The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-08-25
SLAYER OF PRETTY
TEACHER IS
FOUND
AND FAMOUS BEDFORD, INDIANA,
MYSTERY is uNRAVELED
CLAIM TIE POLICE.
FIND CLEW IN LETTER
His Old SWeetheart--Th He
Killed Miss Schafer Through
Mistake.

Evansville, Ind, Aug. 24-By tn
strange linking together Of chain 0
circumstances that reads like an az
venture of Sherlock Holmes Prose
cutor Fletcher, of Bedford, Ind am
the authorities of this city nave rui
down a man they will charge witt
the murder of Sarah Schafer, th
pretty young school teacher who va
killed at Bedford Ind, on the nigh
OF January 21, 1904
That man i Finest Tanksley, VIII
was arrested here yesterday on Tho
charge of abucting Nellie Rainey {
young Sunday school teacher. who i
is now alleged was selected as the
victim Of the Bedford Tragedy, bu
in whose stead Sarah Schafer was
slain by mistake Tomorrow morning
Tanksley will be taken to Bedford tc
answer to the abduction charge, anG
/ the authorit cs announced t)nighl
that another warrant will then be
served on him charging him with the
murder of Sarah Schafer.
The story it is said, starts back in
| the little village of HeltOnyille, Ind.
tight miles from Bedford Five years
ago there lived there in adioin M
houses the Rainey and the Tanksley
families
Won Girls Heart.
Nellie Rainey, II years old, visited
the Tanksley home, and, Il is claimed
became infatuated with Tanksley and
improper relations are said to have
been begun when she was but Is years
! old. Two years ago the village f0lk
began 70 talk about the alleged rela-
tons between Tanksley and pretty
Nellie Rainey, then a teacher in The
Baptist Sunday school Tanksley was
married and had three children. To
escape the whispering tongues of the
villagers he left his family in Holtoa
Vile and went to Bedford in the fan
of 1908, but kept up a correspondence
with Miss Rainey.
For some reason. at present IN
known, Tanksl5y returned to Hclt3n
Vile from Bedford in the spring of
1904, but left again suddenly in Oclo-
Der, 1895 At the same time Miss
Rainey told her father she was going
to eBdford to have some dental worA
done That was the last ever heard OF
her until yesterday. when the delec
tives arrested Tanksley and Miss
Rainey here in a rooming house, They
had been traced through the efforts
of the girl's father. who never gave
up the search for his mi sing daugh-
ter
After several months of search the
over TO Pro- -ecuting Attorney Flct
cher. of Bedford, a number of letter.
Tanksley had written to NJ IS Raincy |
A warrant was sworn cut charging |
Tanksley with kidnapping Miss Rainey |
and the prosecutor then began looking |
over The letters.
The Teiltale Letter
He came across the letter asking 1
Nellie 10 meet Tanksley at the heac
If The alley in Bedford on the same
hight and hour when Sarah Schafa,
vent to her doom. Immediately the
prosecutor took his cue and began
Tank-lcy's Bedford record
Then a remarkable story came to
light which started a vigorous huni
or Tanksley.
In Bedford Tankslay goomed al the
)wens boarding house. near where
iarah Schafer took her meals. Tanks I
ay's roommate was Eau Hunter. a
8ll sl.m man, employed at a painter
y the Southern Indiana railroad. Hun {
Pr owned a long overcoar Pros scuior
fletcher found Hunter. and through
i'm another roomer. George Hainier
{ the Owens boarding house. and oil {
be- testimony of both men. in connec Ii
on with the letter asking Miss Raj I
ev to meet Tanksley in eI}dford on y
BE- night Sarah Scbafer was murdered a
he authorities base the charge tbs To
-clare they viii placa against Tanks 2
y. la
Miss Rainey's condition. it T.
aimed. made it. necessary t1 take
,mo measures or leave his family.
He is raii to have borrowed louE >
-ay coat such as Is worn by a tell
an seen lurking in fne vicinity ~
e murder on The fatal night and
Is believed that Miss Schafer WIS e.
istakcn for a woman with whom ths
an with a long overcoat had an ap :
intment in front Of Cooks.