Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-07-12
MYSTERY IS SOLVED
DYING CONFESSION EXPLAINS
LOSS OF FARllER's WEALTH
Revenge Of Former Friend Who wss
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: s
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 disbeliever
in the old saying that all is fair in
love and war. he became a bitter en-
envy of his old friend. After the mar
riage he became recluse, and seldom
left his house except to go to the store
to 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 mystery It 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-
eeived at stated times and were guard
ed 50 carefully that everyone judged
them to be of great value.
"a 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 we'll
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
covery, a way to square accounts for
the fancied or real wrong does him
suggested itself, and lie bided his tine.
In the summer of 1895 servant
who had been employed by the Mac
Farlanes since the day of the well
ding died, and when the body YVES
taken to the grave. the entire fam
lily accompanied it, leaving the house
unguarded for the first time in ten
years. The day after the funeral Mac
II
paralysis, and two years later died
from the effects.
At this time his widow created a
sensation by telling Of statement
made by her husband while he was
dying. This was to the effect that
his entire wealth lad been converted
into United States postage stamps and
concealed in an old copper kettle in
the cellar: The stamps, We're in good
condition when he left for the ceme
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 We're dissolved
into sticky, unacceptable mass.
His reason for putting his wealth into
! stamps bought in the United States
instead Of into Canadian postage was
that thieves would be- unable to dig
pose of the plumber without leaving
Cape Breton. How much money was
lost he refused to say, but the SHOCK
killed him. y
MacDougal was suspected, but there
was NO evidence against him and no
arrest was: made His confession was
completes and bears out the story OF
| the widow. He salt 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