St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-11
THE SALTWATER MYSTERY.
Speculation Concerning the Disap-
pearance of Miss Johnston.
Alfred Smith, of Lake Elmo, Turns
Out to Be Girl.

The mysterious disappearance of Emma c.
Johnston, the milliner, exclusively published
in the GLOBE yesterday, ere ated quite SEN
sation. Up to late hour last night nothing
had been learned concerning her where
abouts, and there was much theorizing. Some
thought she might have committed suicide,
others that she had eloped, while the major
ity thought she had skipped. The latter
theory appears to be the correct one. Her
store on South Main street Was opened yes
terday morning, and kept open all
day by one of her girls. Quite number of
persons called during the day and made all
sorts of inquiries concerning her. Some
ladies called to gee their hats. An insurance
man, after reading the GLOBE, made a bee
line for the store to cancel an insurance
policy for $1,000, for fear the store would be
closed by creditors. No creditors put in
their appearance yesterday, and it is not be-
lieyed that there are many, as the fair lady
who has caused such sensation, as far as IS
known, paid her bills promptly. Not five
persons in the city knew anything about her
disappearance until the GLOBE chronicled it.
On Wednesday d telegram passed over the
Western Union wire to saltwater from Chi
cago which is believed to be from her. 1t
read as follows: ADA has confessed. We
are exposed" The telegram was signed
Emma" but the name of the re-
cipient could not be ascertained. The
report IUdC SHE udu GlOpGu Win
a Saltwater photographer is untrue.
The writer interviewed her sister, Mrs. A.
c. Otterdahl, No. SOB Saltwater street, st.
Paul. yesterday concerning her sisters sud-
den disappearance. She knew very little
about it. Emma, as she called her, wrote to
her last Saturday, requesting her to come
over at once. She was busy and could not
come till Thursday, when she found the store
closed and her sister gone, also her trunks
and all her clothing books, photograph albums
and other articles. She did not know what to
think of this and does not yet and appeared
very much worried. She sold the stock of
millinery goods to her sister about two years
ago for $500 and took mortgage, since
which time not a single payment has been
made. She did not need the money and never
asked for it. Miss Johnston spoke of it sew
eral times and said she wanted to pay it as
soon as she could. She knows of no other
bills she owes. Asked if she thought her
sister had eloped, she said no and thought it
would be unnecessary for her to do so, as she
could have married years ago if she wanted
to. She had often talked about leaving Still
water, but she thinks it strange she left as
she did. She had q lady friend near Chicago
who she thinks induced her to take the
steps she has. Asked what, if anything,
she knew about the telegram which appears
above, she said it spuzzled her. Mrs.
Otterdahl did not know as much as was ex-
pected, and asked the writer numerous QueS-
lions about her sister. She said that Emma
was unlike a sister i'll many ways and never
| told her any secrets, although they always
got along well together. The firm name was
Otterdahl & Johnston when she sold out and
went to st. Paul. She has not yet decided
what disposition she will make of the goods,
and she will not until she comes to Saltwater
to-day. Last night it was learned that Miss
| Johnston purchased a ticket at the Omaha
depot to Chicago on Tuesday evening, and
left for that city on the S:45 train. She pur-
|
| promised te keep it to himself, but another
party gave the snap away. This settles the
| suicide theory.
Lake Elmo comes to the front with a ro-
| nance. Alfred Smith, who said he resided in
| Connecticut, appeared at the hotel the early
| part OF July and asked for employment, Of
ferfng to do any kind of work The proprie-
! for, Mr.. Moore, was favOrably impressed
| with his appearance and soon promoted him
to second steward, so well did he perform his
| duties. Alfred dressed well from the start.
| He was good looking and became general
| favorite. Several of the girls who were sum-
meriDg at the house were mashed on him,
| and he was often seen with them. One
| bright morning recently the guests were
| shocked to learn that Alfred was a woman.
/ A young man had been roOming with her for
| seven weeks without discovering her sex. As
! soon as he made the discovery he notified the
! proprietor and all the attaches The news
soon reached the guests and the cottagers
and created profound sensation. The girl
| left the same day for st. Paul and has not
been heard of since. Before leaving she said
| that st. Paul was her real home, and that she
adopted male attire because she could obtain
| a better position and more pay. While at
! the hotel she shaved her face twice week.
| Her home is sad to be i'll West St. Paul, but
| her real home has not been learned.
AT a meeting of the prominent loggers of
! saltwater at Staples office yesterday after
nor or-aT lCrarp nnt W. N a
drive from the mouth of Snake river. The
dams will he opened, which will furnish suf1i-
! cient water to carry down about Ii, 600 or
| 20,000,00O feet of logs now hung up along the
/ St. Croix. The Jam company will have charge
| of the work and Will put sixty men at work
to-day and tomorrow. If these logs are
driven down to Saltwater it is believed that
! all the mills can run till the lake closes.
Asked whether the Washington county
alliance would take any part in the coming
election, the president, John B. Taft, said:
''Wel not that / know of. We meet next
Monday when, suppose, the matter will be
] decided upon. We are young and can't do
much, but as far as l am concerned will
support the man that will work for our inter-
estS, no matter what party be belongs to-
! Mr.. Taft is staunch Republican, and says
the alliance is divided politically.
The new Democratic paper is a ssgo.'' 1t
| will be an evening daily and will make its de-
| but the early part of the week All the neceS-
| sary arrangements will be completed at the
meeting of the Democrats of Saltwater at
Durant s. Wheeler's Office tonight. large
number of the prominent Democrats of the
! city have already agreed to contribute liber-
| ally.
The musical given at the residence of Capt
/ w. G. Bronson last night was u success artis-
! tically and financially.
! J. j. Brotherton returned from Minnetonka
| last night wearing two medals he won in the
| boat racing Aug. 81.
Campbell H. Sweeney, of Minneapolis, came
over last evening on business and pleasure.
The public school enrolment is 1,322, an in
| crease of about 100.