Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1885-10-29
KATIE KAVENEY.
CHATTANOOGA GIRLS MYSTE-
RIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
Starting for Cincinnati Four Months Ago,
She has Disappeared. and Left
No Clew Not Suggesting
Suicide or Murder.

On suu uiiSSiOu tldt du uuuut scusiuility
has kept too long from the newspapers,
which have done many merciful work
in such cases. The story is at once sor-
rowful and sensational, pointing more
clearly to probable foul play than has any
instance Of mysterious disappearance in
some time. Young Mr.. Kavency left for
Chattanooga last evening after giving to
the Commercial Gazette the following
facts as last, when It should have been q
first resource, in four months fruitless
search for traces of the fate OF sister
who disappeared on the 18th Of June
last.
Miss Katie Kaveney has been employed
for several years by G. E. James g. Co.,
of Chattanooga, as stenographer and type
writer. A graduate of Mr.. Benu Pit
mans, of this city, she was an expert in
her profession, and having reached the
age of twenty eight, she was so sedate, so
attentive to business, and so little fond OF
society of any kind, that her employers
not only paid her the liberal salary Of
ninetyive dollars month, but willingly
allowed her an annual vacation. 1t was
on this yearly recreation that Miss Kav-
eney started on Thursday morning, June
18, her brother putting her on board a
Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Paci-
fic Railway Cincinnati Southern) train,
and seeing her safely off for Cincinnati.
She was in possession of pass from the
railway company, procured by her en-
ployers, who extended this additional
mark of the value in which they held her
and her services, and had about three
months pay on her person. Her brother
expected her to return on June 30 or July
|, and when July 16 had arrived without
her coming home became alarmed and
wrote to G. II. Smith, of the Franklin
Type Foundry, whose family his sister
intended visiting, and of whom she had
always been the guest when in Cincinnati
To the brothers surprise and alarm the
answer came that Miss Kaveney had not
been with them at ALL Then followed
weeks of unavailing search resulting
only In finding the missing lady's trunk
unclaimed in the baggageroom at the
Union Central Depot.
This search seems to have been bung-
lingly conducted, for the self-evident
propriety of seeing the conductor of the
train. on which the young lady started
and Of inquiring at headquarters about
the cancelled pass "a clew which 1t is per-
hSpe now .ao ,atct 10 hnd) was ncglee.a-a
and aboSeall the best friends to people
in this kind of distress, the reporters were
kept In the dark by mistaken, though
perhaps natural, policy.
The search had been practically aban-
doned, and nearly three months had pass
ed, when the brotf er on Saturday last
learned from lady friend of his sister
that the latter had spoken Of womb
trouble, and had intended to go to the
Good Samaritan Hospital, on Lock street,
this city, when her visit to Mr.. Smith 8
was concluded, and have an operation
performed. 1t was this clew that brought
Mr.. Kaveney again to this city yesterday,
and obtaining the aid of Mr.. Smith, who
has shown a lively interest in the case, a
search Of the hospitals was instituted
No record of Miss Kaveney could be
found, nor any of any operation such as
was contemplated at the date of Miss
Kaveney's supposed visit, though the Ia.
dy being Catholic there Is little reason
to believe that she would have given an
assumed name TO the good Sisters of
Charity at the Good Samaritan, and every
reason to suppose that she would have re
mained constant to her selection of that
institution.
Such is the story that is now given pub.
licly, with the hope that the family may
gain some clue to the missing member,
who is well known in Cincinnati, where
she has worked as shorthand secretary
for j. w. Harper & Co., G. II. Smith 4
Co., and others. The theories suggested
to the reportorial mind are:
A change Of determination as to the
scene of treatment and journey to some
other city whose hospital records have
not yet been searched. The unclaimed
trunk is against this supposition.
Foul play (murder en- route to this city,
for the sake of the considerable money
this missing woman had about her, and
which she may have accidentally display
ed This has its weak point in the fact
that she would hardly leave the train,
except at public and more or less crowded
eating stations The unclaimed trunk
sustains this theory, however.
Foul play (murder) after she had reach
ed this city. True, the train in June is
duo while 1t Is yet broad daylight but
there might have been connivance by
scoundrels who misdrected her The un-
claimed trunk figures in this supposition,
for II she ever left the depot the baggage
would probably have been taken with her.
Suicide, under temporary mental troub-
lc, caused by either oyerwork at short
hand or her physical suffering The un-
claimed trunk sustains this supposition.
The first theory would seem the most
plausible of the hour, but for the un.
claimed trunk
The first suggestion, ordinarily made
In such cases. elopcment, is secuted by
the ladys friends, and they seem TO be
sustained by the record. Whatever has
become Of her, tits to be hoped that this
publication will bring the fight Of day
upon the whole affair. Even in these
days of crime and misery In big cities,
that respectable woman landing in Gin.
cinnati in broad daylight should disap.
pear forever and leave no sign behind, Il
monstrous. The unclaimed trunk is the
link in the evidence that points to murder
or suicide-and there seems to have been
no idea Of suicide, but rather Of vacation
and health-seeklng in the mind of Katie
Kaveney.
WHAT MISS KAvENEys FRIENDS AMI
DRoTHER SAY.
II has been IN open secret for several
months that Miss Kavcney was missing,
but an effort has been made to keep the
matter hushcd, in view of tho fact that
the young lady might yet return.
A Commercial reporter last night saw
Tom Webster, who was associated with
Miss Kayeney at G. E. James & Co.'s