Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-08
MRS. GARDNER FOUND.
Mystery of the Missing 4. T.. Dele
gate to the Uoston Convention.


Norwich Comm dispatch Of the
9th instant says: Mrs Annie NJ. Gardner.
of Arcadia, Neb., the Christian EndeaVOr
delegate who disappeared from Boston on
July 18th after causing 10 be- written to
her husband a letter saying that she had
died and been buried In that city. is AT
present in the home OF Il family living AT
Norwich Town Green. "A suburb Of this
city, where she has been since July 2sth.
j. l.. IAnders. who was sent on by the
little Congregational church in Arcadia
to take the body back home, was this
afternoon piotod into the presence Of
Mrs Gardner by a Boston reporter. who
has been three weeks working on the
case and the interview OF an hours
duration was most affecting Mrs.
Gardner was known in Boston as Doro-
thy Mansfield, and by that name here.
and when Mr.. Landers. who Is a typical
westerner, and knows Mrs. Gardner and
her husband well, entered the room and
called her by name. she looked No at
him in surprise. and said: Il beg your
pardon. sir: | am Dorothy Mansfield"
At length she broke down and told
the story Of her movements from the
time she left Arcadia until the Boston
reporter found her here. II IS very hard
sane or not II she is, there is GER
tainly much method a. her madness.
for never was a voluntary disappear
ance more cleverly planned and executed
and more perpleXing denial OF insanity
made than that Of this woman. The
cleW 10 Mrs Gardner was found in Bos-
ton Sunday night.
\ teachers convention was in progress
I'm Norwich from July Sth to 18th, and the
aa..NHH
a school teacher in Michigan ana Illinois
led AT once to the suggestion that she
was here.
The search for the woman in Norwich
was made. 1t took about four hours TO
find her. and then It was rather by ac-
cident. As stated. Mrs. Gardner at first
persistent.y and Indignantly denied her
identity. and at one point in the interview
suggested that since she had evidently
been mistaken for Mrs. Gardner. she
would very gladly write a letter TO Mr..
Gardner in Arcadia. and ask him to come
on to Norwich and satisfy himself and
others that she was indeed Dorothy
Mansfield
She was at once asked to act upon the
suggestion, and she wrote the letter.
which. in its handwriting further corrObo-
rates her identity. When she was asked
If il was not true that she came TO BOs-
ton for the Christian Endeavor Conven-
ton, she said II was, and that she came
from Springfield. Ill. She declined to give
the names of any people she knew in
Springfield saying that she was unwilling
TO have any Of her friends drawn into the
matter
When she broke down she presented a
| pitable object
She was sorry that she had caused
so much trouble. said that her husband
had always been kind and good TO her,
and she was sorry TO have left her chill
I dren.
She showed all the symptoms OF a per-
1 son Just returning TO her right mind.
and when she was composed declared that
/ she could never return 10 Arcadia. But
/ Mr.. Landers now has charge OF the wo-
! man. and has no doubt that he can induce
/ her to return 10 her home. IL should be
/ stated that not one word Of suspicion as
/ TO Mrs Gardner's personal conduct has
/ been raised at any time since she disap-
peared There is absolutely no man in the
/ case.