The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-01-11

was great eXClLeLHent, VI COuIoe,
and the relatives gave me the case
to work up. No one knew, until |
overhauled the ashes in the fireplace
that anything had been burned. |
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 relative.
It seemed curious why Mrs.
Thatcher had gone away and still
more curious that she had escaped
observation. AS no one had met her
in the village or on the highway it
must be concluded that she had
reasons for hiding. If one of the
Wills had been preserved she prob
ably knew of the whereabouts,
as the whole cabin had been
hunted over and over again
without bringing it to light.
My first step, therefore, was to dis
coverer her, but when a fairly sharp
man puts himself against half
idiot he may be beaten. l made a
circuit for thirty miles around on
horseback, and, while I met hun
dred 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 I found that the hunt was to
be extended l notified every sheriff
in that part of the state. l got out
circulars and sent them to town
marshals, constables, postmasters
and farmers, but no good resulted.
Then, one day, I 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 her
hand which held one of the wills
to the flame. Just why she should
fly and hide herself when not guilty
of anything was puzzle. So far as
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
$500. This she had taken, as was
her right, but the few dollars he had
in his pocket were there when we
searched the dead body. ! had not
thought to overhaul her wardrobe,
but when / came to do so | got a
pointer. She had dressed herself
in her best and gone without taking
even hand satchel. Her best was
black silk, fine red shawl, a
fashionable bonnet and fine shoes.
She would not only look very much
like a lady, but she would not set
out for 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 accom-
mediation trains stopped there al
ways for water, and the regular
passenger trains sometimes. For
Instance, the express for Cincinnati
would not stop at the village, but
would at this country station to get
a supply of water for the engine.
| AS soon as l struck this trail l
was only few days in ascertaining
that Mrs. Thatcher, dressed in her
best, did actually board the express
that night as it stopped for mo-
ment, and that she paid her fare
and was carried to Cincinnati. She
had four weeks the start Of me, but
I had strong hopes of finding her.
I reasoned that the fact of her be-
ing simple-minded and of never
having travelled much would make
her keep clear of the hotels. She
doubtless feared that she would be
blamed for the old mans death and
a search made for her. In that case
she would hide herself. I had my
mind made up when / reached Gin
cinnati to look for her among the
boarding houses, and look l did.
After vain search of a week / got
one of the regular detectives, and
in another week we got track of
her. In going into the city she had
entered into conversation with a
fellow passenger, and he had recon-
mended her to boarding house
kept by his aunt. They gave her a
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, who
had come to search out relatives.
AS she never went out, received no
letters and employed no assistance
her story was not believed, and 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 one 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
Mrs. Thatcher had gone to board
ing house kept by woman who