The Portland daily press., 1895-08-01
THE MISSING ENDEAvoRER.
MIS- oardner's Strange Disappearance ana
the Letters Relating to 1t.

Inc case of Mrs. Annie M, wife OF FL
WIN L. Gardner, of Arcadia, Ned, Is
certainly strange one. Her dlsap-
pearance, while attending the Christian
Endeavor Convention in Boston, has
already been told in the columns OF the
PRESS. There are additional facts
winch make the case very mysterious
The police of Boston are inclined to be-
lleve there has been an elopement; but
those who knew Mrs. Gardner at her
home, sturdily deny even the possibility
OF this Then also the last letters she
wrote home seemed to indicate her faith
fulness beyond doubt. She left Arcadia
Monday, July II, and arrived
in Boston in the evening, a day after
the convention opened. 1t was probably
too late for her to find regular Christian
Endeavor quarters that night. as the
Nebraska headquarter were ID Cam-
bridgeport, at the Broadway Baptlst
church, and as the convention meetings
were on in full force then, it would nave
been difficult for a stranger to ma her
way about the crowded city at night, and
meet her expected friends of the society.
She went somewhere, however, and, as
she says in her letter to her husband,
she was satisfied with her quarters, al
though she was with poor people. one
didn't go to the Broadway. Baptist
church. That is certain, and the expla-
nation youchsafed, therefor, Is that she
lound no one representing the CHRISTIAN
Endeavor people at the depot late Thurs
day night, and was approached by some
one who led her away from. instead OF
toward, the proper place. Evidently she
wrote a letter Immediately after reaching
her room, for the first one her husband
received was dated Thursday.
| This letter was such as any true wife
would send her husband. 1t commenced
by relating some minor incidents of her
trip, and telling how tired she was when
she reached Boston. She did not refer to
her quarters except to say at one point
II am all right at a house where Mlch1-
gan people are to be entertained If they
come. l did not have any trouble getting
a place.
Further along she expressed this salts
factory condition of her means: 'My
money will do me nicely" and the con-
clusion of the letter is:
sob. Edwin, may Gods own peace
and His richest bessing be yours always
I would like to see my babies. Don t
worry about me, May God keep you
| always. ANNIE -
The next letter was written Saturday,
when Mrs. Gardner had got somewhat
acquainted with Boston and had had
some experience with the Christian En-
deavor convention and the multitudes at
tending it. 1t was as follows, all of it,
except references to several minor mat
tiers, being given here
/ dear Husband: My day has been
we'll spent and it is over at last. l am
not sorry. made a mistake in my first
letter to you. 1t was written on Thurs
day instead of Wednesday. / made or
rather lost, on the trip. l had to wait
all day nearly on Tuesday in Chicago /
find that my strength is hardly equal to
the meeting of Endeayorers and every
one else seems so we'll. Really it is very
| hard work, and / need lots of strength
and determination. | have enough of the
latter to last me though, / think. Peo-
pie here are very kind to me- and l feel
sure they will care for me in case get
too tired and have to rest a day. Now
must try to make a report of the meet
| ings [ tried to attend one last night,
but after waiting and standing up for
nearly an hour came home. God
has blessed my coming to one woman
here I think. She told me today just a
| little while before / came home that she
had new courage to work in His service
| because of what / had been led to say to
her. May Sod help her, for she needs
more OF His spirit Maybe her church
| J
pray for her and them. 1t is a Cam
| bridge church think.
Sunday, July IA, it seems that the
| third letter was written. Mr.. Gardner
considered it the dying message from his
wife and would not part with 1t. 1t
commenced NMy Dear Husband! 1t has
come" (meaning it is supposed, death)
1t went on to say that she had been taken
very sick with some heart trouble, and
had made up her mind that she could not
get well. She did not want him to
worry about her, because she said she
was in the hands of people who would do
all in their power for her, and she did
not fear in the slightest She spoke of
her children, and, in pathetic manner
wanted him to say last good-by to
them for her. Then she closed by wish
ing him comfort and help with God, and
declared that she died prepared to meet
her Father In the letter she stated that,
if she were able she would write more to
him later. Then came the note signed
which said in substance: II have sad
news to tell you. Your wife passed away
at p. m. Sunday. Saturday evening she
was taken sick, but we did not think she
was very bad until Sunday morning,
when we asked advice 1t was too late.
| She died with words for you and her
children, and asked us to send the ring
|
which she put in herself, to you. We
sold portion of her effects to pay ex
penses of the burial, and there was plenty
of money, so there is no need for you to
| send any on. "
Those two messages reached Arcadia
Thursday evening, July 49, The Congre-
| gational church, of which both Mr.. and
Mrs Gardner are prominent members
holds prayer meeting every week on
| that night, and Mr.. Gardner had gone
down to attend it. The minister of the
church. Rev. j. E. Smith, rode down
with him. On the way from the post
office to the church the minister asked
Mr. Gardner about his wife, and if he
had received any late news from the con-
vention.
The reply was that he had just received
a letter from Boston, but it was not in
his wifes handwriting, and he did not
think it could be anything about the con-
vention. Just before the church was
reached he opened and read the letter
There was no prayer meeting in the Ar
cadia Congregational church that night
The shock throughout the town was a
| terrible one.