The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-08

That is Mary Gray's pathetic appeal
for help-her rescue from the band of
ruffians who hold her in bondage. Who
is Mary Gray? Does anyone in Nam
kato know a girl of that name. If so
communicate with the police or sheriff
and aid in solving the mystery which
confronts the officers of the law? Was
Mary Gray employed as a domestic lin
a Mankato household? If so, where
and when? Is it possible that maid.
en-unprotected and alone-was carried
away from this city by lot of
toughs and held as captive in the
woods which skirt the Cobb river, for
it was from the Cobb river that the
note was taken. The plot thickens.
Inclosed in a Bottle.
The letter was found inclosed in q
bottle-a whisky flask which was fshed
from the dark waters of the Cobb by
George GRANDSON, farmer who leases
the Dobbin, farm in Decoria, six miles
from Mankato. He also owns forty acres
of land across the river, and if was
while he was making his way 50 the
old homestead that he discovered the
bottle containg the heartrending appeal
of Mary Gray.
Mr.. GRANDSON was standing ON the
shore of the river last Friday gazing
at the hastily moving waters when
he observed a small bottle which had
lodged against rock near the sloping
bank. He espied piece of paper in the
bottle and naturally his curiosity was
aroused. He fished the flask from the
stream, uncorked it and took therefrom
the piece of paper-a leaf torn from a
pocket memorandum book on which
were written the words quoted above.
The handwriting is quite like that of
females. She used lead pencil and
writes fairly well. The paper is some
what stained, either from too close
contact with a piece of plug chew
ing tobacco or the moisture in the
bottle when the note was placed there
in. There was a quantity of sediment
in the bottom of the bottle, but not
the slightest odor of whisky.
Find Is Given to Police.
Mr.. GRANDSON brought the bottle
and its contents to Mankato Satur-
day and turned them over to the
police. The officers endeavored to gain
some clew to Mary Gray in this city,
but no one was found who knew or
had ever heard of her.
The Free Press was acquainted with
the circumstances surrounding the find
ing of the bottle, but at the request
of the authorities refrained from pub
fishing the story on Saturday evening.
What particular object the authorities
had in keeping the find from the public
is not apparent. If they were afraid
that the coughs" would learn of the
publication and decamp for fear of
capture, they must have another
think coming, for it is not at all likely
that the fact of such publication would
have penetrated the woods where Mary
Gray was supposed to have been in the
clutches of her cruel captors. On the
other hand, the story might have been
read by someone who had known Mary
Gray, if such a person did exist and
was at one time employed in Mankato,
and would have informed the police
as to who she was and at about what
time she disappeared from her place Of
abode or usual haunts. Too much secre-
cy sometimes is bad policy when
the work of unraveling a mystery
is placed in the hands of Off.
GERS frequently acts as a handi-
cap and often thwarts the very prr.
pose the authorities wish to carry out.
Scouting Party Went Out.
There was no immediate organizing
of posse to scour the woods in the
hope of locating the rendezvous of the
bold bad band, and it was not until
yesterday afternoon that Chief Osten,
Deputy Sheriff Klughertz, Judge Com.
stock and a newspaper man drove
into the country to investigate.
The woods and hills in the
vicinity of the spot where the
bottle containing the note was found,
were searched carefully, but not
clew to Mary was obtained. Several