Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-12-13


he meant to burn no one win ever
know, but he got up and
burned one of them. Both
were duly sealed and attested, and
both were equally good in law,
That he did burn one of them was
sure. Thirty hours later someone
happened to visit the cabin and the
old man was found dead in his bed,
the woman had disappeared and the
wills were missing. With all that
money at stake there was great
excitement, of course, and the re-
latlves gave me the case to work up.
No one knew, until overhaued the
ashes in the fire place, that anything
had been burned. l found scraps of
paper, proving that at least one
OF the wills had been destroyed. So
far as | could tell, both might have
been burned at the same time One
had been, anyhow, and the question
of which it was interested every rel
ative.
1t seemed curious why Mrs. TEACHER
had gone away, and still more curl
Gus that she had escaped observat ton
AS no one had met her in the village
or on the highway, it must be con-
Guided that she had reasons for
hiding. If one of the walls had been
preserved, she probably knew OF it's
wherea bouts, as the old cabin had
been hunted over and over again
without bringing it to light. My
first step, therefore, was to discover
her; but when II fairly sharp man
puts himself against Il half idiot he
may be beaten. made Il circuit for
thirty miles around on horse back,
and, while | met n hundred people
! who knew the woman by sight, |
could get no late trace of her. A
robber could not have hidden his
trail more successfully. When l
found that the hunt was to be ex-
tended, | notified every sheriffin that
part of the state. got out circulars
and sent them to town marshals,
constables, postmasters, and farm
ers but no good resulted.
Then. one day, | sat down to put
myself in her place. For all l knew
then she was with the old man when
he died, and it might have been one
of her hands which held one of the
wills to the fame, Just why she
should fly and hide herself when not
guilty of anything WAS puzzle. So
far us we could determine she had
taken nothing. One day Martin had
gone with her to the bank and drawn
out and presented to her the sum of
5000 This she had taken, as was
her right, but the few dollars he
had in his pockets were there when
we searched the dead body, had
not thought to overhaul her ward
robe, but when | came to do so |
got pointer. She had dressed her
self in her best and gone without
taking even a hand satchel. Her
best was a black silk, fine red shawl,
fashionable bonnet, and fine shoes.
She would not only look very much
like lady, but she would not set out
for a walk across the wet fields or
along the muddy highway. She
would take the train at the nearest
point, OF course, and that happened to
be at station not over thirty rods
from the old mans cabin and on his
land Freight and accommodation
trains stopped there always for
water, and the regular passenger
trains sometimes. For instance, the
express for Cincinnati would notstop
at the village. but would at this
county station to get supply OF
water for the engine.
As soon as | struck this trail l was
only few days in ascertaining that
Mrs. Thatcher, dressed i'll her best,
did actually board the express that
night as it stopped for a moment,
and that she paid her fare and was
carried to Cincinnati She had four
weeks the start of me, but | had
strong hopes of finding her.
reasoned that the fact of her being
supplemented, and of never hay
ing travelled much, would make her
keep clear of the hotels She doubt
less, feared she would be blamed for
the old mans death. and a search
made for her. In that case she would
hide herself. | had my mind made
up when ] reached Cincinnati to look
for her among the boarding houses,
and look did. After vain search
of week got one OF the regular
detectives, and in another week We
got track of her. In going into the
city she mad entered into conversa
ton with IL fellow passenger, and he
had recommended her to n boarding
house kept by his aunt. They gave
her room at the house, but soor
saw that she was queer. The situa
tion sharpened her wits, and she
claimed to be a Mrs Rose, of Chi
cago, who had come to search Out
relatives. AS she never went out
received no letters, and employed NJ
assistance her story was not be
lieved, and she WAS an object o
wonder to the other boarders. Ii
about three weeks she one day paiC
her bill and walked off, but one OF TIL,
boarders followed her to another
boarding house. We hoped and eX
pected to find her there, but she haC
changed again, and no one knew
where she was. 1t took us three day
to locate her again, and this time W,
were too late by an hour only.
In making her second change Mrs
Thatcher had gone to a boarding
house kept by "a woman who had 1
brother on a farm. He supplied he
with vegetables, and as he came il
one day Mrs. Thatcher saw him, ant