Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-02-20
FRIED OYSTERS.
An Account Of the Disappearance
Of Mr.. Cassidy.

An Account Of the Disappearance
| Of Mr.. Cassidy.
"My DEAR" said Mr.. Cassidy, ''put
on the frying-pan. and get ready to
| make some oyster fritters. I'm hungry
and we'll have bit of supper before we
Sleep"
Mrs Cassidy liked bit of supper and
oyster fritters as we'll as her husband,
and she nodded an assent; and, putting
by her work, went into the little kitchen
at the end of the fiat, and having handed
her spouse a small tin kettle with a
handle, looked to the fire, and set all
that was necessary on the cooking
table. Then she sat down to wait for
him.
| It was warm in the kitchen, and COM
Portable and cozy.
Mrs. Cassidy, waiting for her spouse,
leaned back against the wall and shut
her eyes. Not sleeping; oh, no, only
thinking. The clock licked on; the tea
kettle sang its song. Mrs. Cassidy was
back in the country place where she
was born, talking at the garden gate with
Tom.- Then something aroused her.
She started up.
Tom! Tom! Why, where was Tom
Cassidy? He had been gone an hour. And
the oyster saloon was only around the
corner. She must have had a nap.
Frightened and nervous, she ran to
the door. All was very still in the
street, and where the houses were not
utterly dark, the lights had gone to the
upper floors.
Perhaps the saloon was closed and he
had gone farther for the oysters. Yes;
that must be it.
She went back to the kitchen and
waited, but no Tom came.
In fact, he did not. come that night.
About dawn next morning the servant,
coming downstairs to :kindle the fire,
saw her mistress crouched up in the
corner of the kitchen fireplace moan
ing and rocking herself to and fro.
When asked what was the matter, she
said: -, ~ - -. = ~
"Your master is dead. Sally 80
Sally shrieked, but when informed
that her lady's reasons for this statement
were that her husband had gone out in
tending to return III few minutes, and
was not yet at home, Sally grinned and
took the affair lightly. F
Depend upon it, num- she said,
she's only gone off on spree. They
all does it sooner or later. My last
lady didn't see hers for three weeks one
winter. Mr.. Cassidy IL turn up all
right again SOON"
But her mistress could not be COM
forted. Neither was Sally true prophet
It was soon evident that Mr.. Cassidy
had disappeared.
All his male relatives and connections
went to work at the search for him as
soon as they could be telegraphed for.
No gentleman of his description had in
quired for oysters late that evening in
the neighborhood-
At his place of business person
waited for him at nine that morning, by
appointment. Failing in this meeting
was very disadvantageous to Mr.. Cas-
sidy.
He had bought tickets for the theater
the next evening, for Mrs. Cassidy and
himself, and had given them to her to
keep safe. Not the most suspicious de-
tective of them all could believe that
Mr.. Cassidy had voluntarily left home.
A respectable gentleman of his age,
well dressed as he always was. prob
ably, would have been taken to
hospital if he had been seized with a
sudden attack of illness in the. street;
or, at least, if he had been supposed to |
be intoxicated, dubbed, and locked up
in cell for daring to have apoplexy or
heart disease, his remains would have
have been found by this time. They
searched high and they searched low
for a week. At last a body was found
in the river. It's clenched hand was
closed over something that proved to be
the handle of tin can. Time and
weather had done the worst with person
and wearing apparel, but. the body was
Identified by the loss of two front teeth
and Bald spot on his head
To be sure, Mr.. Cassidy in life had
worn two artificial teeth, but that was
nothing. The detectives, the brother |
In-law, the two cousins, talked the sad |
affair over, and decided that there could |
be no doubt concerning the manner of |
mis- death.
The unfortunate widow had the news |
broken to her. She was prepared for
she worst by that time. And the next |
lays paper had a full account of the
affair. They stated that
Mr. Cassidy, prominent business man Of |
MP city, feeling some appetite at eleven O'Clock
8 fHtghf On Wednesday, the - Of win /
he simplicity and amiability that distine he'd |
I'm took Q small tin can from his klschso I