The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-08-09
Than May yost Disappeared
With an Unknown Man.
TWO MEN ARE UNDER ARREST.
One Of Them Accused The Other Theory
That Girl Was Assaulted, Murdered
and Thrown Int River

Benwood, w. Va, Aug. 9.-The mystery
of the strange disappearance OF pretty
May Yost is deeper than ever II is be-
lieved that the man who took her from
her husband to-be, as the two walked In
"a lonely spot on Saturday night. assaulted
and murdered her and threw her body in
40 the Ohio River.
Clayton Rodgers and John Cline were
arrested today and are held on suspicion.
The Yosts live in Upper Benwood. suburb
OF this place and respectable people May
was seventeen. prepossessing ana guile
less, and was a great favorite with the
brawny workers at the plant OF the Ma
tional Tube company here.
There was a. spring near the Yost home
at which the steel workers stopped 10
drink and they became acquainted with
the girl. May was engaged 10 Samuel
Hoffman twenty years old. and she and
Hoffman went for a walk on Saturday
evening.
Hoffman proposed that they take a GER
tain road, but the girl insisted on going
along the railroad tracks. The idea was
unusual. but Hoffman supposed IL was
merely a grlish whim and agreed.
TAKEN AT POINT OF REVOLVER
They had reached a point only short
distance from town when man suddenly
appeared from a cump OF bushes, revol-
yer I'm hand, and ordered Hoffman TO leave
the girl Hoffman protested. but was
driven away at the point or the revolver
To his astonishment the girl took the
affair calmly, as though II was not un-
expected. and went of willingly, II APP
peared, with the man. Nothing has been
seen OF her since.
HOFFMAN told Daniel Yost, the girls
father. what had happened. A search
OF the house revealed a letter in the girls
room II urged her to leave home and
go to Pittsburg where the writer would
meet her Another letter was from
man in Pittsburg, written from No. lll1
Liberty avenue.
Mr.. Yost informed the police and the
Pittsburg authorities were asked TO look
up the man in Liberty avenue. 4 re-
port from Pittsburg said that there was
no clue 10 the writer OF the letter TO he
found at the Liberty avenue address.
BOY SAID lie CARRIED THE NOTE.
Walter Smith. a boy. confessed late
last night that he had been carrying nctes
between Clayton Rodgers, man OF
family. and May Yost. He identified the
letter suggesting the elopement 20 Pitts
burg as one from Rodgers. Rodgers was
at once arrested
Rodgers then told a queer story. He
said that he happened 10 be walking OH
the railroad tracks on Saturday evening,
and had seen the adventure OF Hoffman
snd tho girl lie said he recognized the
man with the revolver as John Cline, who
has family with which he does not
live.
lie declared that Cline had taken the
nirl across the Ohio river whore he had
lost sight OF them. He was unable 10
explain his presence on the railroad or
WHY he followed the pair without inter
fering.
Cline was arrested then. aud he and
Rodgers were charged with assault and
murder Neither knows that the other
IL under arrest The theory " that the
two men were acting together and that
they have made WAY with the girl The
police say that they have been told that
cline and the girl went 10 Wheeling or
some other town on the line Of the BAL
tmore and Ohio railroad between here
and Pittsbure. but the friends Of the
girl say they feel sure she has been muir
dcrcd
FATHER OVERCOME WITH RAGE.
when Cline was arraigned this morning
Daniel Yost was overcome with anger
and would have attacked the prisoner
had he not been restrained.
Il know no threw my girl into the
river" said ne Il viii spend every
cent have I'm the world 10 find out the
fate of my child
Alfred Davis. assistant postmaster here,
SAYS that as he placed his wife on the
Pittsburg train on sunday morning he
saw girl answering the description n
MAY Yost board the train He noticed
her because she nearly fell In getting on
tho train chief OF Police Leslie of Pitts
btirg wires that his detective force has
searched the city and he is sure the girl
IS not there.
Rodgers and Cline are held without bail
and viii be brought up for further hear
ing on the-13th inst