The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-02-01

search oil week got Ouo "a Iho AOS ~
lar detectives. and in another wee< we
got track of her. In going into the
city she hal entered into conversation
with q fcllow-passenger. and he had
recommended her to boarding house
kept by his aunt. They gave her
room at the house, but. soon saw that
she was queer. The situation sharpened
her wits, and she claimed to be Mrs.
Rose of Chicago, VINO had come to
search out relatives. As she never went
out, received no letters and employed
no assistance her story was not believed.
aud she was an object of wonder to the
other boarders. In about three weeks
she one day paid her bill and walked
off. but one of the boarders followed
her to another boarding house. We
hoped and expected to find her there,
but she had changed again and no ono
knew where she was. 1t took US three
days to locate her again, and this time
We were too late by an hour only.
In making her second change Ms.
Thatcher had gone to a boarding house
kept by a woman who had brother on
a farm. He suppl ed her with vegesa.
bles, and as he came in one day Mr,.
Thatcher saw him. aud at once decided
to 90 out to his farm. She arranged for
her board, bought herself a cheap dres,
or two, and the pair had been gone
about an hour or two when We rang the
bell. The detective was busy on another
case and decided that he could not 60
with me. therefore go: horse and
buggy and drove off alone. 1t was
about o clock in tn, afternoon of a
June day, and I was hardly clear of
the city when l noticed that a thunder
storm was coming up from the direction
in which ! was headed. drove fast,
hoping to make the ten miles before !
was caught, but when seven miles from
the city the storm broke. The only
shelter I could secure was an old wagon
shed, but while the thunder and light
ming were severe, but little rain fell.
In the half hour was under the shed
the lightning struck near mo three
times. and l was greatly relieved when
the storm passed on. drove forward
for about a mile, and then suddenly
cam, upon a curious sight in the high
way. A farmers wagon was smoking
and burning, while one horse lay stone
dead and the other was plunging about.
On one side of the wagon lay the body
of 4 woman, on the other side that of a
man. l leaped out and secured my
horse, and the man was the first APP
preached. His clothes were on fire
over his breast. and his face was discol-
ored. One glance satisfied me that he
was dead. The woman lay in a heap,
but when took hold of her hand there
was futter of the eyelids. A bolt of
lightning had killed one of the horses
and the man. but the woman had only
been stunned. My first move was just
what any physician would have recon-
mended. Iloosened the collar at hel
throat to give her lung, a chance to
play. As the collar few open a paper
was displayed. l reacaed for it, and one
look told me that it was the last will
and testament of James Martin.
Then the woman must be Mrs
Thatcher, but I should never havt
known her, dressed as she was. Sht
came to while was releasing the plung
ing horse and putting out the fire in thu
wagon. The accident had come abou
as supposed, and in half an hour sh'
was quite herself again. I went to th'
nearest farmer, got him to come bacl
and assume charge of things, and thel
drove back to the city with my prisoner
On the way in she fully explained
everything. When Martin found him
self about to die he told he
to burn the old will. In he
nervousness, and being unable t
read, she burned the wrong one
When he discovered this he berated he
in as forcible language as he could cal
! un-indee he fell back and diel