The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-26
She Disappeared from the Union state
Hospital on the Morning
of March IL.
WATER DRAWN FROM CANAL
AND THE BOTTOM EXAMINED FROM
BROAD RIPPLE TO THIS CITY.
A Complete History of n Case That
Is Truly Observation-Disclosures
Continues.

Inc water was drawn from the canal yes
terday and a thorough search of it was
made between Broad Ripple and this city
in an effort to find the body of Miss Carrie
Sewage. who disappeared from the Union
State Hospital Sunday morning, March IL,
at 1915. The effort was futile, except to
satisfy the relatives of Miss Sewage that
her body was not in the canal.
Her whereabouts are as much of a mys-
terry as ever. and the members of her family
have given up all hope Of again seeing her
alive. but will continue the search with a
view of finding her body. j. w. Sewage,
of 2017 North New Jersey street, offers a
reward for information leading to the find
ing of his sister.
The disappearance of Miss Selvage pre-
sents many peculiar features. For many
months she was a patient at DR.. Fletcher's
sanatorium. Her mind and oversight were
failing, and. though she knew of her all
ment and failing mental faculties. which
caused her to keep as much as possible
from the sight of friends and relatives, she
became homesick last fall and was taken
home, where she remained for several
weeks. Her condition became worse, and
it was thought best to send her back to
the sanatorium, but when the matter was
mentioned to her she positively refused TO
return. Thinking a change might be bene-
fetal. and upon the recommendation of a
physician, she was sent to the Union State
Hospital in November last. Within two
months a change for the better was noted,
and the family entertained hopes of her
complete recovery. Despite her improve
ment she still shunned the society of every
one and was frequently found crouching in
a closet in an endeavor to hide herself.
One time while at the Fletcher sanatorium
she wandered away and went on a street
car to Fall creek, where she wandered
around for sveral hours, finally returning
TO her home. About two weeks before her
disappearance, when left alone for a few
State Hospital and was found walking ON
Capitol avenue.
THE DAY OF ESCAPE.
Sunday, March II, was a bright, warm
day., and Miss Sewage and her nurse were
out on the front porch for the fresh air
and sunlight. The nurse was obliged to
wait upon another patient and conducted
Miss Sewage to her room, shutting the door
into the hall. She had not been there more
than five minutes when one of the hospital
w. liz 1ANC oAAa OAAIO us
Sewage standing at the window. He said
she watched him very closely and until he
had got beyond her view. About five min
utes later the nurse returned to the rooms,
intending again to take Miss Selvage TO
the porch. Miss Selvage was not in the
room. AS she frequently hid herself in the
closet, mat room was examined, but she
was not there. Then other rooms on the
same floor were searched and at length
the whole house was examined. Then at
taches of the hospital went about the
neighborhood inquiring for her, and the
only clew to her whereabouts was obtained
from a twelve-year-old lad. George Potts,
who said he had seen a woman, dressed as
was Miss Sewage, running across Capitol
avenue, going west on Eleventh street.
Though he paid but little attention to her,
he thought at the time that she was much
excited, but did not follow her.
Joseph w. Sewage, the woman's brother,
was advised about 6 O'Clock that night, and
he and another brother at once started out
to find her. They followed the clew given
by George Potts, but they were unable that
night to get any further trace of her. The
search was continued the next morning,
particular attention being given to the
neighborhood of the hospital. A house-to-
house canvass was made, and when moth
ing more was learned there the field of OPP
~erations was extended and finally ii was
learned that a strange woman. whose de-
scription was similar to that of Miss Sew
age. had been seen in the vicinity of the
workhouse and on Northwestern avenue.
Haste was made to follow these clews, but
at last the trail was lost and ii was not
certain that the. woman referred to was
Miss Selvage. After two days search the
family were frantic with grief and many of
their well-to-do. and influential friends came
TO their assistance and personally helped
canal, Fall creek and White river was gone
over. Still there were no tidings of the
missing woman. All of the underbrush
| along the creek, river and canal was exam
4 inad hauotapkc uhara there mara anxy avf-
dences of having been at all disturbed.
were looked into, corn and fodder shocks
were overturned. outbuildings. old barns.
sheds and vacant houses were examined,
all without the desired result.
THINK SHE is DEAD.
The night of March IL was unusually cold.
as were the following two or three days,
and. as Miss Sewage left the hospital clad
in felt house slippers. a lannelette wrap
per and with no headdress or wraps of any
kind. the missing woman's family, after so
much search, gave up all hope of again see
ing her alive. Thinking possibly she had
been overcome and fallen into the canal.
systematic search of IL was begun and con-
tinued for several days. but the body was
not found. Rumors of wandering women
reached Mr. Selvage and he made haste to
follow up the clews. A woman who was
seen near Flackville was said to answer
the description OF the missing woman. but
IL was afterward found that she was an
inmate of the poor farm and had wandered
away. A message from Franklin saying
that Miss Sewage had been found there
only raised their faint hopes TO let them
fall again.
Trips were made to the east, and the
residents OF Lawrence. A~llisonville. Broad
Ripple, Nora and other villages were uues-
toned. but none of them had seen her. So
anxious were the members of the family
that even the slightest clew was taken up
and followed. and upon the statement OF a
'Spiritualist the Charlottesville road was
explored without gaining additional infor-
nation. A wandering and very thinly clad
woman was cared for over night at Broad
Ripple by a family who thought she was
Miss Sewage. The woman proved to be a
fortune teller. Trips were then made &c
the country schoolhouses, where complete
descriptions of the missing woman were
given in the hope that the children would
talk of the matter at home and thus lead
to her discovery, IL having been found
there were hundreds of families in the sur
rounding country, and even I'm the city. who
seldom IL ever read a newspaper. With the
view that she might have wandered about
and fallen into cisterns and outhouses
twenty young men were got together fol-
the purpose of searching such places. The
into districts of four squares each, and q
very careful and systematic search was
made.
IN EVERY DIRECTION.
louisville was formerly the home OF the
Sewage family. and they have many
friends at Lebanon. Though IL was no,