The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-16

two hours saw her go away ana come
back three times and each time she re-
turned with a different hat on.
AT THE BANKERS HOUSE AGAIN.
Last Saturday night Charles Barrett,
cashier of the bank, telephoned his
cousin Norman, president of the bank,
that the mysterious somebody who had
burned his barn. ratified his doors and
thrown rocks through his window, was
there again. Norman Barrett went at
once to the house and hid behind the
lattice of the kitchen porch and waited.
1t was a bitter cold night. A blizzard
was blowing pellets of ice in a shivery
minutes he saw man come into the
yard from the alley and up to the
porch. He leaped out to grab him and
the man ran. Barrett tripped and fell,
but jumped up quickly and chased the
stranger down the alley. Barrel drew
his revolver, and fired in the air and
shouted to the fleeing person $50 feet
ahead to halt. But the man who was
running away ran faster Barrett aim
ed straight at him and shot again, this
time to kill The bullet must have
whizzed close to the fleeing man, for
he lodged to one side. Then he skipped
along on one foot for a minute and in
crossing the street slipped on a skim
of ice and fell, but scrambled up again
and ran to the sidewalk. Again he fell
this time fiat on his face the bricks.
These two falls gave Mr.. Barrett time
to close up the chase. As the man lay
face down on the sidewalk he jumped
upon the fugitive with both knees and
threw one arm around his neck. With
the other hand he felt in all his pockets
for weapon. The man was unarmed.
Barrett jerI4A1 him to his feet and saw
in the light of a street lamp what he
thought was little old man with a
knit cap pulled clear down over his
ears, an old coat buttoned tight and a
pair of old trousers tucked into big
pair of gum boots.
IT WAS MRS. REYNOLDS.
Mr.. Barrett picked the cap off and a
great mass of towzled hair fell down
over the shoulders of the coat. Then
Mr.. Barrett saw that it was a woman,
and recognized Mrs. Reynolds. She
begged of him to let her go. Mr.. Bar
rett said late last night that there was
no excitement and no infection in her
voice, but in a pleading, coaxing, mo-
notonous, half crying tone she said over
and over:
PLEASE let me go; please, Mr.. Barrett,
let me go"
She promised to give him her house
and lot if he would let her go, and said
she would leave the country
IF you will only let me go, Mr.. Bar
rett, you may keep the $1,000 I have on
deposit in your bank she told him.
But he half dragged and half carried
her to a livery stable near by and there
the police were called. She was search
ed and her pockets were empty She
hadn't even match Her skirt was
tucked inside of the trousers she wore.
She looked haggard and terror stricken.
She begged to be allowed to go home
with her. They thought she might kill
herself and one guarded her in a rocking
chair While the other searched the bed
room and found a revolver. She went
to a mirror on a dressing case to ar
range her hair and pulled out a drawer
took out another revolver and aimed it
at her breast and fired. The first bullet
missed her. She shot again. This bullet
entered her right side, went through the
lobe of her lung and came out her back
The officers called a doctor, undressed
70 hn1 To-. r-ieH
Illinois was sent for and came yester-
day. She is nursed tenderly and there
is good chance for her to live if she
really wishes to.
When a reporter went to see Mrs
Reynolds last night she lay on a low cot
in her parlor. She had on light blue
night dress with pretty lace at the
wrists and neck. On the third finger
of her right hand were three diamond
rings. On the third finger of her left
hand was a diamond ring, a seal ring
and a plain gold band ring. While
Mrs. Reynolds talked she used her hand
a great deal, strOking her hair back
from her forehead and arranging the
lace at her neck. In spite of the pain
she said she was suffering she seemed
to be posing to show her hands which
are shapely, and her Jewels She is a
good looking woman.
MRS REYNOLDS STORY
81 am not crazy and 1 am not an in
cendiary," she said in a tired tone of
voice, but l am sick and have been
SICK IOf weeks and L want to die. I
had been thinking of killing myself for
two weeks. If the doctors get me
through this 1 will shoot myself again
as soon as I am able to get hold of a
revolver. was never out at night with
my face BACKED. 1 never set a fire."
Why were you out in disguise?"
1t was this way: Charley Barrett
and I are good friends. He has been
good to me. I have my money in his
bank. L met him a week ago in a store
and he told me Norman, his cousin,
had been saying he and I were too
friendly. 1 was planning a trip to Illi-
noiS and California to visit relatives I
wished to borrow a little money NV
$1,000 in the bank is time deposit. so
that if 1 draw any part of it 1 forfeit
the interest Charley Barrett is the
only friend from whom I could borrow
the money. 1 went to his house to ask
him for it and L disguised myself so peo-
pie would not recognize me going there
and talk about u.s.
The home of Mrs. Reynolds is fur
nished we'll and with excellent taste.
She has valuable collection of china
in a, pretty closet. Her sister. who came
from Illinois, is a motherIy woman. old
er than Mrs. Reynolds.
Dr. Shelby of Atchison has treated
Mrs. Reynolds recently for nervousness
and sleeplessness. Mrs. Reynolds de-
MED last night that she had the NOR
phine habit.
Il did use morphine, but I gave it I'D
last January, she said. But don't
mention that to my sister, She don't
ETNHnTNC MnOu Hrn-