Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-07-27
"POLLY" SMITHS SAD FATE
Fates Pursued The Guest of Minis.
ter COnger.

The ". y. World of last week
publishes a startling story affecting :
chapter in the life of Miss Mary Con.
dit Smith, sister-in-law to General
I Leonard Wood, of Cuba. and who i:
believed to have met a horrible death
at the hands Of the Boxers i'm Pekin
Miss Smith was wellknown in
Washington, where she moved in the
most exclusive social circles. 1t is
declared that, if she be dead, she died
in trying TO live down the knowledge
that she had been accused of theft.
In Washington she was familiarly
known as "Polly" Smith, and no
young woman in the capital was more
popular than she.
Last fall she accepted an invitation
to attend house party in Alleghny
City, Pa, and after the affair had
concluded the hostess missed iewelrv
valued at over $4,000. She sought
the aid of detectives, who began a
search among the guests. The Jewels
were wedding presents to the
hostess.
The first clue to the lost gems
were obtained from a New York
jeweler, to whom the preciouS stones,
which had been prisd from their set
tings, were sent to be reset. The de-
scription of the person who left them
was sent to Washington and detec-
tives there, it is alleged, cast suspi-
cion upon Miss Smith.
Then came the change over the
pretty light-hearted girl. She had
heard the scandal, but she was help
less. She was innocent, but the
blow aimed at her had crushed her.
She no longer accepted invitations to
social functions and her cheeks, once
rosy, became sunken and her eyes
red with weeping.
To try to divert her mind the IN
nocent girl was sent to her sister.
Mrs. Wood, IN Cuba, but the change
did not bring about the benefit ex
pected. She tried to meet people as
she had done before, but it was of
no use.
General and Mrs. Wood saw that
the girl would die unless something
were speedily done to try to right
the wrong.
Nearly ayear passed before the mys-
terry was partially cleared up by find
ing the settings of the diamonds in
a Pennsylvania avenue shop i'll
Washington, where they had been ta-
ken undoubtedly by the real thief.
No one knows to this day exactly
how, when are by whom the Jewels
were purloined. The discovery of
them came too late. An irreparable
injury had been done to the young
girl without the slightest fault of her
host, hostess or the detectives. So
Washington accepted the finding of
the jewels in disinterested sort of
way,
1t was when her family had al
most despaired of ever making her
well and happy again that the trip to
China was proposed. The Congers
were close to the COndit Smiths.
They loved the "Polly" Smith they
bad known of old. The girl left for
China with the expressed purpose of
staying there always. In China she
could at least be among people who
would not gossip. What if they
were heathens? What if they did kill
her, as they perhaps have done?
They would at least make her misery
shortlived.
1t is said that it was Miss Smiths
purpose to eventually be missionary
in China. She could never return to
Washington. 1t was urged upon
her that Washington had already
forgotten the accusation made against
her and was only too ready to right
the wrong. The wrong, however,
was too great to her thinking to ever
be righted, and she chose to go from
her home forever.