The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-25
DEAD SIX YEARS.
The Sad Story Of the Passing of
a Lawrence Girl.
Emma Giendenning Hypnotized
by a Horse Thief.
PARENTS LEFT $4,000.
Ran Away From Home to the
DesperadO's Camp.
Her Death Leaves Entire For
tune to Her Sister.
PARENTS LEFT $4,000.

Leavenworth April 25.-Emma Glen
denning, her abduction from this city
by the notorious horsethief Bill Nor
Fis, and her subsequent death six years
ago are recalled by the recent demise
Of the girls parents at Lawrence and
the filing Of the testament which leaves
the dead girl $4,000 worth of Douglas
county real estate. The story of the
abduction and death of this young wo-
man coupled with the late develop
ments is one of the strangest romances
which have ever been played in and
about this city.
Officer Halpin Of the local police force
has been employed by Dave Daubarner
or Lawrence Kan, to ferret out the
proofs of the young woman's death
and in the course of his research he
has unearthed the whole tragic and
somewhat SOrdid story which must
hnger in the minds of newspaper read
ers of six or seven years ago. The &C
caslon for looking UP the facts is, as
has been said. that the parents have
died leaving valuable real estate in
Douglas county, Kan, to be divided
among the children One Of the heirs
is Mrs. Daubarner Of Lawrence and the
other was Emma Glendenning, dead
these six years.
A dozen or so years ago Emma Glen
denning, a young Douglas county girl,
came to Leavenworth under strange
circumstances and secured employment
at the home Of Lee Costing, the old
blind man who may now daily be seen
begging aims on the prominent street
corners. GOsling was then a well-tO-
do expressman.
While she worked at the house of the
GOslings the girl seems to have Sc
cretly been receiving the attentions OF
Bill Morris. one Of the most notorious
horse thieves ever making his
rendezvous in the Missouri valley, but
who probably was not known to the
young and pretty girl in his real state
One evening Morris came for the girl
and together they slipped away to the
camp OF the Desperate north Of old
Shutdown. on the Missouri shore of the
river. Searches were instituted and
everything possible was done to locate
the girl who was at the time supposed
to have been kidnapped. but she was
never found until one day Missouri
farmers brought word that girl had
died at Morris camp during childbirth.
The officers went to the scene and
found the young woman dead, as told,
on pile Of straw covered with an old,
thin blanket. The babe was dead in
her arms.
with but little ceremony the two
were buried in Green's cemetery five
miles east of this city and unless the
records are false the bones still lie in
this old Platte county church yard.
Morris had fed and for some time
was not heard from. but he could not
stay away. Only a few weeks later
q horse was stolen from KickapOO and
Morris was Immediately suspected. De-
tective Mcdonald managed to deter
mine that Morris had his camp on
Staiger's island in the middle of the
Missouri river near Lansing By means
Of a slziff Mcdonald. Jailer Glynn and
Ohicers Halpin and O'Leary reached
the island and began their hunt. Nor
Fis was on the island at the time. but
managed to slip away in the dense
brush leaving the stolen horse behind
This was taken by the police and re-
turned to its owner.
Here the romance practically ends.
Morris is serving a long term in the
Louisiana state prison from which he
may never come forth alive. the girl
is dead and the entire heritage goes to
Mrs. Daubarner.
Odicer Ealpfn has located the people
who assisted in preparing the woman's
body for burial. the expressman who
delivered the coffin and the sexton of
the cemetery, all who will make affida-
Wits showing the fact that the woman
IS undoubtedly dead.