The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-15
ENTICED LIZZIE AWAY.
Solution Ofthe Mystery Of the Disappear.
ance of the Important Witness in the
Case Against Keeper Hartman.

>uoS AbuihSh hSSpSi
BY the United Press.
Philadelphia, Feb. 1.-THE mystery
of the disappearance of Lizzie O'Brien,
the girl who brought the charges
against Steward Hartman, of the
Schuylkill county almshouse, was
cleared up by her return to the house
of her brother in this city tonight.
From the girls story and that of her
brother, William OBrien 1t would ap-
pear that there had been regular
conspiracy to entice the girl away. On
Saturday last n woman of about 40
years of age, and giving her name as
Bella Burke, called on the O'Briens and
introduced herself as connection of
theirs. She seemed to be thoroughly
familiar with their history and soon
established herself upon friendly foot
ing. She and Lizzie became quite init
mate, and on Tuesday evening the
Burke woman stated that she was go
ing to New York and asked Lizzie to
go with her. The girl readily assented
and she and the woman went to New
York that night.
They stopped at the Cosmopolitan no.
tel. The next day something occurred
to excite Lizzie's suspicious that all
was not right. and she went out with
the woman and sent a telegram. as she
states, to her brother in Philadelphia
telling him where she was. This tele
gram she affects to believe was not
sent. as she saw the Burke woman
making motions to the operator that
would lead him to suppose she uizzie)
was insane, and that the sending Of
the telegram was only freak and she
need not transmit 1t. When she re-
turned to the hotel LiZ2ie's suspicious be-
came more excited than ever and she
screamed and brought number of peo-
pie to the room. Again the Burke wo-
man succeeded in persuading these who
came to the room that the girl was in
sane. Grown desperate under this
treatment Lizzie ran down the stairs
and into the street with the Burke wo-
man after her. The girl appealed to a
policeman that she was being detained
against her will in New York, and once
again the woman succeeded I'm persuad-
ing the officer that the girl was crazy.
Still Another Scheme.
Today Lizzie continued to make such
number of scenes that the woman
finally seemed to grow frightened and
brought her back to the city tonight.
In the meantime another part of the
scheme was being worked upon the
brother here. Yesterday a woman called
at the house and asked for Mrs. Burke,
and after some conversation she sue
ceeded in persuading O'Brlen to come
out with her. They had walked but
short distance when a man ap-
preached and began to violently accuse
the woman of persuading his wife TO
leave him. Subsequently it developed
from their conversation that his wife
was the Burke woman. Finally an ad-
journment was taken to n nearby
saloon, and here O'Brien's suspicious of
the pair were aroused by an offer of
money to him, so he alleges. to drop the
prosecution of Lizzie's charges in the
almshouse scandal
Making an excuse, OBrien left the
saloon and went to a station house to
rest the pair When O'Brien returned
the. man and woman had disappeared.
Unless EVIDENCE of conspiracy to
prevent a witness from testifying can
be gathered, there is no charge that
could be made against the woman who
York with her, or against the other man
and woman who are thought to have
been implicated in the scheme.