The St. Louis Republic., 1902-08-17

tholin- 1t stated that the couple had e!ope(
and were on their way to California Tor {
wedding trip. The letter was postmarkec
Chicago. That was the last heard of eithel
Of the young persons until the finding o
the body.
The contention that the body was not that
OF Miss Mitchell was based on the state
ment of Coroner Springer. His statement
! element Of doubt into the case, but never
/ theless the police remain convinced that
| the Identification OF Mis- Mitchelfs remains
| is complete, especially as II was followed by
| the discovery of Mrs. Bartholin's bcdy-
| Coroner's Mystifyins Statement.
| Minnie Mitchell had been missing only
| eight days when this body was found, said
| the Coroner, and undoubtedly this body
| for weeks.
"I can positively state that IN all my ex-
perience l have never encountered oouy
which has lain In the sun Tor even three
weeks which was in such an advanced state
Of disintesration as this one.
''Ainnie Mitchell. had been missing but
eight days. and IL found within that length
of time her body would have been In q
fairly good state OF preservation ana posi-
have never been able to bring myself 10 a
conclusion that the body claimed by VIII
liam Mitchell was that OF his daughter"
ed the police, who were shocked by the
III It was not Minnie Mitchel's body
asked by the detectives.
is Minnie Mitchell aliver'
Did He Stay Ills Mothers
Does not Doctor Sprinser's theory go
long way to indicate, II 1t be correct, tnAt
perhaps William Bartnolin had nothing to
do with the death of his mother and that ne
actually eloped with Miss Mitchell?'
These are more queries suggested:
Gus man and woman to the ERgelwood sta
tion .ast Friday. They were in search OF a
missing daughter, who had been away from
home i've or six weeks. They refused TO
give their right names, but were taken
TO the AIorgue on Halsted street and the
man viewed the remains found on the pra1-
ne and the effects
The clothing he could not Identify. The
hair, however, and the general dimensions
the man and woman left they were followed
by Detective McAullen. who traced them to
house on the northwest side OF town.
1t was learned that the woman they were
at Seventy-fifth and Halsted streets. After
the body had been identified by the Mitch
Station and talked with Captain Madden
several times, expressing dissatisfaction
with the Identification.
Grace Lambert had married in Racine.
but left her husband some tIme ago. Later
she lived on Washington boulevard with
William Barth. and it was from his COM
pany that she disappeared.
The Woman In Black.
Inc W oman IN BLACK has entered llIO
the case but recently. She was attracted
by the newspaper articles. and thought that
her seeing "Old Dad Claffy. Thompson and
man resembling BarthOlin in the early
morning after Miss Mitchell disappeared
might bear on the case. She accordingly
reported what she knew TO the Chief of
Police.
After her disclosures were made, the po-
lice remodeled their story OF Miss Mitchelrs
death. They were of the opinion that she
was killed in the house on Calumet avenue.
The time is set some time during the even
Ing. presumably before midnight. After the
crime. Bartholtn. whom they involve. they
son went to Il nearby laundry or to some
other place and secured a wagon. He then
returned to the house. Then. it is the the
ory, drive was made out to the lonely bit
OF prairie where their grewsome load was
thrown out. They returned to the barn
with the wagon where. if what the woman
The woman lived close by. and was awak-
ened by loud talking and curses. Two men
put. the horses and wagon in the barn at
such an early hour. Claffy. however. final
ly took charge of the horses.
Overhears Hot Words.
The conversation she claims to have heard
was as follows:
Dad. take that horse to the barn. Damn
you, get It there quick said Thompson.
talking wildly to the old man, In!ngling his
81 tell you / won't take it to the barn. To
HI with you fellows II you are atrald
TO SO Dack to the barn l won I take Il
there" replied Dad.
Then followed n heated argument for sew
eral minutes, during which time street
car passed. The woman did not hear every |
thing that was said. but presently "0ld
Dad'' started down the street with the |
horse and she. heard him say,
II won't take him to the laundry barn. !
I'll put him in the carpet barn..
"All right" replied Thompson Hurry |
up
wore a panama hat, hurried away. y little
later the woman saw "old dad' coming I
back by the house with the horse and !
wagon
The woman had no suspicious until she |
read of the Bartholin tragedies Then the
mysterious incident of the early Thursday |
morning flashed upon her mind. Because !
Oscar Thompson, whom she had known for |
years had once attempted to kill Il friend /
1f hers because she refused to marry him,
and because she knew him as a violent |
nan. she feared to speak Finally her con-
science forced her to go to the police.
Confronts Thompson.
AS soon as her story was heard Thompson !
was sent for. Innocent as he has seemed all i
along, as straightforward as his story has
1een from the beginning, Inspector Hunt /
maintained that he had in Thompson sec
md August Becker. who was three months
breaking down to a confession. When
Thompson came in Inspector Hunt told MIN
he story.
'.Thonpson," he said. IT am sorry for
-ou. You are in the shadow Of the gaIows
o-day unless you tell me the truth Where
we're you during the Wednesday night that
Minnie Michel disappeared? You told me E
sunday that you went home to the BArtno-
vent to bed Are you sure about thatg
The expression on Thompson's face |
;hanged in fash His eyes opened wide 4