Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-31
FORTUNE WAITING
REGISTERED LETTER CONTAIN.
ING $4,000 UNCLAIMED in DIES
MONIES PosToFFIcE
Fred Hatcher, Formerly Of Charlton,
Missing and Whereabouts Unknown
to ReIatives-Wife is Telephone
Operator at Des Moines.

4 Operator at Des Moines.
Des Moines, Oct. 27.;-Fred Hatcher,
a former Charlton young man, is
wanted to claim a registered letter in
the Des Moines postoff1ce which con-
tains draft for $4,000, the amount Of
life insurance policy left him by his
mother. While Mrs. Hatcher Is in Des
Moines laboring hard for her daily
bread, there is a snug little fortune
awaiting her at the postoffice but only
the return of her husband will enable
her to come into possession of the
property.
The money represents a legacy Of
life insurance sent to Mr.. Hatcher by
an eastern company in payment Of
the policy held by his mother.
Since the latter part of February,
when for some unknown, unexplainable
reason. her husband deserted his
home and disappeared completely
Mrs. Hatcher has kept the knowledge
of his disappearance a secret. fearing
| lest 1t should reflect on the man she
loves If it became known. During that
time she has earned a living for her
self, kept up her home, and prayed
daily that her husband might be re-
stored to her.
Notice of Letter Received.
The struggle was an unequal one,
and when registered letter contain.
| ing some insurance money left Mr.
Hatcher by his lately deceased moth
er, Mrs. Lizzie Hatcher of Charlton,
was forwarded to him yesterday by
the Bankers Life Insurance company
Of New York, it seemed that the first
help had arrived.
But the inexorable demands of the
law scattered her sudden hopes when
the help seemed actually within her
reach. The man to whom it was adj
dressed was not there to sign for it,
his wife could not legally do so, and
the package was returned to the post.
Office, where it remains unclaimed.
| Mrs. Hatcher does not know exactly
how much the insurance amounts to-,
but it is estimated at about $4,000 and
possibly more, as Mr.. Hatchers par
ents were among the wealthiest peo-
| pie In Charlton.
| Mrs. Hatcher has lived nearly Aall
her life in Des Moines. About fou,
years ago she met Fred Hatcher in
Omaha and a short time after they
were married in Buffalo. Wyo., where
Mr.. Hatcher went into the restaurant
business, but later moving to Des
| Moines where he and his wife lived
till shortly after last Christmas, when
he was called to Charlton by the death
of his mother.
Disappears From Charlton.
A good opening In the restaurant
business was offered him down there
and he worked for a couple of months
his wife living in comfort here in Des
Moines. His letters, Mrs. Hatcher
states, were frequent, affectionate and
always contained money for her. She
had not the slightest intimation of any
| impending trouble. The last letter she
received from him was near the lat
ter part of February. 1t contained
money and was unusually affectionate.
In this letter he stated that he would
be home the following Saturday That
was the last his wire ever heard of
him.
Hatcher's parents are both dead and
the only member of his family living
is brother, SAINT Hatcher, who lives
at Milo. He is well to do, having in
herited most of his mothers property,
but by the terms Of the will the insur-
ance was to be divided between the
two sons. kilograms were sent to
various parts of the country after
Hatcher's strange disappearance and
private detectives were put on the
case, but no clue has been found of
the missing man.
wife ic TaIonhnno Nrar,tAn
Mrs. Hatcher has been supporting
herself and her mother, Mrs. Charles
Lind, by working as an operator in the
Iowa Telephone company. They are
living at 12o Short street. Mrs. Hatch
er is a slender little woman with aub-
urn hair and with quiet and modest
manner and has shrunk from the pub
licity entailed by disclosure of his
disappearance. Yesterday, however,
she advertised for his return, in the
hope that it might attract Hatcher's
eye and bring MIN home. "All l
want to know is whether he is dead or
alive or not, she said. "He was of a
naturally sensitive disposition and 1
want him to know if he is hiding from
remorse for anything he hss done
that l forgive him and want him to
come home
Hatcher is described as "a years of
age, nearly six feet tall, with fair
complexion, blue eyes and black hair.
On his right arm is tattooed the pic
ture of fencing girl which he had
put on when he was in the Spanish.
American war, enlisted with the civil
engineers of Chicago.
DECREASE IN PENSION ROLL.