Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-09
Sc A RCHED IN VAIN
POLICE UNABLE TO FIND MARTHA
RODGERS.

dozen policemen and scores Of men.
women and children were engaged In the
search this morning for Martha Rodgers,
the missing colored woman who left the
house of a relative on Madison street, Ana
Costa Sunday night. Late yesterday
afternoon the police dragged the several
ponds about old Fort Stanton, near where
the only trace of the woman has been
found. but her body was not found In or
der to increase the number of searchers
the police offered reward of IS for in
formation leading to the finding of the
missing woman. This caused all the boys
in the neighborhood Of the old fort to Join
the party of searchers. and the number
was SO greatly increased that the police
expressed themselves as being confident OF
success
Martha Rodgers, as heretofore stated in
The Star, wore only her nightgown when
she went away, and had she travelled about
in the daytime since she left the Madison
street house she would undoubtedly have
attracted attention. The fact that she has
not been seen on the road and has not
called at any house to ask for food gives
the police the impression that she is still
in the woods or has fallen in the hands of
some INSCRIPTIONS persons. Many people
In tho vicinity of Hillsdale are of the opin-
Ion that the woman is dead from exposure
and hunger. but the police have not found
any buzzards lowering about the woods
where she had been. 1t is stated that bug
yards would have been about the woods
three or four days after death had the
woman died there. and the fact that no
such birds have been seen is the reason
given by some OF the officers for holding
to the opinion that the woman Is not dead.
Considerable Underground.
In the woods about the old property there
Is considerable underground to make the
work of the searchers difficult and slow.
During the progress Of the search all sorts
OF stories and theories are heard From
some of the searchers comes the suggestion
that Martha has travelled Il long distance
and that she may be down in Maryland.
She has now been gone since late Sunday
night or early Monday morning. and by
walking each night she may have reached
a point some miles from where she started.
If her mind is affected. and her relatives
think 1t is, 1t does not follow that she
would be unable 10 hatch up a reasonable
story and find shelter in the home of some
family in the country. Insane people are
frequently able to make a good showing
when they get among strangers. better
than when they with their own people.
and Martha, 1t Is suggested. may have made
such a showing. Her complete disappear
ance. dressed as she was when she left the
home of her relatives. puzzles the police.
anu lNey are ndfoiy aDle 10 duNdHce liS-
DRY and stick to il. If she has remained
in the woods all this Unexpectedly three
days and three nights-and been exposed to
the rain. 1t is believed her condition has
been weakened and she will be unable to
stand the strain much longer. 1t may be
that she remains in the woods during the
day and finds food in the gardens at night
Melons, cantaloupes and vegetables are
plentiful in that section and she could keep
life in her body long time by eating them
At late hour this afternoon the police
reported that they had seen nothing of the
woman, nor had they received any infor-
nation which would assist them in solving
the mystery.