The times., 1897-09-17
CURIOUS MONEY MYSTERY
Created by a Fatal Sun Stroke
Three Years Ago.
DID MRS. MANGUM SPECULATE?
Was Known TO Have Had About Ten
Thousand Dollars With Her Bs-
fore She Was Overcome by the
Heat Misfortunes That Followed
the Loss of the Large sum.

A most remarkable mystery involving
the disappcarance Of more than $4,000
the loss Of some property, and the lille
and death Of Mrs. Luther Mangum and
two of her friends has just been mace
public. The facts would form the plot
of 4 hish-class French detective story.
and all the details have been kept most
rrupulousiy secret for more than three
years.
The noon snn Of July II, 1894, was
unusually hot On Peuns ylvania avenue
and Mrs Mangulu was overcome with the
heat .,i her way to her home ut No 800
North Capitol street, the front OF which
is now rented to a Chinese laundry She
was taken home, lay down for few hours
and became unconscious, neither speaking
nor writing aftcrward, though she lived.
for eight days.
On the morning she became Ill she had
over 81 200 with her when she started
down to wn. Going to Mfr O. T Thompson
LAWYER and personal friend or Mr. Man
gum, size induced him to identify her at
Che Central National Bank, from which
she drew a large sum OF money, leaving
S3.7I, which is there yet, and cannot De
drawn. without long legal process. Then
she separated from Mr.. Thompson, and
when overcome with the heat an hour
later did not have dollar with her.
Nj Thompson, who had known much
about tie business affairs of the family
devoted nearly TWO years u q vain search
for the money, and tits said that the eager
ness and anxiety OF the hunt finally cost
him his life Mr.. Mangum had another
strong personal friend, Richard Porter, 4
pressman, who joined in the tracing 0f
the various clews, ard go great was his
interest in the matter that, with the work
&C his trade and the worry of the search.
he, too, died after few months.
But that rot all. Two OF three week ;
after the death of his Wife, Nj. Mangufn
Wa tax en- with severe attack o rhculna-
tisn, which held him bedfast for two
years. Yet these two miSfortunes and
tile loss of the money, and the transfer u
other people OF a lot of property by his
Wife, y ho had InortEaeed it just before
her death all these did not end the trouble.
| He had prosperous business in running
| two ice wagons. and these were burned
one night in barn at the foot of Thirteen
! anu-a a-half street. Yet with his business
! destroyed, home sacrificed, and property
health and money gone, Mr. Maneuin said
not word until yesterday, when he con
sented TO talk.
tits the strangest thing ever knew,
lac said, and l give it up We lnoketi
nigh and low, north and south, east
and west, in all the safe deposit and
other banks, and interviewed every broker
we could find, but after three years we
are as much in the dark rs OF the day
| OF my wife's death. Did L have any
| enemies? None that l knew Of, whC
could do thing like this l was on
| good terms with my wife; trusted h@i
implicitly, and scarcely believe that she
| could have specuated and lost everything
| so suddenly. If any man or set or men
laid q plot to obtain it all, they simply
| made Uhe.r plot work, for there remalnI
not the slightest clew. On the morning
when mg wife left home to go to the banb
| gave her Sf5t to put with the rest
leaving myself only 3S cents. But
have my health back now, for which
am thankful. ! am starting again ant
/ am happy with my prospects"
The cashier of the Central National Banl
yesterday Afternoon refused 70 answer
question as to whether Mrs ManguEi reall.
dld draw olu the amount alleged. IN tn
ground that 70 do so would be a brea ch o
business ethics.
TIE solution of the mystery remains {
be glessed by somebody.