The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-14
A PRISONER IN CHICAGO.
MOTHER OF MISS RUTHERFORD
MAKES DENIAL OF THE
WHOLE AFFAIR.
CLOSE OF MILL CITY CARNIVAL.
Charter Commission Makes Per.
ceptible Progress in It's Work
Minneapolis News.

Fanny Rutherford, of Minneapolis. The
story is as follows:
Miss Fanny Rutherford, an heiress,
OF Minneapolis, is missing, and is
thought to be in Chicago. She disap-
peared from her home May 6. Since
that time the police, aided by private
detectives, have searched for her. From
what the police have been able to
learn they declare that she is being
kept in confinement by J. A Morris,
the alleged forger, who escaped from
the Cook county Jail in June, 1885, who
was later arrested under the name of
j. A Thurman in Memphis, Tenn, and
who easily escaped from the Southern
Jail.
Miss Rutherford and her mother,
while travelling in the South last
March, met Morris aboard one of the
steamers plying on the Mississippi
river. Morris made a good impression,
and for several days was their con-
slant companion. He left the boat at
Memphis after learning that Miss
Rutherford was wealthy and that her
home was in Minneapolis.
Mrs. Rutherford and her daughter
returned home during the latter part
of March. May the daughter left her
home, 2505 Buchanan street northeast,
for the purpose of taking a music les
son. She intended to return by 6 o'clock
that night. Instead there came a note
explaining that she had met some
friends from St Paul and intended go
ing home with them. She would return
the following day. She failed to do
So A second note announced that
Miss Rutherford was going to Water
town, To-, for weeks visit with
friends.
Mrs. Rutherford reported the matter
to the Minneapolis police The police
learned that Miss Rutherford had been
seen in the company of a stranger, who
was described to the mother. Mrs.
Rutherford said the description was
that of Morris, whom they had met in
the South.
The police sent to Memphis and
learned of Morris experience in that
city and Chicago. Letters describing
him and Offering a reward for his ar
rest were sent broadcast over the coun-
try. July q Mrs Rutherford received
a letter from her daughter, mailed at
Delavan Lake, Wis. The letter was
long and evidently written under re-
straint In it was a photograph of the
young woman, but the photographer S
name had been cut off. One portion of
the letter read: II am happily mar
red to man 1 worship. 1 don't tell
you where I am nor who he is. but you
| must not worry about me. My hus-
band is wealthy and we live in luxury,
but l can't tell you where.
Detectives who were given the clew
found that Miss Rutherford and Nor
ris had been in Delavan Lake. The
man had given the name of Lootze and
said that his companion was his wife
and that they were enjoying their we'd
ding trip, having been married few
days before in Hudson, Wis. Several
persons who had seen them told the
detectives that the woman appeared to
fear the man and followed him submis-
sively wherever he went. From Della
van Lake the two were traced to Chi
cago.
Mrs. Rutherford, who is the widow Of
Capt. George Rutherford, one of Min
neapolis' prominent pioneer citizens,
came to Chicago a month ago in the
hope that she could find some trace
| of the daughter. Private detectives
were employed and several of the best
! officers of the Chicago police depart
ment We're assigned to assist in the
! search. One of these officers, Allen
| Ames, of the Cottage Grove avenue
/ station, mad known Miss Rutherford.
Policeman Ames learned that Morris
and Miss Rutherford had been seen
| together in Chicago three weeks ago,
! but there all trace of them ended.
| Every possible clew was followed up
without success. Several hundred dol
lars in rewards offered for the appre-
| hension of Norris proved an incentive
to enlist a number of additional private
! detectives in the search, but they ac-
! complished nothing.
Morris made one attempt to get pos
/ session of the young WOman's property.
In July a Minneapolis real estate agent
| who managed the property of the
! RutherfordS received a letter from a
man who signed his name as Briggs.
| This was written from Denver hotel
and asked the real estate man for in
! formation about Miss Rutherford
property, as to value, membranes,
| etc The writer alleged that he was a
warm friend of the Rutherford family
and asked the real estate dealer not to
| mention the letter to any of its mem
| bers. The letter was not answered, but
Mrs Rutherford did not learn of it
until too late to trace its writer.
While in Chicago Mrs. Rutherford
made her home with Mrs. Thomas
Fraser, a friend, at 1915 Lawndale
avenue. Last week business matters
requiring Mrs Rutherford's attention
necessitated her departure for Minne-
apolis. The Chicago police, however.
are yet searching for thr daughter and
| her alleged abductor. Since the diSap-
pearance of her daughter Mrs. Ruther-
fords health has broken down. Fanny
was her only daughter, had been her
constant companion for years, and had
never remained away from home. She
had always expressed a great affection
for her mother, and those who know
her declare that she has either been
done away with or it being kept under
restraint by Norris Mrs. Rutherford
has spent several thousand dollars in
the vain search.
Fanny Rutherford is described as
follows: twenty-five years old, five feet
seven inches in height. weighs 100
pounds. has a very light complexion,
hair inclined to be blonde, hazel eyes
and Roman nose. She speaks eight
languages fluently, being especially &C
complished in German, French, Latin
and Spanish.
Miss Rutherford received a musical
! education and performed on nearly
every musical instrument. Several
prominent young men in Minneapolis
! sought her hand. but she steadfaStly
refused to leave her widowed mother.
1t is said by the police that the real
| name of Morris is ]. A. Thurman, and
that he comes of a good family. He
| is known to have given the names of
Thurman. Morris, J. E. Thomas, Phillip
n. LootZ. Louis Morse, futile and half
| dozen Others He is described as be-
ing twenty-five years old, five feet six
and one-half inches in height, $50
pounds in weight. having very light
sandy mustache, blue eyes and blonde
hair. Morris or Thurman is said to
be free from all common bad habits
except tobacco chewing He is highly
educated, but is said to have a long
| criminal record. He is declared to be
an expert forger. There are twenty
indictments and charges against him
in as many different cities. He is said
to have several wives living in the