Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-05-22

guilty OF anything was a puzzle. So far as
we could determine she had taken nothing
One day Martin had gone with her 10 the
banA and drawn ont and presented her
with 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 10 overhaul her wardrobe but
when ] came 10 dos ] got a pointer. She
had dressed herself in her best and gone
without taking even hand satchal. Her
best was black silk, fine red shawl and
fashionable bonnet, and fine shoes She
would nos look very much like a lady. but
she would not set out for a walk across the
wet fields or along the muddy highway
She would take the trEln at the nearest
point, of course and that happened to be
at a station not thirty rods from the old
man cabin and on his land. Freight and
accommodation trains stopped there 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
supply of water for the engine
As soon as ! struck this trail | was only
a few days in aScertaining that Mrs.
Thatcher, dressed IN heI best, did actually
board the express that night as it stopped
for a moment, and that she was carried to
CINCINNATI She had four week. the start
OF me, but | had strong hopes of finding
her | reasoned that the fact of her being
simple. and of never having Travelled
mach would make her keep clear
Of the hotels She doubtless feared She
would be blamed for the old man s death
and search be made for her In that
case she would hide herself had my
mind made up when ! reached Cincinnati
to look for her amongthe boardmg-houses,
and look did After a vain search for a
week / got one of the regular detectives,
and after another week we got trace.
On going to the city she had entered into
conversation with fellow passenger. and
he had recommended her to a boarding
house kept 10y his aunt They gave her
room at the house. but saw that she
was queer The situation sharpened her
wits. and She claimed to be a Mrs Rose Of
Chicago who had come to search relat-
ives. 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 board
ers followed her TO another boarding
house. We hoped and expected to find her
there, but she had changed again. and no
one knew where sEe was. 1t took MS three
days to locate her again, and this time we
were olate by an hour only.
In making her second change Mrs.
Thatcher had gone TO q clearinghouse
l,-. 4 bEtr a
farm. He supplied her with vegetables,
and as he came IN one day Mrs. thatcher
saw him. and at once decided TO go out to
his farm. She arranged for he. board,
bought herself cheap dress or two and
the pair had been gone about an hour or
two when we rang the bell. The affective
was busy ON another case and decided That
he could not go with me. therefore got
4 horse and buggy ard drove off alone. 1t
was about clock in the afternoon of a
June day, and ! was handy clear OF the
city when ! noticed that 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 could Sc
cure was an old wagon shed, bat while
the thunder and lightning We're severe,
but little rain fell
In the half hour was under the shed
the lightning struck near me three times,
aud was greatly relieved when the storm
passed on drove forward for about %
mile, and then suddenly came upon cur
ious sight in the highway ! farmer
wagon was smoking and burning, while
one horse Law stone dead and the other
was puna about. On one side of the
wagon law the body of woman, on the
ether size that of a man. ! leaped out
and secured my horse, and the man was
! the first approached His clothes were ON
| FIRE over his breast and his face was DIS
coIored. One glance satisfied me that he
wa. dead The woman lay in a heap but
when took hold Of her hand there was q
Hptter of the eyrlid, A bolt of lightning
/ had killed one of the horses and the man.
/ but the woman had only been stunned.
/ Nv FIRST move was Just what any physlc-
! ian w0ad recommend tore open the
bosom of her dress and cut her corset
/ strings TO give her lungs a chance to play.
! AS the knife parted the strings aud the
corsets flew open paper was displayed T.
reached for IT, and one look told that II
was the last will and testament OF James
! Martin.
Then the woman Unjust lbe Mrs. Thatcher;
hut should never have known her, dress
ed AS She was. She came to while J was
releasing the plunging horse and putting
ont the fire ir the wagon. The accident
had came about as ] supposed, and N haItt
an hour She was quite herself again
+ went to the nearest farmer, got bun to
come back and assume charge Of things,
and then drove back to the city with my
prisoner. On the way she fully explained
everything. When Martin found himself
abont to die he told her to burn the OLD
will. In her nervousness aud being unable
Ia read. She burned the wrong one. W ben
! he discovered this be berated her IN as torci--
/ Die language as he could call up-lndeed
he died while cur.ing her Fearing that
she had committed some awful crime, and
honing that if she carried the other docu-
neut off with her she might escape all con-
sequences. She dressed herself took the
paper and her money. and walked over and
/ boarded the train. 49,,
Under the will had recovered. all thf
relative, shared alike, which was idlr and
inst under the circumstances. and instead
! Of maklnp any trouble for the grass wldo"
& 49,. ,.,-l..a,,t.l Lar with "a pur-p for SOU