
and known as Jennie Lockwood, who had
been there since the Sd or 4th of September.
The Matron, Mrs. Frances A. Talbot, was
of the same opinion, and Jennie was sent
| for. Here new dilemma arose-she had
gone down to the city and was expected to
remain over night. With a hot clue, how
ever, the reporter was not to be thwarted,
and accordingly proceeded at once to as
certain the whereabouts of the girl; and,
accompanied by Mrs. Talbot, proceeded to
the home of Annie Holtgen, in the south
ern part of the city, with whom "Jennie"
had gone to spend the night, and there
| found her. Upon meeting the reporter
Miss Churchill-for such it was-was
considerably taken by surprise, but finding
| she was discovered made no attempt to
deny her identity and at once engaged in
conversation with regard to her parents
and the other members of the family. The
party at once returned to the Asylum
and Miss Churchill was placed in
charge of DR.. Fletcher, who kindly
assured her that if she did not de-
sire to return home she could remain with
him and he would do all in his power to
make her happy.
Upon receipt of the intelligence in this
city Colonel Churchill was at once commu.
nicated with, and he made immediate
preparations to go and bring his daughter
home, arriving in indianapolis Sunday. The
meeting between father and daughter took
place at the Spencer House and was strictly
private though rerursS their Inunner dA-
scribed when seen a 1ew minutes later, it
must have been one Of satisfaction to both.
Colonel Churchill, accompanied by his
daughter and her cousin, DR.. Robert Van
Valzak, of Terre Haute, and A. J. Kelley,
also of Terre Haute, left indianapolis Sun
day night at eleven O'Clock for st. Louis,
and arrived here this morning.
Miss Churchill tells how she left home as
follows
81 knew that father and mother would
be back from their drive about 1880, and l
knew that in order to get away L would
have to leave home by that time or a little
before. When the hired girl came in with
the baby, went over to Lucas avenue to
look at the chimes to see what the right
time was. The clocks in the house were not
running correctly and was afraid to trust
them. | knew l was noticed, and the only
thing that has made me mad was the story
that got out that | went over there to meet
that nasty Mr.. Caldwell Oh! | despised
him when I went to his school. | never
looked at paper, and | was afraid to, but
that story got to my ears, and it made me
so mad that | determined to write home,
and that was the reason l wrote. But, to
continue my story, went back to
the house, put on my extra dress
and put veil over my face and went
out the back way. There was nobody in
the alley when got out at the gate, and l
turned east toward Beaumont street. When
| about half way down the alley a colored
| boy, who lived just across the alley from
| our gaze, met me, and my heart came up
| into my mouth. | was just sure he would
| recognize me, but he didn't, and felt
greatly relieved when 1 got away from
| him. When 1 got to Beaumont street
| crossed and went straight down the alley
to Jefferson avenue. There | turned over
| to Morgan street and went down on the
! south side of it, for number of blocks,
| can't remember how many; from Morgan
street went south on Washington avenue
and walked east along it to Four
teenth street. Then 1 turned south
again and walked on the west side
! Of that park in front Of the First Presby-
terian Church, and kept along that way to
| the next park, on what streets can't say.
| | was really too much excited to remember
| the streets 1 was on. L know that on
| Twelfth street passed the north end of the
| Four Courts and finally reached the depot
| at the north end. Then turned east to the
central entrance OF the Union Depot ana
| went into the ladies' sitting room where L
| remained until they called out some tram
| I didn't know exactly what-and L went
out and got on board. Iiguess it was about
| the last train that left the depot. The con-
ductor suspected me. know he did. He
said he would like to see me in daylight so
that he might be able to tell If was the
the girl l represented myself to be-"
Dr. Fletcher, in the course of converse
ton with regard to Miss Churchill said:
"She came here about the Sd or 4th OF
September. She came to me and applied
for work. l asked her what she could do,
| and she answered that she could do any
thing. / was struck by her appearance,
and concluded at once that she was getting
beneath her station and training in apply
ing for the work we could give her here.
| took up her hands and looked at them;
| They showed no signs of work. and l SAID
to her, My little lady, you have never
done any work, you can't do our WORK
sOh. yes, cam she answered. She acted SO
| much like a lady and pleaded so hard Tor a
place that l finally said: Il have no place
for YOU, but will make one,' so placed
her under Mrs. Frances A. Talbot, matron
| of the iron-room in the department for wo-
men. / am glad that did so, for she has
proved an exemplary girl, and l think al,
most as much of her as if she were one OF
nv own family. When she came she had
the life af Marie Antoinette under her arm,
and since she has been here she has read
works on history and Grecian mythology
Oh, tell you, she was rare character
i ,lccsl( nm