Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-25

the Bothamley ranch. however, had been
forwarded for record by Bothamley's wom-
an companion invested that person with
even greater interest.
The discovery of her real identity was
not a matter calling for any great effort.
While at the Bothamey ranch where she
had passed his sister, she had been
identified as Mrs. Nellie Bailey, the daugh-
ter of a Kansas rancher and carpenter
named G. +. Benthuson. The whereabouts
of her husband was unknown for the re-
markable reason that will appear later.
During the courtShip Bailey had been the
victim of at least one of that numerous
class of individuals who delight in carry
ing gossip to the person most interested In
this case one of these officious chatter-boxes
whispered things to Bailey about his 6ancee
that adoring lovers do not like to hear
These whisperings had the usual effect.
instead of breaking the attachment 1t
strengthened it; but at the same time 1t
planted seeds of dstrust that later bore
their fruit in most grewsome way
Bailey promptly married the girl, but de-
cloed that they could be happier were she
taken away from the scene of her girlish
attachments. The Pacific coast was de-
cided upon, and to the coast they went.
They spent two months in California, Ore
gon and Washington. Over this trail l
did not follow them. They returned to
Kansas. settling temporarily at Clinton.
Here the tickle bride almost Immediately
on their arrival fell in love with a telegraph
ana Idliey nOteu the It.
There was a scene. Bailey shot at his wife's
new admirer. missed him. and then whisked
his bride away to Dakota.
The ground covered by the Baileys from
the time they returned from the Pacific
coast until they settled IN De Smet was all
carefully gone over by me. 1t must be re-
membered that in these wanderings they
had been nearly year in advance of me,
and I necessarily depended to great ex-
tent on the gossip they had left in their
wake. From this l sifted as carefully as l
could the statements that l deemed worthy
of credence. At each place they had stop
ped there were plenty of tales of jealous
Quarrels, always due, as nearly as l could
Judge, to the fickleness of the bride and her
seeming wanton pleasure In keeping her
husband in the throes of jealous rage The
conclusion l drew was this: That here was
a case of a woman who had married. not
from love- but because her sutton had been
a desirable catch" 1 satisfied that
she had had no genuine affection for Bailey;
but to the daughter of an obscure carpen-
ter an offer of marriage from a rising,
agreeable young lawyer of ample means
was not to be treated lightly.
On April "a the Baileys moved into their
De Smet home. For three days Bailey was
seen about town in good health and spir
its, engaged in the petty affairs connected
with the furnishing of his home. So far
as l could learn on my arrival at De Smet
several months later. he had not been seen
by any of the neighbors after the 9th of
the same month. He had hidden no one
goodbye and none of the townspeOple had
seen him leave. Mrs Bailey went blythely
about her daily household duties, and when
questioned concerning the absence of her
husband explained he had business inter-
ests in California and had been summoned
thither by telegraph. OF course there was
some gossip over the hasty and unseen de-
parture of the lawyer, but 1t turned more
on his having deserted his wife on account
of her frivolity and freedom of action with
other men than on anything more serious.
For two months Mrs. Bailey lived in De
Smet. and then she announced that her
husband did not intend to return there, and
that she intended to leave. The newly
bought furniture was sold at a sacrifice
and other preliminaries to her departure
quickly arranged. Elgin, ILL.,, was given as
her destinat ton, and later this was found TO
be the place to which she went. Thus the
Balleys faded out of Dakota.
On my arrival at De Smet 1 went to the
bank of Kingsbury. I had sent in an as
sumed name. and while waiting to be ad-
mitted voice called out:
Hello, Tyrrell, is that your
1 found the speaker to be Mr.. Ruth. who
had served on jury before which 1 had
was no further chance for me to conceal
my identity or my mission. The Ruth
brothers placed their services at my dis
posal. From them l ascertained that Bailey
mad deposited several thousand dollars in
the bank when ne first came to De Smet
and that he had withdrawn it soon after
ward From the same source / learned of
the arrival AID departure Of the Baileys
and Of the gossip that attended the disap-
peararce of the lawyer
me facts gathered up to that time touch
ing the career of Nellie Bailey were such
as TO strengthen my rapidly forming opin-
Ion that the woman was capable Of deeds
more desperate than flirting, although
nothing in itself more serious had been
unearthed- 1t was not difficult to imagine,
however the lengths to which such a
woman might go to free herself from the
thraiidom of marriage to a jealous hus-
hand for whom, l was convinced, she bore
no real affection. Her husbands posses
sion OF several thousand dollars in cash,
coupled with her inordinate love of fem
lhlne hnery, rendered stronger any other
motlVe she might have had for wishing her
husband out of the way
me withdrawal of his funds from the
Ddhk ana his sudden disappearance from
De Smet presented themselves to me as adj
uNonai grounds for harboring the theory
tndt mad been forcing itself on me-tbat
wife. ~ ---'
At this tuncture a bit OF informal Hon
startling to me in view of the theory held
was introduced into the Investigation nv
MT Ruth. few days before my arrival
IN De Smet 1t seems there had been found
IN an unfrequented place on the prairie
tnree ana one-half miles from De Smet tho
bones OF a man. All the parts had been
ledped together without even nretense a ;
ouIidi. The skeleton had been dismembered
ana the nesh scraped from the bones Pr
mere was nothing In the heap of homes
Mn!Gh might establish the identity of the
. I. by measurement it was found that
tLN mad been the bones of a man abont
me helsht Of Shannon Bailey. There All
II seemed to me that the most prouisiro,
enamel for investigation from this noint
was a search of the premises formerly o.
SupIeo by the Baileys. Ruth accomna Mod
me IN this search, and, that no uniust sne-
p4cIohs should be given circulation concern
Lns lhe FORMER mistress of the house we
went ABOUT the task quietly. The horse
L'au' OF course, been dismantled of the fIIr-
niiishihss used by the lawyer and his wife
IN the Ilrst and second floors nothing what
seI was found that might by any stretch
VI ,a :, hdtioh, lend color to my suspicjons
Aiihtu with spades, we then descended 70
vac teliar Carefully testing the condition
~ D. tie uiFt moor, we again met with faiInra
hul one spot remained unexplored tho
S Sia. area uhoter the wooden stairway that