The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
LONG SEIRCH o." 4 MOTHER.
PolIy'' Barnett Dead After Seeking
a Lost Daughter for fMentN Years.

TERRI HAUTE. Ind. March l7-"Aunt Polly"
Ba rnett, whose long search for her daughter
made her known all over the southern part
Of Indiana, il, dead. \ week before her death
she was taken into the home Of a kind woman
Al Linton, Green county and there she died.
The citizens Of Linton, long acquainted with her
and her story, subsc ribed for the funeral expenses
and q large number Of people were nj the Method
list Church when the Rev. WilllAm Buck CON
Quoted the services, Another fund is being
raised by subscription for a monument
Her maiden namc was Lay and she was born
In Kentucky at lcas, sixty years ago. She was
first married to a man named Sexton and after
hs death she was married to q man named Bar
nett She had one child. a daughter, by her mar
rage with Sexton, and il was this girls disap-
pcarance that made her an insane wandercr.
John Bays. who was Prosecuting Attorney Of
Green county at the time The girl disappeared.
relates the story as follows;
The daughter left the house one morning
twenty years ago and had not returned by even
ing. The next day o search for her was began
and the mother continued II until she was IN
equal 10 further ramplng about the country.
In my Investigation soon made up my mind
that The daughter had been put out Of the way
by some person OF persons Ia escape exposure
nj her hands. finally concluded that three
persons knew something about her disappear
anCr, also reached u CONCLUSION tnat Slls
was drowned in White River and that her body
was anchored at the bottom ut the river We
found footprints IN the sand along the shore IN
a secluded spot and there portions II her clothing
were found While was entirely convinced
Of these facts | could get no evidence on which
10 proceed against the suspected persons |
followed the career Of ihe three men and each
met with II tragic death
Accompanied by her younger daughter. a child
Of Barnett, the mother began her search. She
walked up and down the banks of the riycr and
of other streams IN the same part Of the State.
After several years she abandoned the rIvcr
and streams and hogan looking into the faces
u women in the towns and villages Of southern
Indiana. She visited cemet' RIGS and read again
and again the inscriptions on tombStones. Tn.
dcrtakers shops were visited by her regularly.
The daughter who accompanied her. always
walking Just behind her, grew into vOmanhuud.
They were seen in all kinds Of weather They
slept In novels, IN strawstacks or under trees.
They ate what was given to them and no house
wife in southern Indiana ever turned them away
without food or the offer Of clothing. Aunt
Polly's search awakened sympathy everywhere,
A few veal rs ago the daughter died from cOnsump-
ton She was buried in q country cemetery,
but A wear Of 81 ago her mother became dissn,is-
fled with her resting place and eNhumed the body
and carried the bones elscw here, but where no
ono has ever known. After her daughters death
she was accompanied by n large black cat which,
she requested before her death, should be- turned
loose and be- allowed 10 continue the search, \
collar was made for the cat with Aunt Pully'S"
name and The date ~ her death engraved on IT..
The cat left Linton a few days ago.