Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-31
INTEREST Is UNDATED.
Death Of Mabel schofeld Still Up
permost Topic in Minds Of
Many People.
Detective Johnson Analyses tho
Clews Obtainable and Arrives
At Suicide Theory.
Says He is Firmly Convinced That
the Girl Died by Her
Own Act.

various theories to account for 1T, con-
cusson has become more general as
the public has learned and read more
of the case. Everybody who reads the
newspapers seems to have acquired at
least enough information to have
formulated a theory of his own. The
difficulty of accounting for the details
of death by murder have not driven the
majority from still entertaining the be-
lief that the girl was foully dealt with.
/ 1t is, however. now generally accept I
led that the testimony of her own fam
lily and closest friends is necessary as
a basis of reliable conclusion as to the
lcause of death. This will be procured
as soon as possible. Those who sup
port the theory of suicide base it on
I the assumption of disagreement be-
tween the girl and members of her
/ family either as to her marriage or
concerning her desire to live elsewhere
than at home on account of the COM
lparatively limited opportunities of a
rural life Thus it is agreed that the
conversation which took place between
! when she accompanied her mother to-
the union depot is likely to contain a
clue as to the girls state of mind and
to the motives which might have actu-
ated her in committing suicide. In the
close conflict of evidence as between
the theory of murder and that of sui
eide, it is the general view that Mrs.
: Schofield will be able to tell something
: which will strongly weigh either one
way or the other.
Coroner Ankeny, who certainly has
: had opportunity to consider as much
of the evidence as any other man. still
. maintains the theory of murder. Those
who are putting forth suicide theories
Isimply wave aside the testimony of
Garrity and Mrs. Dean In the case of
Garrity they say he may have been
mistaken in his identification of the
g girl on the street corner. In the case
of Mrs. Dean they argue that it was
= not possible for one to recognize and
:. identify anybody in the light of 8
y O'Clock in the morning. They add that
:. Mrs. Dean admits she was nervous and
q frightened; may have simply seen a
n party going home from dance or some
$ other place, and after she learned OF
1.-THE disappearance of Mabel Sehofield
n her suspicious came as afterthoughts
y There is much reason on the side OF
- this view, for to recognize a person:
20 face at that hour SO as to be able after
70 wards to pick out that individual woule
q be remarkable But the fact remain:
A. that Mrs. Dean did pick Mabel Soho
7 fields face from a group of six girls.
y. The coroner says that some OF those
I who had to do with the discovery O
- Ina 70
s advance the view that the girl was no
murdered but that instead of being
e taken to the river bank in buggy sh'
y was dropped out of a boat. These pre-
+. sumo that she was taken up the stream
y, in boat some time Saturday. TIL
ID manner of her death is not explained
lie but it is assumed that the body wa
n. brought down in the boat after darl
~ and dumped into the river. The testi
II mony as to how long the body had beel
I'LL in the water conflicts with this view.
u Detective Ed Johnston of the city pc
or lice department, who has been workin
u on the Mabel Schofield case, has abou
be given it up and says that he has salts
is fled himself that the girl committe
'e, suicide.
Ike After discussing the murder theorie
and showing wherein they We're all es
tremely improbable, Detective Johnsto
says:
IS, II think that the murder theorie
NJ have been disposed of. Now as to tt
-. suicide theory. The first thing We wal
-. to lock to is a motive, and motive 4
- suicide Is obtanable. Mabel Schote
- and DR.. Childs We're fond of each othe
They were not engaged, but an engag
=. ment in the future was not unlikely,
learned while DIR. Chiids was here tn;
=, their marriage had been subject 4
-. discussion and that Mrs. Schoheld hs
ng. say .iia. !. % 49, rat...,sid n.as ~.
=. the day Mabel disappeared and Nab
went to the train with her. 1t is pro
- able that this subject had ben discuss
$50 by them here and that Mabel was p
out and became respondent because
80 -, fine decision of DR.. Childs to remove
! Missouri the refusal of her parents
consent to her marriage at this tim
and was fearful that his removal at tn
time would be an end to their affair.
Evidences of suicide are about
slim as are those advanced to Suppo
Other theories, but they can be reli
upon because they are real and not ei
-. lcumstantial. l have learned that ii t
~, girl had walked out into the water
the point where she was found that $
could as certainly have become vi
tim of syncope or death from fright
if she had fallen from the bridge,
w. that the cold water around her DO
ess, and extremities would cause rush
day blood to the head that would affect
Few brain much the same way as friG
gen would affect the heart. But think
we'll hest evidences of suicide are the ia,
That the burrs and Spanish need
the were found almost entirely on
owe stockings and underclothing, indie;
ady ing that she walked to the river bal
and that her shoes were covered W
old mud and the bottoms of her ski
ros. were also bedraggled with it, TIL
'ora was not mud enough anywhere else
Mr.. Des Moines last Saturday or Sumo
8 a except along the river to spatter
dress over with mud in that man
or to permit of her getting mud on
shoes up to the uppers. If she Y
nee murdered and thrown into the ri
at she certainly did not get it on her
ruce THAT time because murdered people
not walk, they are dragged or carr
and murderers are not SO careful as
avs: daub mud over shoes and skirts