The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-07-16
nlxsrERroUsLY aalssINo.


The highly coiored theme which Is
Icsl now supplying the ciIizens of Hart
lord, IN thIs county. with sensation Of |
DO mean proportions, Is the mysterious |
Of 3 young lady named |
Johanna Earle. The object OF the conceFn
and Interest felt by the whole neighboT-
hood has lived since she was I've years
old with the family Of an old man NAM
cd Gasehe. Pennsylvania DutehmAn,
who resides Just south ! of Eagle
creek, four mules from Hartford And
over In COfEeY county. The girl was
last seen in that locality on Wednes-
day evening, June 10Th. Her
GUARDIANS name is Thesis Gasche, son
OF the old gentleman, and who is mar
ried TO half sister of Miss Earle, and
who lives on an adjoining farm, about
q half mile away. AS far as known the
gIrl told no one Of her intended departure
and gave no one 10 suppose that
she thought of going away,
attending 10 her duties the day previous
with usual precision and preparation.
The disappearance has been kept CON-
paTatively quiet and was scarcely noised
about until quite recently. On Saturday
last a goOdlY number of the neighbOrs
came to Hartford and very gen
orally told what they knew and
what more they surmised. A wide inter-
est was ut once awakened and steps
taken 70 ferret out the mystery. Notice
Of the existing excitement was telegraph
ed The NEWS Sunday, and In COM
pany with an EmporIa gentleman
q representative of this paper
visited the locality end conyersed at
length with the Gasches and residents
Of the vicinity. The community is con-
sideEably aroused and numerous stories
and Tumors are afoat, part Of which are
plausible and part more or less improb.
able. At the present writ
ing It is difficult to sift the
reports into such shape as will war.
rant q satisfactory conclusion. The
story that the girl was TO be entitled to
$4,000 upon reaching the age of eigh-
teen, which would be in few days. Is
widely told, but knowledge of such an
Inheritance is denied by Mrs.
Thesis Gasche, the sister, and by the old
man Gasche. It is believed by some
that she has gone to Wauseon, Fulton
county, Ohio, where che had friends,
but nothing more than mere belief ex-
lists on this theory. 1t is thought by
others hat the girl has In some way met
with her death, at her own or the hand
Of others. Another superstition,
which seems the most plausible
of all Is that the girl has eloped; and
with a man named William Cooley, who
lived about four miles from Douglass, in
Butler county. Cooley was en- old lover
and at one time lived near the Gasches
who have resided at their present
farms about five years. II the
girl has gone as thus supposed she de-
parted in very smooth manner, TO say
the least. No word has yet been re-
ceiyed from Cooley, although he has
been telegraphed. Gasche. the elder. If
an intelligent man, a good talker and
has an air and style abou
him that is peculiar 70
one who is called "slick." HI
said that the girl sat up late frequently
reading, and that the morning after hel
disappearance he was surprised TO finC
her room vacant. Upon being asked il
her bed bore the appearance OF being
occupied that night, he said that he die
not notice particularly whether 1t did Of
not, and also said that sometimes, on 1
hot night she slept on the floor. HI
said that he found q note sticking IN 1
comb in which good bye was said and
the hope expressed that her fostel
i parents would forgive her. The not wa
not produced, however, and there wa
q lack of interest generally man
ifested that seemed peculiar although
the hope was uttered that NO bodily
harm had befallen the girl. Thesis
Gasche, the guardian, was away from
his farm on a Sunday visit. His wife
the girls sister, was seen and had NJ
definite opinion and said she did
not know that the girl had dis
| appeared until several days after sh'
was missed. Thesis Gasche, apparently
takes no concern upon himself about hi
wards disappearance and is credited
with the saying that "ii the girl was crazy
enough TO go let her CO." From all W.
could learn be did not even manifest til,
interest III the girl that he wOulC
show in q missing hen from his CHECKER
roost. We do not desire to do the
man injustice, but his insctiOn seems in
human. 1t appears that he has not writ
ten line, OF taken any time whatever
or interest 10 finding the where
abOuts Bt the girl over whom he
strange to say, is the alleged guardian
| 1t Is time for him to rustic around i
seems tous il we must prompt him
Strange stories now develop that the
gIrl was cruelty treated, that she WA
compelled to hoe corn and do rough
work, was not allowed to visi
her sister except at the peril o
the old mans wrath, was sent during
| the past winter off to the coal fields fol
coal, alone in extreme weather, did tn,
work of q man in many ways. She ii
described as a bright, pretty and cheer
Ial girl. Further developments are
| awaited with interest.