Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-27

ofinRlnR IL to nBnt. My nrSJ step, there fore, was to discover her; but when Q falrly sharp man pits himself against a L idiot he may be beaten. I made . ( cuit for thirty miles around on horse L. k, and, while 1 met hundred people V Q knew the woman by sight, could get no late trace of her. A robber could not nave hidden his trail more successfully. " hen found that the hunt was to be ex- tended notified every sheriff in that part of the State. got out circulars and sent them to town marshals, constabIes, post masters ana farmers, but no good resulted.
 Then, one day, l sat down to put my self in her place. For all knew then she was with the old man when he died, and it mlght have been her hand which held ono of the wills to the flame Just why she should fly and hide herself when not guilty of any thing was a puzzle. So far as VIC could determine she had taken nothing. One day Martin had gone With her to the bank and drawn out and presented to her tho sum of $500. This she had taken, as was her right, but the few dollars he had in his pocket were there when we searched tho dead body. had not thought to overhaul her wardrobe, but when came to do so | got pointer. She had dressed herself-in her best and gone without taking even Q hand -sachel Her best was black silk, . fine red shawl, fashionable bonnet and fine shoes. She would not only look very much like lady, butyshe would not set out for walk across tho wet fields or Alon \ the muddy highway. Sine would takc tho train at tho nearest point, of course, and that happened 10 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 tho reg uiar passenger trains sometimes. Tor in stance, the express for Cincinnati would not stop at the village, bu. would at this couaty station to get supply of water for tho eA- zine.
 As soon as struck this trail was only . few days ln sscertaining that Mrs. Thatch- CT, dressed in her best, did actually board the express that night as it stopped for . moment, and that she paid her fare and was carried to Cincinnati. Shc had four weeks the start of me, but ! hsd strong hopes of finding her. ! reasoned that the fact of her being sinlple-Tinded, and of never hsv1n1 travelled much, would make her keep clear of the hotels She, doubtless, learned she would be blamed for the old mans death, and search made for her. In that case she would hide herself I had my mind mado up when 1 reached Cincinnati to look for her among the boarding houses, and look 1 did. After a vain search of . week l got enc of the regular detectives, fnd in another week we got track of her. 1 In going into the city she had entered into 1 conversation with Q fellow passenger and 1 he had recommended her to boarding ! house kept by his aunt. They gave her . 1 room at the house, but soon saw that sho 1 was queer. The situation sharpcned her wits and she claimed to be a Mrs. Rose, of 1 Chicago, who had come to search out rel- | ativCs. As sGo never went out. received no | letters and employed no assistance her | story was not believed, and she was an ob- l lcct of wonder to the other boarders. In about three weeks she one day paid her l bill and walked of. but one of the boarders | followed her to another boarding house. 1 We hoped and expected to fiEd her there, but she had changed again, and no ono ! knew where she was. It took us three days 10 locate her again, and this time we were 1 too late by an hour only,
 In making her second change Mrs. | Thatcher had gone to a boarding house l kept by a woman who had a brother on a farm. He supplied her with vegetables, and as he came in one day Mrs. Thatcher | saw hm and at once decided to go out to l his farm. She arranged for her board, 1 bought herself q cheap dress or two, and the pair had been gone about an hour or 1 two when we rang the bell. The detective vas busy on another case and decided that he could not 20 with me. 1 therefore got a horse and buggy and drove off alone It was about three o'clock III the afternoon of ;i June day and was hardly clear of tho city when 1 noticed that thunder storm 1 vas comm 2 up from the direction in which l l was headed. 1 drove fast, hoping to make the ten miles before 1 was caught, but when seven miles from the city the storm rrollc. The only shelter could secure was an ol,; wagon shed. but, while the thunder | and lightning were severe, but little rain ; 1cll.
 In the half hour 1 was under the shed the 1 lightning struck near me three times, and I was greatly relieved when the storm passed cn. drove forward for about a mile and | then suddenly came upon a curious sight in the highway. \ farmers wagon was i smoking and burning, while one horse lay stone dead and the other was plungin 2 about. On one side of the wagon lay the body of woman, on the other side that of a man. I leaped out and secured my horse, and the man was the first approached. Ills clothes were on fire over his breast and his face wa. dis
 colorcd. One glance satisfied me tha. he was dead. The woman lay in q heap, but when 1 took hold of her hand there was 2 i1utter of the eyelids. A bolt oi lightning had killed one of the horses and
 the man, but the woman had only been
 stunned. My first move was just what an '
 physician would have recommended.
 tore open the bosom of her dress and cut
 her corset strings to give her lungs chance
 to play. As the knife parted the string.
 a-.d the corsets flew open a paper was dis
 played. Ireached for it and one look tolt
 me that 1t was tho last will and testamen
 of James Martin.
 Then the woman must be Mrs. Thatcher
 but I should never havo known her, dresse,
 IS she was. She came to while 1 was re
 leasing the plunging horse and putting GU
 tho fire III the wagon. The accident ha
 come about as 1 supposed, and in half .,
 hour she was quite herself again. wen
 to the nearest farmer, got him to come bac
 and assume charge ofthings, and then drov
 back to the city with my prisoner. On tn
 way in she fully explained every thins
 When Martin found himself about to die h
 told her to burn the old will. In her nerv
 ousness and being unable to read, sh
 burned tho wrong one. When he discovere
 this he berated her in as forcible lanRuag
 as he could call up-lndeed, he fell back m
 died while cursing her Fearing that sh
 had committed some awful crime and ho,
 ing if she carried the other document o
 with her she night escape all consequence:
 she dressed herself, took the paper and he
 money, and walkld over and boarded th | train.
 Under the will I had recovered all tn , relatives shared alike, which was fair am