The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-14
DAVID WECHsLER.
SHE WRECKED MANY A HOME.
Mrs. Rothwell OF mira Confesses to
a Singular Mania.

Mrs. Rothwell OF mira Confesses to
a Singular Mania.
An Elmira N. " special to the New
York " orld says: Mrs. Aurelia V. Roth
well Of this city has made a strange con
fession TO the chief Of police. She says she
has been sending anonymous letters Of u
mischief-m making character to scores Of peo-
pie Of this city. She has lived a dHal life
-outwardly that Of an exemplary christian
woman. secretly that of a mshef maker
aud a scandal breeder Her letters TEEN
with obscenity, and were addressed to every
one who would be narrowed by them. Dur
ing the past SIX years she must have written
reams of paper in satisfying her peculiar
mama Families have been broken up,
friends alienated, societies disorganized and
the shadow Of suspicion thrown over reputa-
Die and innocent people by her pernicious
messages.
She completely broke up the lodge of
Good Tetnplars here four years ago. Rev.
A. w SpOoner pastor of the Lake Street
Presbyterian church, has been much perse-
cute1 by the woman. 1t Is believed by the
chief Of police that it WAS she who wrote
tho anonymous letters that led to the seDera-
ton Of Mr.. AID Mrs. 5. T. Reynolds, of
this city, prominent and wealthy PEOPLE
Private detectives we're paid literally for
the letters, but they failed.
Mrs. Rothwel swooned when confessing
her guilt under the close questioning of the
chief, but soon recovered her self-possession
and afterward acted as an usher at a tenn
perance meeting under the auspices OF the
WOman's Christian Temperance Union. 1t
is thought that the cause Of many domestic
troubles in this city mas now been dis
covered.
There is nobody in Elmira who seems
willing to como forward and ask for the
arrest Of Mrs Rothwel Her confession
has boon the cause of a great deal of happi-
ness as it has lifted shadows from the repu-
tatlon OF some of the best people of this
city. Among those who have reported that
they have in the past received some of the
mischief making letters are II. Bullock,
state organizer OF the Womsn's Christian
Temperance Union; Mrs. O. c. Dounce,
Mrs. r. p. Delor, Mrs II. M. Doggett and
Mrs. Leroy Baker.
Mrs. Hooper was for long time suspected
of being the writer of many of the letters
that were sent to prominent people here.
Some of the members of tie w. G. I. u,
strongly suspected her. Now that Mrs
Rothwell has confessed tho ladies are very
anxious to ask Mrs HoOper'5 pardon.
The manner in which Mrs ROthWell was
trapped is interesting. At a meeting Of The
members of the Women's Christian Tenn
perance Uniol she was given the charter to
sign She hesitated moment and then
produced a rubber stamp and placed her
name with the others. This action aroused
suspicion, and the ladies' put their heads
together and argued that the sig nature was
not as required by law, and that she must
write her name Mrs. Rothwell then
placed her name upon the list writing it
with pen, This signature was como red
with the writing in many of the anony-
nous letters, and it could not be doubted
that Mrs Ruthwell was the author of the
scurrious messages. Then followed the
Chiefs interview with Mrs. ROCKWELL and
her confession.