The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-07-03

'echless. one plunged INTO pleasures
and dissipations, and one day her
body was found in her room where
she had lived for some months after
away from home. She had
drank carbolic acid.
When Bertha had nearly complet-
ed her sixth year in the Dixmont asy-
lum---during which period she had
repeatedly written coherent letters
to the authorities declaring herself
sane and asked to be discharged
she effected her sensational escape:
A key was mysteriously obtained and
a man in an automobile had stopped
near the institution and sounded his
horn; then shortly, an automobile
whirled swiftly away with passen-
ger beside the driver---these were
practically all the details of the es-
cape to become generally known:
After that---until the first week in
the present month---Bertha Beilsteln
seemed to have disappeared from the
surface of this earth.
One day in the last week in May
the authorities of hospital in Los
Angeles, Cal., suddenly came to the
conclusion that they had a case OF
murder on their hands. A young wo-
man patient twho had entered the nos
pital two weeks before, giving the
name Of Olga Miller, had died after
drinking a glass Of milk given to her
by man visitor who had been so per-
sistent in his efforts to see the pa
tient that he had finally been admit
ted.
This man, who was young and good
looking, and we'll dressed, had given
the name of Richard Hardy. After
talking with the patient for a few
minutes he asked the nurse for a
glass of milk. The nurse brought the
milk and gave it to the visitor, who
put it to the lips of the patient. She
choked while drinking it. n urses
came hurriedly from other parts OF
the ward, whereupon Hardy Jumped
up and ran away.
The next morning Olga Miller was
dead. During the night Hardy hac
called up the hospital anxiously ask
ing after the patient: When thf
girl was dead the hospital author
ties, believing that Olgar Miller's
visitor had given her a dose of co:
caine in the milk, had him arrested
on the charge of murder. But wher
the autopsy showed no trace OF pol
son, showing instead that death mac
been caused by a tumor on tn
brain, which had been gradual.
developing for years, the prlsone.
was released.
This was after Olga Miller hat
been buried. The fact now came t.
light that Olga Miller also had beel
living at the Royal Hotel while work
ing as a waitress in Los Angeles fol
S35 a month. She was supposed t
be getting ready to marry Rlchart
Hardy, who sold books OF a poetlca
nature. He seemed to be very mucl
in love with the girl.
Presently there was a startling de
velopmant. Frederick Beilsteln,
cousin of Bertha Beilstein, had tele
graphed from Chicago that the deat
"Olga Miller" had been none othe:
than Bertha Beilstein. He ordere'
her grave to be guarded until h
could arrive and take charge OF th'
body.
How could Frederick Beilstein, il
Chicago be so certain that Olga Mil
| le, dead in Los Angeles, was Berth
Beilstein. No one had reason t.
doubt that the hospital patient wa
other than the Olga Miller she claim
ed to be, and, therefore, no descrip
ton of the dead woman had beel
circulated. For answer to thi
question the scene changes to 1Chl
cago.
4 few days prior to the death 0:
the Los Angeles hospital patient En-
mund w. Wander, in Chicago, re
ceived the following telegram iron
Richard Hardy, in Los Angeles:
"Olga Miller is dying in hospital
Send $50 at Once. /"
Mr.. Wander lost no time in see
ing his friend, Frederick Beilstein.
bertha is dying in a hospital II
Los Angeles" he said, and showed
the telegram containing the lntelll.
gence about Olga Miller. /"
There was no need of any descrlp
ton of "Olga Miller" Both men
knew that Bertha Beilstein had as
sumed the name of her dead gir.
chum, fearing recapture, during
her wanderings after escaping from
the asylum.
HAD VISITED IN CHICAGO.
When Mr.. Wander was boy, llv-
ing in Allegheny City, Pa, his peo,
ple had been intimate friends Of the
Beilsteins. He had gone to Chicago
and married. Frederick Beilstein,
Bertha's cousin lived there. Dur
ing the visit of Bertha and her moth:
to the Chicago worlds fair they had
stopped with both families.
The Wanders and the Chicago
Beilsteins heard of Bertha's escape
from the Dixmont asylum, and anx-
iously awaited further news. In a
few days it came, brought by Ber-
tina herself. She was exhausted and
almost in rags. Having insufficient
money for her journey, she mad
been forced to tramp the last stages.
She was in great fear of recapture
and anxious to get further West.
So, after she was rested and pro-
vided her with proper clothing, the
Wanders and Beilsteins provided her
with money and a ticket to Los An
geles, giving the Pullman porter a
generous fee to look after her on
the journey. They had advised her
to take another name. and she had
chosen that of her dead chum, Olga,