The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-19
WINS A HOME.
Martha Smith, Heroine of the
Lowry Case,
is Practically Adopted by a
Cleveland Woman.
HER LOVING LETTERS
To the Kansas City Dentist
Read by Mrs. Morse.
viii Make a Life Companion of
the Writer.
HER LOVING LETTERS

Kansas City, June 19.-Miss Martha
Smith, heroine of the Lowry breach of
promise case, left last Sunday night for
Cleveland, o., and in a suburb of that
city, Elyria, % miles distant, is now re-
siding at the summer house of one of
CIeVeland's wealthy women. Miss
Smith expects to make her home there
in the future, as she has been invited
to do, for she has been practically
adopted by Mrs. NJ. B. Morse.
Mrs. Morse became interested in Miss
Smith through the newspaper accounts
of the trial of the romantic case, and
after it was over correspondence which
followed increased the interest of Mrs.
Morse, and she recently invited Miss
Smith to come and live with her. A
widow, whose children were all married
and residing elsewhere, Mrs. Morse felt
the need of a companionabIe young
woman, and the letters of Miss Smith
indicated to her satisfaction that she
was just the one she wanted.
During the trial, when the memorable
battle of love letters was being waged
in court in the contest for $4,000 of the
dentists fortune one of Miss Smith $
tender missives which attracted Mrs.
Morse's notice more than the others
was printed in the local papers and re-
was written to Dr. H. S. Lowry while
he was visiting the grave of his dead
wife at Senecaville, O., in November,
1892. Miss Smith had been in his office
three of the seven years that she was
his assistant, and she wrote from Kan
sas City consoling him over the near
approach of his mothers death. This
is the letter:
My Darling Howard: heard from
ri GOV hO
was still sinking, but 1 could not
imagine why you had not written me
sooner. My darling, you will never know
how dear to my heart she is, not only
for your sake but for her own sake.
None but God will ever know how much
good she did me when, at times, it
seemed my heart would surely break.
She would come into the office and put
her arms about me and kiss me so kind
ly And none will ever know how I
loved her for it. Tell her, Howard, that
she will never know, on this earth, how
much good she has done me, and the
memory of her and her gentle ways will
ever be an untold help to me- Dear
Howard, often when L am with you L
want to say so many things to you
but feel too full for utterance, but sure
ly you must know. Dearest, l pray con-
Stantly that God may be very near to
all of you in these sad, sad hours-that
the dear mothers last hours may be
peaceful and happy. I realize too well
what the loss of her means to you. and
1 can only pray that God will strengthen
and comfort you as He alone is able.
Don't worry about Mr.. RS questions.
He only. wanted to know where you'd
gone, what club you belonged to, etc.
Yours ever lovingly, MARTHA"
That epistle, so full of love and pathos
and indicating such a depth of feeling,
impressed Mrs. Morse greatly, and she
said in one of her later letters to Miss
Smith that it was as much of an index
to her real character as she could wish.
In a letter to her lawyer Miss Smith
says she is delighted with her surround
ings and that no home could be more
pleasant nor any woman more mOtherly.
She will remain there until autumn,
when she will go to New York to study
medicine. 1t was her original intention
to attend the medical school at the
University of California.
1T is my intention to devote my
future life to doing good for Others
she has frequently said of late, and as
she will realize over $4,000 on the judg-
ment against DR.. Lowry, besides what
she pays her attorneys, which she may
now spend as she wishes, it seems she
will have the opportunity.
Miss Smith St:l has the diamond en-
gagement ring, which. DR.. Lowry would
not meet her to receive back from her.