The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1906-07-27
MYSTERY IS SOLVED.
DYING CONFESSION EXPLAINS
LOSS OF FARMERS WEALTH.
Revenge of Former Friend Who Was
Unfairly Beaten in Contest for
Girls Love-Fortune
Boiled.

Lake Ainslee, Cape Breton.-By the
confession OF Thomas MacDougal,
made on his deathbed, mystery OF
ten years has been cleared up. Here
is the story:
Twenty-Five years ago MacDougal
and Jonathan MacFarlane were neigh
bors and both fell in love with the
same girl, a pretty young woman OF
Hawkesbury. MacFarlane won out,
but his neighbor did not consider
that the means he used were quite
above board, and being a disbeliever
in the old saying that all is fair In
love and war. he became bitter en-
envy OF his old friend After the mar
riage he became a recluse, and seldom
left his house except to 60 to the store
70 purchase supplies.
Both men were prosperous and
made money farming. MacDougal
banked his money In Hawkesbury, but
what his neighbor did with his cash
was a mystery. II was known that he
sent sums OF money TO Boston and
received In return small fiat packages
forwarded by registered mail. but
what was contained therein no one
could guess. They were always re-
ceiyed at stated times and were guard
ed so carefully that everyone judged
them TO be OF great value.
Finally in some way. MacDougal
discovered that the mysterious pack
ages contained United States postage
stamps in various denominations and
that his neighbor was secreting them
somewhere in his house. He was well
aware that MacFarlane was afraid Of
banks, but why he should convert his
wealth into foreign postage stamps
was not clear. On making the dis
coyery, a way to square accounts for
the fancied or real wrong does him
suggested itself, and he bided his time
In the summer OF 1895 servant
who had been employed by the Mac
Farlanes since the day OF ,he we'd
ding died, and when the body was
taken TO the grave the entire fam
fly accompanied IL. leaving the house
unguarded for the first time in ten
years. The day after the funeral Mac
Farlane suffered a slight shock OF
paralysis, and two years later died
from the effects.
AT this time his widow created a
sensation by telling Of a statement
made by her husband while he was
dying. This was to the effect that
his entire wealth had been converted |
into United States postage stamps aud !
concealed In an old copper kettle 10
the cellar The stamps were In good
condition when he left for the Gene
terry the day the servant died. but
but when he returned he found that
some one had boiled them during his
absence and that they were dissolved
into sticky. unacceptable mass
His reason for putting his wealth into
stamps bought In the United States
instead OF into Canadian postage WIS
that thieves would be unable TO dis
pose Of the plumber without leaving
Cape Breton. How much money was
lost he refused TO say. but the shock
killed him.
MacDougal was suspected. but there
was no evidence against him and no
arrest was made His confession was
complete and bears out the story Of
the widow lie said that he sneaked
into the house after the funeral,
searched until he found the stamps
and then boiled them on the kitchen
range. He completed his work an
hour before the party returned from
the grave.