Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-05-02
Mrs. Grav, Of PHILADELPHIA.

Ten years ago, in a certain goodsized
own in PENNSYLVANIA, there lived O
amily whom will call Mitchell The
fanilv consisted of husband, wife, and
.wo children, the latter being boy aged
i've and girl of seven. Mitchell was
private banker, known to be honest, re-
.pectablc, and worth clear 500, 900.
knew little or nothing about the
family until certain incidents occurred.
} { lay MS wife was fatally injured in
railroad collision at point fifty miles
response to telegram sent by stranger,
he found she had been removed to
hotel, and was being tenderly cared for
Dy a woman who gave her name as Mrs.
A. B. Gray, of Philadelphia. She was
onthc train, but suffered 10 injury.
- Gray, as l might as well tell you
uow. was petite, good looking, good
.alker, and, in a genial way, captivating.
The fact Of her taking acharge of Mrs.
Mitchell as she had done proved her
tender heart. She told Mr.. Mitchell
she had been a widow eighteen months,
lna was practically alone in the world,
and though he was burdencd with grief
aud anxiety, he did not forget to thank
her for her great kindness and to take
her address. He would have offered her
money for her services, but he saw that
she was lady and would feel hurt by
any such action She resumed her
journey, and he took his wife home to
lie of her injuries. 1t was three weeks
after ner death that | came into the case.
After everything was over the husband
suddenly discovered that his dead wife's
iewerv was missing. She had with her,
when the accident took place, about a
thousand dollars worth of diamonds.
They had disappeared, and when he came
to run over events in his mind be could
not remember that they had come home
with her. Mrs Gray had turned over
to him Mrs. Mitchell's purse and few
other things, but pair of diamond ear
drops, two rings, and pin were miss
ing.
was employed to proceed to the scene
of the late accident and seek to trace the
iewelry. The collision had occurred
right at the depot in small town.
People about the depot and at the hotel
assured me that Mrs. Mitchell had her
iewelry on when taken to the hotel.
The landlords wife was positive, aud
the doctor who was called in was posi-
tive, and when had worked the case
out l returned home to report to Mitchell
that nobody but Mrs. Gray could have
taken the jewelry. He was astonished
and indignant, and not only vigorously
repudiated the implication, but dis
charged me from the case with the asser-
ton that was novice in the profession
No other detective, working without bias,
could have come to any other conclusion
than / did, and, feeling sure of this fact
I was not SO much put out over hi
action. | have found in my long ex
perlence that most people who employ
detective on bind case expect him t
think as they do, and to follow u
theories formed in advance of his EN-
ployment.
l went about other business, and
was about four months before I say
Mitchell again. Then he sent for me /,
an official capacity again. No referenc
was made to my previous work, bu
fresher and other troubles had come t
him. A month after the death Of hi
wife he had opened correspondence wit
Mrs. Gray, aud the result was that sh
had come to take charge Of his house
He was without relatives. or, at least
without those who could aid him in hi
situation, aud she claimed to be free j
her movements You will suspect, ju:
as did, that she had captivated him
but he fought shy of any acknowleds
nent Of the sort She was in his hous
TO care for his children and TO manag
domestic matters, aud that was no one
business b,l; their own.
| haven't told you about the bank. ]
was situated just square from his hous'