Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-02-29

Brockton, Mass-"I opened my
cloak and took the children under it,
one on each side. From that time till
Il woke up everything is a blank"
twenty-five trembling words, spok-
an by a disheveled, shaking woman,
yet behind them lies the tragedy of
a wrecked home, the remarkable dis
appearance of two human beings as if
the ground had opened to swallow
them, and a mystery which has baf-
fed the keenest detective minds of
New England.
A mother calling at the schoolhouse
door for her boy and girl, three fig
ures disappearing into The woods,
great storm cloak flung open to shelter
two small forms-a blank of "a hours,
and then disheveled, quivering
mother-form being hurried to an in
sane asylum.
What happened during that period
of mental death?
And where are the children?
On Monday, December 2, soon after
nine o'clock Mrs. Mary R. c. Ball,
wife of John Ball, left her home at
20 Holbrook avenue, and walked hur
riedly TO the Winthrop school, where
her children were engaged in their:
studies Mary Grace Ball. aged nine,
and Thomas Ball. aged seven, were ex-
cused by their teachers at the request
of their mother, who was apparently
quite composed and natural in her
bearing They put on their warm
coats and toques and mittens and trot-
ted down the schoolyard path, one on
either side of the tall, cloaked figure
Children Went JoyfuiIy.
Joyous anticipations were aroused
in their childish minds. Christmas
was at hand Perhaps they were go
ing shopping, Perhaps they were go
ing to the woods to gather evergreens,
As to where they really went, directly
from the schoolhouse, opinions differ
This may have been because Brockton
had something else to think about
during the next few hours. The Ball
home on Holbrook avenue was in
flames. There was a fire to be put out
and to be discussed, and it was so I'm
fortunate that it happened while Mrs.
Ball was away shopping,
However. since the tragedy has be-
come the sole topic of conversation
In the little manufacturing city of
Brockton, one man recalls that he
saw the mother and her children to-
Eether about $50 o'clock that after
noon Two children, who knew the
Ball family well. claim to have seen
the mother without the children on
Brockton street at 4:30 of that event
full Monday afternoon.
Bnt the one tangible piece OF evil
dence is that Mrs. Ball, unaccompanied
by her children, stopped at a lunch
cart for mouthfui of food at Avon.
= little town just north of Brockton,
ON Tuesday evening, December 8.
Later that night she was found by a
and was ordered away. The children
were not with her. Pinto did not
know who she was and took her for
some poor, drunken wretch.
Instinct Led Woman Home.
Two nights later, on Thursday. De-
cember S, Mrs Ball staggered into the
home of Mrs Baxter, who lived di-
rectly opposite the BAH home in
Brockton- The Baxters were terrified
by the figure which stumbled across
their threshold. Her clothes were in
disorder. Her fingers were grimy and
torn as though she had been digging
IN the frozen earth. Across her
throat were great bloody scratches
All reason had fed Her eyes were
wild, her speech incoherent-
The next morning raving maniac.
Mary BAR was taken to the asylum
For the insane at Taunton, Mass
But where were the children?
The distracted father asked it, The
excited neighbors echoed his question
The county officials considered it
their duty to find out Detectives