The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-16
Tells Her Story-Declares She
lis Weary Of Life.
WILL YET SUICIDE
Disguised Herself to Call on a
Friendly Cashier.
To Borrow Money to Make a
California Visit.


diary fires this winter frightened and
excited the people of this town. Six
buildings were set on fire in one night.
Extra police officers were sworn in and
owners of buildings hired special watch
men to patrol their property at night.
The fires continued and these men who
We're watching caught glimpses occa-
sionaIly of a woman and again of a boy
prowling and fitting at night in and
out of dark alleys and around barns and
houses. One Waterman would report
having chased negro boy from
building that he was evidently trying to
set on fire; another would report that
he saw white boy attempting to burn
a structure and fired a shot at him;
another would say that he saw and
chased white woman who was acting
suspiciOusly, and the next would tell
that he discovered a negro woman
sneaking in the shadow of a big frame
building. 1t seemed at first as if there
was an organized band of firebugs aim
ing to burn the town and that it's men,
bers were white and negro young men
and women.
THOUGHT HE KNEW HER.
Finally, man who was watching a
strange woman lodging among the
shadows of the Methodist church,
thought he recognized, through her dis
guise, Mrs. Louisa Reynolds, widow, re-
spectacle and member of a church A
few nights later the president of a bank
caught a woman in a dark alley with
her face blackened and thought he rec
ogniZed beneath burnt cork the face
of this same Mrs. Reynolds. Gradually
the word went over the alarmed town
that the -f1rebug was Mrs. Reynolds,
who stole from her home each night in
different DISCUSSES, sometimes as ne
gro boy, then as a negro woman, a white
boy and a white woman. But this was
only a rumor. Some believed it. Many
did not. None dared to charge it
against her openly. Police were detailed
to watch her home, but they learned
nothing.
Last Saturday night Norman Barrett.
president of the AtchiSon National
bank saw, as he thought, a young man
prowling around his cousins house. He
caught him after chase of several
blocks and after shooting at him with
his revolver. 1t was Mrs. Reynolds,
sure enough, dressed as a man. She
begged to be let go, and when this was
denied, she went with the officers to
her home to change her clothing. While
in her room she took a revolver quickly
and slyIy from a drawer and shot her
self. She is at her home in a dangerous
condition, but may recover.
MRS REYNOLDS DENIES 1T.
She talked to a reporter last night and
denied that she had ever set fire to a
building, or been out in disguise before
Saturday night. She wants to die and
doctors and police. Many people in
Atchison believe that Mrs. Reynolds is
innocent of incendiarism. Most people
think she is guilty and that she is men
tally unbalanced and deserves pity and
help more than condemnation.
Mrs. Reynolds is 40 years old. Her
husband, E. S. Reynolds, was a con-
tractor and builder. He was one of the
most respected business men in Atchi-
son. He died little less than two years
ago, leaving his widow the homestead,
some money in the bank and several
thousand dollars in insurance. A few
months after his death William John
son, the 21-year-old son of W. L. John
son, a politician and proprietor of a
book and wall paper store, went to the
home of Mrs. Reynolds to paper her
GAVE THE BOY 81, 900.
She fell in love with the boy, and the
outcome of it was that she gave him
s., 900 in cash to take to Texas and in
vest in a ranch. She was to sell out in
Atchison and marry him as soon as he
was settled in Texas. The lodge of
which Mr.. Reynolds had been a member
learned of this and made such a dis
turbance about it that the father of the
boy got the money back and returned
it to the widow.
This was not the first time that Mrs
Reynolds had been talked about. Years
ago, before her husband died, she and
Bale Waggener, the railroad attorney
and politician, were members of the
same Baptist church. Mrs. Reynolds
slandered the attorney, and as a result
she left the church. Since then she has
been a member of the Christian church
and the Episcopal church and she is a
Christian Scientist now.
Two years before the death of Mr..
Reynolds his carpenter shop was set on
fire and burned. No one suspected Mrs.
Reynolds. n year ago the home OF Mrs
Reynolds was set on fire and partially
burned. 1t is a two-story house. Mrs.
Reynolds lived upstairs. The family on
the first floor Smelled smoke before they
went to bed. AT o'clock the next
morning the fire broke out, and a pc
culiar thing about it was that Mrs. Rey-
nolds had not been in bed at all Early
in February of this year a barn used
by Charles Barrett, cashier of the
Atchison National bank. was set on fire
and his horse and buggy burned. a few
nights later five barns and a woodshed
in one neighborhood were set on fire
and burned. Each had been set atire at
the rear alley end. A night or two after
this a special Waterman hired by
Amasa Howe to guard his big ice house
saw a negro boy sneaking around the
building. He fired a shot at the boy as
he ran away.
ESCAPED FROM THE BANKER.
By this time everyone was excited and
scared Norman Barrett, the banker,
was one of the business men who went
out al night to watch for the frebug.
chased a woman who was proving
around the home of his cousin, Charles
Barrett. He caught her after a stiff
run through a dark alley and IN mud
almost to his knees. 1t was woman
with her face BACKED. He said to her:
rs this you, Mrs. Reynolds?'
"Reynolds-and me colored?" the
woman said, and, jerking her arm loose,
ran and escaped.
A few nights after this the barn of
George Loftes was set afire and burned.
| Another night Emil Forbridger, part
| owner of one of the big stores here,
| saw a woman he thought was Mrs.
| Reynolds go in the alley back of his
| home; the next night his barn was
burned Another night George Harouff
| saw a woman lodging in the shadows
| of the pillars of the Methodist church