Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-30


night. at the close of the engagement,
accompanied Miss Durrell and one of
the other members of the chorus Il
don't remember now which one Of the
girls il wasl to the subway station, on
EthcTs way home. At that time she
was In the very best OF health and
spirits, and we left with the under
standing that | was to meet her in
Lowell. where we were to appear on the
following week.
When we reached Lowell Miss Dur
rell was not there. During the after
noon, the stage manager of the COM
pany received a note by messenger. 1t
was an alleged Doctors certificate, eX-
planning that Ethel was ILL.,"
The manager Of the company, who
was present 1T the interview here pro-
duccd the alleged certificate. 1t reads as.
follows:
Boston, Sept. II.
Mics Ethel Durrell is suffering from
bowed trouble and will be unable to
york for several days.
+. A. SMITH, NJ. d.
THE certificate was accepted by the
stage manager" continued Nathan.
and nothing more Was thought Of the
matter for a couple of days. When
Miss DurrelI did not appear to join the
company an investigation was started,
which resulted in sending word to
Cambridge, to the mother of Ethel. She
replied that she had just received let
ter from her from Salem, i'll which she
said she was ill.,
The fact that she was in Salem
made us suspicious. and the Doctors
certificate, which had only been given IL
passing glance Mt first, WAS carefully
examined. ii was found to have been
written III an awkward, feminine hand
not that of Ethel-which led to the
belief that it VAS Il fake. Every effort
to lOcGte Dr. +. A. Smith was made
but without avail.
Ever sIlce that time l have been in
daily communication with Mrs. Geary.
Not a word wds received from Ethel,
either Ivy her or myself since then. All
her effects, in addition to a portion Of
her salary, remained with the COM
pany. When she did not appear for
several weeks. her trunks were finally
sent hack to her mother by me and l
received, and also sent to her mother.
the amount Of money that was due her.
In the subsequent letters which I sent
To he" mother | advised strongly that the
police be notified of the Disappearance of
Ethel, but to this her mother objected, as
she said that the rotor;cty might worry
Ethcl, for She was sure that she was all
right. Ethel h1s z stepfather. with whom
she did not get along very well, ana it
Was believed by her mother that she had
disappeared because of this fact. But
could nor understand why. i she merely
wished to avoid her stopfather, she should
not have written to me. There was alb
sclutcly nothing that she would have
"ishcd to c. mccall from me and no trouble
between us.
Ak This Ioint Of the interview 4 messcn-
,,cr Toy entered the office and landed Nj
Boston. Oct %
M"rris-Come 1t once. Bring the doc
tors cclU.Gctte with you.
This is from her sister, he said
N"tllan was vlsibiy affected. He had
1, criVrd no intnnatiOn of any kind from
Boston that might have led to the fate
Cf His 1ianctc.
when We Jailed 10 hear from Ethel for
50 long. and when there was so much in
tie newspapers about the mystery of thu
mess suit case, | wrote a letter to MIS-. |
Gcary, asking her ii IT were not possible
that the torso might be that of Ethel. |
She did not encourage me in the belief. |
To-Day | read i'll the newspapers of the |
finding of the limbs OF the murdered girl. |
| was N forclbly struck by what seemed
tie similarity that | Immediately wrote |
letter 10 her mother about it. which | |
mailed less than an hour ago.
Il was struck particularly by the fact |
that on one OF h"r hands the murdered
girl wore three rings. Ethel also WORE |
three rings or her right hand. two on the !
ring finger and one on the little finger. / |
cannot describe them, except to say that
they were Inexpensive. such as a poor
girl might wear | don't suppose tina
the value Of all of them would have been |
SO.
that Saturday Light she gave me her
watch TO keer for her. There was moth |
ing unusual about that, for she very fire. |
4ucEtly did it. and | returned it the next
day. Since She disappeared. | have sent |
the watch back to her mother.
Nathan was questioned closely as to
the associates of Miss Durrcll He said:
She was a good. pure girl. and | would
have staked my life on her She had alb |
solujelv no other gentlemen with whom |
she associated except me. so far as /
Of her. even after took up the dress suit |
case clue. ] merely took that M as 4
possible explanation Of her disappearance. |
For some reason. it has taken a deer root
in my mind, and | cannot get it out"
Clarence Burlnigh. one of the most |
prominent attorneys in the city. and for |
mer city solicitor. was summoned to the
office by the manager of the theatre to |
advise Nathan. Fearing that the tel4-
gram signed Evelyn might be- bogus, |
Y had Nathan direct a teleeram to Miss
= -
asking why She had wired for Nathan to |
come to Boston at once and bring the |
Doctors certificate with him. No answer |
has Eccn received ut this writing. Attor-
new Rurlcigh advised Nathan not 20 so
until lac had received a reply, and under |
no circumstances to send the certificate. |
Nathan will follow his instructions to the |
letter.
According to Nathan's story he has |
known Mis-, Durrell about a year He |
Knows nothing whatever about her pri- |
va life prior TO having met her
He frequently visited ut her home in |
Cambridge and there met the other NOM |
hels of her family-her mother. two Sis |
ters and her brother-but had never in |
CURED into her history, nor her Tast life. |
Nathan's home is in New Yoris but he |
has lived in Boston a great deal of his |
time. III addition to being the secretary |
OF the manager of the company, he is |
what is known rs tn" bookman. having |
chargc of The sale of the books giving the |
story of the play. All of the members |
Of The shepherd King" company speak |
in the highest terms of Miss Durrell