The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-24
No Trace Of the Symphony.

Diligent search Of her room Yesterday,
failed to reveal "a trace Of either the sym
phony, the series OF songs without words
or of the model of the invention. 1t Is
thought she carried them all with her
when she went away, tho music sewed up
| in her skirt.
AT the first indication of approaching
| insanity the father and mother of the girl
were almost heartbroken. The father,
Charles Mueller, is a house decorator,
who has amassed competence in his
business The extraordinary musical
abilities of his daughter were n source of
much qualification To him, and no expense
was spared in perfectng her natural
talent. Her brother, Alec, n stucco
worker, upon whose Judgment the father
relies, was consulted, and it was decided
in family counsel that Dora should have
the first floor Of the house for her own,
should be allowed all the liberty COM
mensurate with her condition, and that
the malady should be kept secret from the
outside world. She was quite mild then,
insane only at times.
Few Of her friends knew what had be =
como of Dora Mueller. 1t was thought
she had gone abroad by some, others heard
that she was resting with relatives in the
country. Gradually she dropped out Of
the minds of her associates, until bu6 few
knew anything of her. She took possess
sion of the lower part of the house and
lived as she pleased. The gentle, tender
girl became gradually transformed into a
shrewish Amazon, who frequently fought
and bit and scratched. She seemed pos.
sessed of dread that some one would
steal her music and exercised the most
surprising cunning in hiding her belong
ings. Her father made her regular
allowance, and she bought her own
clothes
Played Piano All Night
htsrt t,.sr ka lie hn ytrl
did not sleep. Night after night she
played the piano in her apartments from
dusk TO dawn. occasionally singing the
old melodies she could interpret so well
In the days when her brain was as vigor
GUS as her body. Her playing was n
revelation. Confused as the mind is on
topics in general IL IL clear on music, and
the execution of the mad girl 1t just as
delicate and exquisite as IL was in the
days when there was no teacher in
Brooklyn able to teach her.
Last Sunday she spent stormy day,
and the brother was sent for. Another
family conference was held. IL was agreed
that the girl was growing worse. Posi-
bilities of IA tragedy were forcing them
selves into view. The brother was in
structed to take the necessary steps TO
have the girl placed in an insane asylum.
Ho took those steps on Monday. and Tues
day afternoon "a closed cab drove into
Herkimer street from Bedford avenue,
stoDping some distance from the Mueller
house Two men alighted, attendants
| from the Flatbush Insane Asylum. They
were met by Mr.. Mueller, who took them
into the house. Mrs. Mueller was at the
house Of neighbor. dreading Co sec her
daughter taken away, though she did not
anticipate that tho girl would offer vio-
lence.
Declined to Usc Force.
/ Tho man from fbe iusnpe nsvlum soon
/ found that they could not take the girl
/ without using force, which they declined
! TO do. She locked herself in her apart
/ ments and threatened to kill anyone who
/ tried tO enter. The insane asylum attend.
| ants listened to her threats for while,
then called their cab and drove away.
Mrs Mueller seeing the cab leave con
cluded that her daughter had been taken
| away and went home, accompanied by a
neighbor, Mrs. Rackcliffe. When they
entered tho hall they found Dora, armed
with "a bed slat. with which she jendoav-
ored 10 assault her mother. Mrs. Rack
clife interfered and after brief struggle,
I'm the course OF which the mad girl
scratched her severely. succeeded i'm fore
ing her into her rooms
About an hour later. while Mr.. and
Mrs. Mueller and Mrs. Rackcliife were
talking i'm the rear hall, the girl left the
house She showed n neighbor in the
street n roll Of bills containing $40 and
| said she Mas-geiHg-t buy revolver.
come back home and shoot everybody In
the house. Before move could be mad,
to stop her she was out Of sight around
the corner Of Bedford avenue. Tho po
lice authorities were notified mt once, but
failed 90 get any trace of the missing
girl. a special officer guards the Mueller
nome day ana night TO prevent II posi-
| hle fho carving ont of the murdorOul