The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-08-02
MRS. GARDENERS CASE
Fer Name Connected With That of the
Missing Sation Agent at sebois. Me.

Fer Name Connected With That of the
Missing Sation Agent at Sebois. Me.
8The two women seen on Maine Cen
trail train wearing Christian Endeayor
badges and bound for Sebois via Matta-
wamkeag, has brought up in connection
with the case of Mrs. Edwin Gardner of
Nebraska what some consider a. mcmillan
coincidence. Charles E. Wood. station
agent at the town of Sebois on the Ban
por & Aroostook, is also missing. togath-
er with four tickets to Boston, over the
Maine Central and Boston & Maine roads
Wood wa. formerly the station agent
either at or near Tricadia, Neb.. on the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad,
and was we'll acquainted in that neigh
borhood He was good looking man of
excellent address.
Wood came nearly to Bangor, and then
completely disappeared 1t is reported
that a man answering his description
and woman were seen on the train be-
tween Bangor and Boston before his dis.
appearance became known and before the
loss of the tickets was discovered.
| In Boston there are two views as to
Mrs. Gardeners disappearance One is
| that she has eloped with stranger whom
she never met until she reached that
city; the other is that she was poisoned
| by persons who wished to secure the
small sum of money she had with her.
and who have disposed of her body.
| The Boston Herald has received a
curious anonymous letter. which is as
| follows
II have not much doubt that I spoke to
last week, although she does not look
| like the pictures which have been printed
of her in various papers. She has blue
eyes. She is in better health than when
she came. She says she is in her usual
health now. She enjoys perfect freedom
and the comforts of life in a respectable
house.
81 suspect no greater motive for her
disappearance than a desire to be let
alone while recovering her health
| "She is divided in mind as to whether
| she will stay here or return home I
have offered her protection and intend to
guard her secret, whatever it may be, and
| her location.
eff my friend is not Mrs. Gardner l
will write again that the hunt for her
may be continued.
and doubtless she would be grateful if
| her husband would not harass her till she
gets ready to return If she allows me I
may secure something that will identify
| her and then reveal my own identity, on
a pledge of secrecy, to some lawyer,
clergyman or editor who knows me and
can vouch for me- She has had nervous
prostration, but even that does not ac-
cunt for the NJ j. Brown letter i
BAYARD !"
Mr.. j. W. Landers, of Nebraska, a
friend of Mr.. Gardner, who is in Boston
in search of Mrs. Gardner, has left no
stone unturned to solve the mystery.
He was seen Wednesday evening at his
hotel, but so far he said he had nothing
new to say beyond reiterating that he did
not believe in the, theory of an elopement,
knowing the woman as well as he did
He admitted that it was something of a
task to locate woman in a city where
no one had seen her. but said that he
should not give up the search. He had
heard nothing new from Mr.. Gardner
but was expecting a telegram.
Mr.. Landers talked late Wednesday
afternoon to lumber Ct reporters in
regard to the affair during which he said
he was satisfied Mrs. Gardner had not
willfully left her husband, but was the
victim of foul play. Then he paid his
bill and left. 1t is not thought that he
has gone BACK to his home IN Nebraska.
Miss Maud Ransom, of Boston, an en-
ploye of circulating library, makes a
statement which seems to throw some
light on the matter:
On the morning of Monday, July Is a
woman dressed in mourning entered
the Toll Gate Circulating Library and
Stationery store, conducted by Clarence
Hallett, at 675 Broadway, South Boston.
This was between and 10 O'Clock. She
was stranger to Mr. Hallett and his
clerk, Miss Ransom. She carried her
right hand wrapped in black silk hand
kerchief as though injured.
Approaching Miss Ransom she present.
ed a letter written with a lead pencil and
asked to have it copied in ink.
''She said, = explained Miss Ransom to
a reporter, that she was Mrs. Brown,
and that Mrs. Gardner had died at her
home. On account of her hand having
been hurt she had her little son write the
letter. but then thought, as the writing
was bad, it would look better to have it
rewritten in ink. She said she was
her that was all right I sympathized
according to the copy.-Mrs. M J.
Brown
81 attached no Importance to it, as we
frequently write notes and address en-
velopes for customers.
"But this morning when saw the pic
ture of Mrs. Gardner at once recognized
the woman who had given her name as
Mrs Brown, and had me write the let
ter. -
Miss Ransom has also identified the LETT