Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-22
MRS. E IREST IS NOT DEAD
Woman Thought TO Have Drowned Herself
lie Now in Lincoln.
COURAGE FAILS HER At LAST MOMENT
Madison County Woman who Has
Large Property Interests and
Money I'm the Bank De-
cIared 60 he Insane.
From a star corrssnnndsntA

1NaAA ~tAANsEbAAaN AAaN
LINCOLN, Nov. 21-CSpeciaL)-Mrs.
Albert Sechrest made her appearance in
Lincoln this morning. Mrs. sechrest is the
woman who made a bluff at committing
suicide at L~eavenworth last Monday after
noon. The FIRST intimation OF II was when
a note was found lying aside a cheap. black
straw hat, and reciting that this marked
the spot where Mrs. Al Sechrest and baby
had gone 10 eternal rest in the waters Of
the deep Missouri.
Mrs. sechrest is a Lincoln girl, the
daughter OF John W. Strine.
The day after the finding OF the note the
baby betrayed its presence at the strine
home by crying long and loud. This was
proof positive that Il at least had not
been drowned. Once before. when the
woman had executed a mysterious disap p
pearance she was found at her home here
and as the baby was but a few weeks old.
II was figured that she would not be far
away from II.
Nc one seems to have seen her come. but
about noon an oflcer learned OF her pres
ence there. At first she refused to talk.
Then she admitted the reporters.
She is in a pitiable mental and physical
state, due. her friends say. to brooding
over the killing OF ner husband by a Kan
sas City physician She was to appear Mon
day at the trial Of sechrest's slayer and
rather than face the ordeal she preferred
death.
Il intended" she said to a Bee reporter,
'to drown myself when l went to Leaven-
worth Monday. Ny sister was with me,
but did not say anything to her about
what ] was going to do. When we reached
the bank my sister sat down and l and
tbr A,hv wrn,N 80 eho uraFprfa adCo Tharn
we're a number OF people around, but l
didn't care. When / got close to the water.
however, my heart failed me on account
Of the baby and / just turned around and
went back.
From Leavenworth l came directly
home here with the baby. II was on Sunday
night that I left the note on the river
bank. and It was Tuesday that l got here
with the baby. / returned at once TO Kan
sas City. and from there l went to M
sisters in st. Louis.
II have telegraphed the prosecuting at
torney at Kansas City to meet me here
tomorrow. I left there because / didn't
want to go through the trial. intended
then to commi suicide and l still intend
TO destroy myself. / have nothing to live
for. o., l will do IL somehow. I have de-
termined on that"
Public opinion lie divided as TO whether
the woman is really unbalanced or whether
she has a monomaniR and a liking to figure
ss the central figure in newspaper stories
At least three times she has appeared in
the stellar role.
Her presence in Lincoln was detected by
the cfhcers. The birth of the baby had not
been reported to the health department,
and when an officer called this morning
th,re was so much delay that his suspic-
ions were aroused. Detective Malone and
several reporters afteward went out and
forced their way in, the woman being
found In a bedroom.
seBnrefnraenr REPRESENTATIONS
Six burglaries were reported to the 20.
lice this morning. In each instance ths
front door had been forced open. Garrett't
supply house was robbed OF $500 worth o.
goods. Davis's optical establishment o.
$3.50 worth, Wiley's installment house o.
$500, while the others were small. The
robbers are supposed to be a part OF the
crowd that has been working the smaller
towns in this section OF the state.
Decreed to BE Insane.
The commission appointed some time
since to examine the case of Mrs. Henriettl
ziessin OF Madison county, reported e
the district court today that she is insane
but that II a proper person can be found
TO care for her she might be released. TIL
woman is the owner OF 10000 worth O
land and has SIS, 900 in the bank.
She was committed to the asylum last
January and since tina time has beer
paroled three different times only to b.
taken back. She came to Madison in 1877;
Nth manu- a4kar narrnana and 1Nfrklv ha
gan to accumulate property. OF late year
she has begun to fear that her children
Of whom there are fourteen. were trying
to get her property and has had FIRE
quent quarrels with them. Her husband
who is a helpless paralytic. was obliged Il
live with her In a little howell on her farm
near Lindsay.
Mr.. Broadbali, cashier Of the Lindsa,
bank, where she has the largest part o
her funds on deposit. has interested him
self in her case. While the commission
was taking testimony he appeared on tn,
scene Will four Germans. who had gonl
70 Madison county at the same time a
Mrs. Ziessin. They had never before seei
a city the size of Lincoln. They all ties
tifed in her behalf that she was able Il
care for herself II given some outsldl
aid in the management OF her finances,
The Spalding City bank Of s~palding
Greeley county. was granted a eharte
today. John II. Sullivan Is at the hesl
Of the new institution. which has $500
capital.
Banker Harris Appeals.
Banker Joseph A. Harris Of Broken Bow
who was some three weeks ago sentence
TO one year in the penitentiary for falsl
hcation OF the reports OF his bank to tn
State Banking department. out who is nov
out OF custody on bond and stay Of sen
tenoe. has brought his case TO the su
preme court on error. The chief aliega
tion OF error Is that a number Of exhibit
were presented before the jury in his tria
before the state was required to cleo
upon which count OF the indictment
would prOseed 20 trial, aud that som
OF the exhibits which did not refer {
the count finally selected prejudiced tn