The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-02-02

MIS-. Wlll1Ord went to New orleans.
, From there she followed to Texas
and thence to Tuscon, Ariz., and then
I to Los Angeles. At Los Angeles she
was but a day behind her cherished
, object.
From Los Angeles the girl fled to
Bakersfield, Cal. But the mother fol-
lowed her. In San Francisco. few
months later, the trail was lost.
1t was weary, Misunderstanding
search then. In each town or city
the daughter took different name
and the fearful months passed to the
mother in one long inquiry for a girl
| answering the description given. 1t
was solely by this that the mother
performed a feat of detective work
which surpasses any man hunt in the
police annals.
After the disappearance in Frisco
of Annie, Mrs. Willford spent months
thoroughly overhauling the coast
cities. but it was not until a few
weeks ago that she again secured a
trace of her daughter.
| Her son, who lives in New Jersey,
was able at the last to give the in
| formation that Annie was living in
Spokane and that she was stopping
at the WILDER house on Main avenue.
| When that news was received an
other difficulty confronted the almost
exhausted mother. Her funds had
given out.
In the two years and more in which
she had been travelling about the
| country Mrs Willford had expended
several thousand dollars--all of her
almost destitute.
But at last she received money
| from the son in New Jersey with
| which to pay her expenses to Spo-
kane. She took the first train and
arrived here Thursday, January 90
| Probably the disappointment she
met with in Spokane was the most
distressing of any of her experiences
, up to then. She was confident of
at last enfolding her loved one I'm
/ her arms, rescuing her from the fear
/ full life of shame and giving her that
protection which only mother can
give.
But Annie had again disappeared
Again no trace was left behind.
Another attempt at tracing the girl
began. By this time the mother had
learned so much that her detective
ability had grown abnormal.
Two days later she had succeeded
| in learning that girl resembling her
daughter had been seen in Occur
d'Alene City.
Mrs. Willford went to Occur
dAlene Saturday
Sunday she learned that a young
wife had committed suicide in Occur
dAlene by hanging herself. In some
strange manner the belief grew to
the mother that she was at last to
find her daughter. The suicides body
was already in the grave.
| But the long pursuit had fortified
the mother. She asked that the body
be exhumed.
| When the coffin was drawn from
the grave and the covering removed
there came fearful shock.
There lay a young woman, still
showing evidences of past beauty
But the haggard. worn countenance
was purple hued. the cruel stretch of
the rope had disfigured the face--and
| the mother could not recognize her
child.
Two years OF dissipation and shame
had fearfully changed her.
| Sobbing in her awful misery the
mother turned from the coffin. Her
inability to positively identify the
body was the cruelest blow.
| Kind people of Occur dAlene sur
rounded the stricken woman. They
helped her with hands trembling with
sympathy and charity.
The dead girl had come to the city
with Edward Rusk. To the people
of Occur d'Alene they stated they
had been married in Wallace, Idaho
and had liver for a short time II
Couleo City. In Occur d'Alene they
furnished a cottage handsomely anc
appeared to be happy.
1t was when Rusk was away at his
work that the young wife hanged her
self. Evidently she felt her mother
was near and that the end of thu
long search had come.
The authorities had the trunk OF
the dead girl searched, To the mother
there appeared to be articles Of toile
which had belonged to her daughter
Yet il was not enough.
A letter was found in the trunl
| signed by Il man named II. Roger:
and addressed to the girl at Boise
Idaho. In the letter the man de
manded that she send him s25 imme
diately. The address given was I
Spokane address.
TO fully settle the question of tn
Identity the mother returned to Spn
kane. Here sho called Oh Chief o.