The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-01-29
AND CONTRACTOR FLED WITH
SPOUSE or ONE OF HIS
EMPLOYEES.
MONEY IS ALSO CONE
And Now His Wife and the Men Who
Staked Him and the Police Are
Camping on His
Trail.

South Bend, Ind, January 28.-A
pretty face was too much for Harvey
J. Webster, a leading business man,
and head of the building and contract.
Ing firm of II. j. Webster a Co, et
this city, and consequently the people
OF South Bend are discuss ne scan
dal. Webster and the beautiful wife
Of his foreman Emory Diffenbaugh. it
Is alleged, have eloped. They are
thought to be en- route to the South.
In the meantime the police are hot on
the trail and up to this evening have
succeeded in striking clew which
! leads them as far as Toledo, Ohio.
In the meantime Mrs. Webster. sur
rounded by her three children, lies in
her home suffering with nervous pros
tration and Diffenbaugh is seeking re
yenge. Webster's bondsmen and num-
erous creditors are also looking FOR
redress as it is alleged that he EN-
bezzled between $4,000 and $4,000 the
evening of the departure.
Advance Money.
| The elopement was carefully plan
ned Webster collected advance money
on several jobs, ordered new clothing
hid s110 under mattress and then
wrote a note to his wife, which was
placed in the desk, The not was as
| follows:
Dora, when you find this note
will begone. Have Fred come back
and finish up the work. Under your
mattress you will find some money
Yon had better sell the household
goods and other things There Is
enough money for you TO collect, and
guess you will all right"
Mrs Diffenbaugh was also deliber
ate. In preparing for her fight she
packed all her clothing and sent II :,
the interurban car station by q mes
Besides collecting several thousan'
dollars on unfinished jobs the contrac
ter withdrew $4,000 from local bank
It is al known that Webster pur
chased revolver few days ago. am
il Is believed that rather than b
captured he will commit suicide.
The alleged love affair Of Webste
and Mrs. Diffenbaugh began shortl
after the Diffenbaughs moved into al
apartment adjoining the Webste
home.
Went Out Together.
Frequently. the police state. th,
couple went ont of South Bend togeth
er. Webster riding the yesubule will
the woman inside an interurban car
These trips were made to N les, Elk
hart and Goshen.
Mrs. WEBB ter at first refused to be
| lievc her friends whe ntold that hcl
husband had deserted her. and not un
| I'll she was shown the note found on
her husbands desk did she realize The
terrible truth. She made the follow
ing statement:
"Mr Webster and myself were mar
| ried ID years ago. lie has alway
been kind, aud noticed nothing un
usual in his actions yesterday. I
this Is an elopement they have certain
| ly been very smooth. as | never evei
suspected that they were more thai
fr ends. They tell me that an effor
will be made TO compel my husban
TO return 10 this city. This is foolisl
II he has gone away with anothe
woman, let them go until they find on
the mistake MIR. Webster and m,
self had not quarreled and he was a
ways very considerate Of me"
/ Difenbaugh takes a different vie,
OF the matter and If he ever meet
Webster face TO face. he says. quic
action will be necessary.