The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-19
A WANDERER.
Mrs. Laura Shields of Roches-
ter, n. Y,
Daughter of a Well-to-Do Busi-
ness Man,
Wandering Over the Country,
and Lands in Topeka.
SEEMS TO BE INSANE.
The Grace Goodrich Cody Case
is Repeated.
Recognized Here by Friends of
Her Girlhood.
SHE VISITS WITH THEM
Then Suddenly Disappears, and
is Found by the Police
In Kansas City, Where She Tells
Curious Story.

A case almost rivalling the disappear
ance of Mrs. Grace Goodrich Cody at
Tacoma, Washington, has just come to
light today in Topeka.
Mrs. Laura Shields, young woman %
years old. who, with her 5-year- old child,
had been visiting Miss III. nj. Merry at
1862 Clay street, disappeared last Satur-
day, and although trace of her has been
found, her actions are unaccountable.
Mrs. Shields home is in Rochester,
New York, where her father, C. M.
Morse, is we'll known business man.
He lives at No. 45 Delevan avenue, in
that city. On Sunday, Feb. 2, Mrs.
Shields appeared at the home of Miss
Merry with her 5-year-ald child. Miss
Merry had known her when she was
child in Rochester. She did not recog-
nize her, but Mrs. Shields introduced
herself and she was welcomed by Miss
Merry and her mother.
She said she had come from Chicago
and was on her way to Denver. She
talked inteIIigently and appeared to en-
joy her visit though she appeared some
what nervous. She stayed with Miss
Merry until Thursday, Feb 6, when she
said she would go TO visit another friend
of her father who lives a mile and half
north of the city. Miss Merry refuses to
tell who this gentleman is.
On the following Sunday she came
with the gentleman to visit Miss M Jerry
and in the evening returned with him to
his home. She still appeared to be per-
fectly sane.
The following Thursday she came to
the city to visit the members of The De-
faulter company which played at the
Grand that night. Her brothers little
girl Lottie Morse. had part in
the play. Mrs. Shields took Lottie home
with her and ia the evening re-
turned with the family to attend the play
bringing the child with her. She dressed
the little girl for her part and stayed
through the play with her friends from
the country and after the play went home
with them.
Nothing unusual happened until last
Saturday about 10 o'clock, when Mrs.
Shields told the people with whom she
was staying that she inte ended to return
to Miss Merry's. She took her child and
left the house and her friends have not
seen her OF her child since.
Last Sunday the unknown gentleman
with whom she had been stopping In
the country visited at the Merry home
and was startled to hear that Mrs. Shields
and her child had not been there.
Through "a foolish desire to avoid pub
licity nothing was said about the after
by Miss Merry or the unknown gentle
man to the authorities. Miss Merry vis-
tied the ticket offices and inquired about
the woman but could not find that she
had purchased ticket
She however, found that Mrs. Shields
had arrived in Topeka by the Rock Island
and that her trunk was held at the depot
for $1214 charges. The agent told Miss
Merry that the lady was reported to have
lost her railroad ticket between Chicago
and Geneva, H., and that she had been
brought to Topeka on her trunk and
hence the charges.
Miss Merry continued her investiga-
tions but heard nothing more. She then
asked friend to inquire of the police
but gave strict instructions that her name
was not to be given. Inquiry of Poor
Commissioner Hale today revealed the
fact that a woman answering Mrs.
Shields descriI tion had been furnished
ticket by Poor Commissioner A. G.
H ale to Kansas City, Monday.
She was brought TO the commissioners
office by Township Trustee George K.
Bunce of Tecumseh. He said that Sat
near Spencer when he met woman car
rving a little girl. She said she had
walked from Denver and was on her
Way to Kansas City. Mr.. Bunce
persuaded her TO accompany him home
and she remained with him until Mon
day morning, when he brought her to
Topeka and secured ticket to Kansas
City. The description he gives leaves
no donbt that it is the same woman.
The following appeared in a Kansas
City paper this morning:
commissioner of the Poor Hale of
Topeka bought Mrs. Laura Shields, q
woman who had just been released from
a hospital in Topeka, after a ten weeks
illness, a ticket TO Kansas City yesterday
=
year old girl. From Kansas City
he told her that she could
get transportation to Indianapolis, her
mothers home. On arriving at the
depot the woman was taken in charge by
the matron, Mrs. Chalfant, and Secre-
tary Casey of the Provident association
was notified. He secured her a
ticket to st. Louis, from which place
| the secretary of the St. Louis Provident
association will send the woman to her