The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-16
is SHE A HREBIG /! {!
Atchison Has a Mystery
With a Woman In Ii.
SAYS SHE WAS ONLY OUT
At Night to Borrow Some
Money of a Friend.

Atchison. Kan, March 1@Frequent in
ceudisry fires this winter frightened and
excited the people OF this town. SIX
buildings were set on fire in che nisht.
Extra police officers were sworn in and
owners OF buildings hired special watch
men TO patrol their property al night. The
fires continued and these men who were
watching caught glinpses occasionally OF
a woman and again of a boy proving and
fitting at night in and cut OF dark alleys
and around barns and houses. one watch
man would report having chased a negro
boy from building that he was evidently
trying 10 set on fire; another would re-
pOr- that he saw a white boy artern9ting
10 burn a structure and fired a shot az
him; another would say that he saw and
chased q white woman who was acting
sus3icicusl. and the next would tell that
he discovered q negro woman sneaking in
the shadow OF q big frame building. II
seemed at first as if there was an organ
lied band of fre0ugs aiming to burn the
town and that its members were white
and negro young men and women.
Finally, a man who was watching a
strange woman lodging among the shad-
0ws OF the methodist church. thought he
recognized through her disguise. Mrs,
Louisa Reynolds, widow, respectable and
a member OF a church. few nights
later the president of a bank caught
woman in a dark alley with, her face
olsckened and thought he recognized be-
meath the burnt cork the face OF the same
Mrs. Reynolds. who stole from her home
each night in different DISCUSSES, some
times negro boy, then as a negro wo-
man, white boy and a white woman.
But this was only rumor. Some believed
it and many did not None dered TO
charge it against her openly. Police were
detailed 10 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 Prov
ing around MS cousins house He caught
him after a chase Of several blocks and
after shooting at him with his revolver
L was Mrs. Reynolds sure enough. dress
ed as man. She begged 10 be let go
ana when this was denied she went with
The officers to her home to change her
clothing. While in her room she took
revolver quickly and slyly from a drawer
and shot herself. She IS at her home
IN dangerous condition, but may recover.
She talked 10 a reporter last night and
denied that she hal ever set fire to build
Ing or been out in a disguise before Sat
urday night She wants TO die and saws
she will kill herself in spite Of the doctors
and police. Many Atchison people believe
that Mrs, REYNOLDS is innocent of incen-
diarism- Most people think she is guilty
and that she is mentally unbalanced and
deserves pity and help more than con-
demnation.
Mrs Reynolds is ~ years old, Her hus
band, E. s. Reynolds, was a contractor
and builder. He was one Of the most re-
spected business men in Atchizon. He
died a little ,ess than two years ago. leav-
ing his widow the homestead. some money
in the bank and several thousand dollars
IN insurance. A few months after his
death William Johnson the twentv-one
year old son Of ". L Johnson. a ooliti-
clan and proprietor Of a book and wall
paper store, went TO the home Of Mrs
REYNOLDS to paper her house
She fell in love with the bow. and the /
outcome Of it was that she gave him s. e0a I
IN cash 10 take 10 Texas and invest in q
ranch. She was to sell out in Atchi-on I
and marry him as soon as he was settled (
In Texas The lodge Of which NJ. Revn /
o.ds had been a member learned Of this
and made such a disturbance about il 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. sire and
balIe Wagner. the railroad attorney
and politician. were members Of the same
Baptist church. Mrs. Reynolds s'andered
the attorney, and a. result she left the
church Since then she has been a mem
Der o. the Christian church and the EMS
opal church, and she IS a Christian Scien-
isr now.
Two years before che death Of Mr.. Rev
lo-ds his carpenter shop was SET on fire
'nc burned. No one suspected Mrs. Rev
l2.ds. a year ago the home OF Mrs. Rev
lo-ds vas SET N fire ard partially burned.
IS a tWo-stOry house Mr. REYNOLDS
wed upstairs The family on the first
ioor sne.ied smoke before they went 70
'ed- A. O'Clock the next morning the
ire broke our. and a peculiar thing about
was THAI Mrs. Reynolds had not been in
'e- AZ all Early il February OF this year
barn used by Charleh Barrett cashier
Z 'he Atc1iz7n National bank. was set on
Ire and his horse and buggy burned. 4
- nights later I've barns and wo0dsHa5
n one neiEhhorho0d were set on IRE and
1Tned- Each had been set OF fire At the
ear a-ley end. \ night CT TWO after tnfs
special Tatohman hired BY Amasa Howe
. guard his Big ice house. saw negro
ON sneahinE around his building re
red a sa1- 81 The BOY and h. ran away.
By This time everyone Was excited and
cared Norman Barrett. the banker. vzs .
ne y the business men Who went orr AZ
iS't % watch FOR the frebuz. \ week
- las, Thursday night he chased a z-or1-
2 Who vas proving around the home a
IS cousin. Charles Barrett he csurht
~ after s-in ruu through q dark alley