Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-27
MORE OF A MYSTERY,
Frank Atwood Identified the
Beautiful Girl Found in
the Hudson as the
WIFE WHO DESERTED HIM,
But There Seems a Necessity for Some
body to Identify Atwood.
POLICE FIND FLAWS in HIS TALE.
Evidence Tending to ShOw-Tha the Case Is
Not One of Suicide.
WIFE WHO DESERTED HIM,
POLICE FIND FLAWS IN HIS TALE.
Evidence Tending to ShOw-That the Case Is
Not One of Suicide.
THE PART PLAYED BY A LITTLE GIRL

son river, near Croton landing. which was
first thought to be the body of Dolly Davis,
the actress, and which, according to the
latest dispatches sent out from New York,
had been identified as the wife of Frank
Atwood, Of Philadelphia, never was known
in the city as far as the inquiries of Chief
Wood and his detectives have gone
Frank Atwood himself, who claimed to
have his residenne at Ill Vine street, Phila-
delphia, and who said he was travelling
salesman FOR Cleveland hardware firm. is
also unknown TO the police authorities of
this city, and diligent inquiry at the address
he gave and among the neighbors of that
locality failed to disclose the identity of the
man who bemoaned the fate of the woman
whose lfeless body lay in the morgue at
Jarrytown on Thursday. Chief Wood said
this evening that his men had thoroughly
investigated the case during the day, and
thar no person by the name of Frank At
wood had lived at III Vine street during
the past Il years.
some Mystery About Atwood.
owe have also, he declared, ''failed to
locate the firm which Atwood said he
travelled for. as there is no such firm known
III Cleveland. A reporter called this
afternoon At IL Vine street, plain three
s;ory brick building, the first floor being a
butcher store. Mrs. Meehan, who at pres
cut rents the house, said that she has lived
Ia the house over one year and that no such
person as Frank Atwood had lived there
during that time.
4 cal! was then made at Mrs Curtison's,
Twelfth and Wood streets, who sublets the
E1u~a 70 Mrs. Meehan, and who lived there
Ter Hl"Ti icU- years previous to Mrs.
LifaaaE, and she also declared that she had
nsvcg known or heard of Frank Atwood,
auG tLaT 70 family answering the Gescrip-
ria1 eve- rooned in her house. The police
here believe that Atwood'S story is an
unadulterared lie
The account Of Atwood's alleged identif-
ca.inn Of the body AZ Tarrytown is quite
dramatic 4 stranger with a brown-eycd
li;tlc girl entered the improvised morgue
lie looked at the face of the corpse long and
iHteatly, then stood erect and drew his hand
ove- his eyes, and walked over 10 the win
dow.
cts my wife. I have found her." the
nan said IN a low voice.
The Little Girl Denied 1t.
Then with sudden impulse he stooped
and took the little girl up in his arms and
brough; her to the coffin, where he held her
close over the dead woman.
That's your mother, Louise" he said
quietly
The chiId's lips gathered in pout, and
struggling 10 get down she said:
''lhat amt my mamma"
The news that the body had been identi-
fed spread over the town, and in less time
than it takes 20 tell buzzing crowd was
gathered at the door. Soon the Chic "a f
Police came, and the men who formed the
Coroner's jury, and they were admitted to
the shop, while the crowd was kept out.
Then -he stranger told his story to the
group that sat around him, and the little
girl walked around and looked shyIy at
everybody, and allowed those whom she
liked 70 stroke her hair
MY name is Frank Atwood" began the
man. 'I suppose that is the best way to
begin. 1t isn't a story that / like to tell,
stiN less care to repeat, so l will be careful |
10 tell it completely. l am a travelling
salesman for Whit, Post & Co., hardware |
firm of Cleveland, o. The little girl is my
daughter Her mother lies under that
black cloth.
The Story of His Marriage.
"About four years ago used to ride !
every dav between Philadelphia where L |
lived. ard Germantown, a suburb One !
day met beautiful girl in the cars, and |
t'irted with her and took her home 1 |
called on her several times, and after brief |
cnurtship ! married her Her name was /
Purcell Marina, a very singular name,
which had never heard before and have |
nor heard since. She was boarding with a |
family in Germantown, and knew nothing |
about her parents. ] trusted her so fully |
that I never asked her single question, |
ana I did not want to know anything that |
she did not care to tell me- She told me |
her parents were wealthy. and that she had |
left home because Of quarrel with them. |
She had never done anything wrong, she |
said, and l believed it, and believe it to-
dav when she IS dead in the box there.
Il 90 not know where she was born or
where her parents were. or whether she has |
,ii.. friends / took her for herself alone, |
and never bothered my head about any |
thing else.
'She was 4 beautiful girl when I married |
her, though you would not think so now. |
She said then that she was p years old, and |
she locked Il.
"Weil we were married, and we started |
housekeeping 1T III Vine street, between
First and Second streets. l was often away
from home for many weeks bpt when re- |
1aucsi We wcr" always happy. My wife
WAS a bright woman. always in coed spirits
ani happy. and she was very clever. Then
Louise was born-she is my little girl
aad every thing WAS pleasant until june Is,
lSS9 l had been away from home four
weeks.
Deserted Without Any Warming.
''I rad left my wife with kiss, and she
told me to get back as soon as could, SO
you can see l never expected what hap
pened. Well, she had gone They tele-
grsphcd To me oU- IL Omaha, Neb, where |
was az the time, and came back TO Phila-
drlphia as fast as | could. The house was
locked and deserted. and Louise, who was q
liitl" baby then, WAS with Il neighbOr. The
neighb0r told me that my wife had left the
baby with her and said she would come back |
il. few hours GnG-and, well, gentlemen,
there isn't any more TO tell l never saw |
her again. See did not write to me; she
lett no word, and 1 was completely dumb
founded. l could not imagine why she had
left me. No matter what she had done,
would have forgiven her. j never said a
harsh word to her or wronged her in any
way.
@She mad taken only few dresses and
hardly any money, and L thought she would
come back aCain. But never saw her
llive again. After waiting over week
old tl2e police all about it, and they sent
.ut an alarm for her Ny lawyer haG ad-
,iscd fie ;o make a complaint Of larceny
-ainst her, as that would get the police
more interested in it, but she had not stolen
mvrhing They searched and searched, but
lpver found even a clew to her.
Then / began 70 look for myself, and
earv task il was. Every time 1 read in
lie papers OF an unknown dead woman who
,as,yered in any way at all the description
;! ny wife went 20 see the body. AT first