The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-17
SEEK TO UhRAvEL
LETTER MYSTERY
Postal inspectors Believe They
Have Strong Case Against
Spinstcr.
WHOLE COMMUNITY AROUSED
Trial of Alleged Owner OF "Poi-
soned Pen" Will Start
Morrow.
WHOLE COMMUNITY AROUSED

Philadelphia. September 1e.--when
Miss Harriott De Witt. the spinuter
daughter OF n retired truck farmer
OF I2aston, Pa. is placed on trial In
the Federal court here Monday on tho
rather indefinite charge of misusing
the mails, the postal authorities ex.
poet to clear up the mystery surround
ing a system OF anonymous letter.
writing that has terrorized the church..
going folks of Easton for the past
six years. In that period homes have
been wrecked. friends have become
enemies and lovers have been eepa-
rated-all as q result of series OF
slanderous epistles written In tho
same treacherous hand and couched
in the same venomous language
Whether the examination of Mss
Do Witt reveals her as tho writer OF
the pen-printed venom barbed letters
that have disturbed the peace and
quiet OF Easton for the past six years:
or vindicate the assertions of herself
and her friends that she is innocent.
they Will unfold to her eager towns
folk the history of her life--a history
that. by some trick of fate, seems to
be curlously In harmony with the rise
and elimination of the letter writing.
Has Been RccIuse.
Miss Dc witt is single woman.
living with her parents. Her father
Is a retired truck farmer of Easton
Her movements ever since the series
OF letters began TO make their ap-
poa.ance In Easton society have been
yelled in mystery. even her Intimate
neighbors being unaware of her exist
encc. Before tho letter writing began
she is said to have been a member of
the Christ Evangelical Lutheran
Church, of which the Rev. Elmer e.
Snyder, then n young bachelor divine
is pastor.
1t was while the Rev. Mr.. Snyder
was attending the social pleasures Of
his church that tho first letters made
their appearance. They were address
ed to members OF the young divine's
flock, and contained chargee so un-
spcakable that the resulting furore
almost resulted In his expulsion
Later, when lie was engaged to marry
n young woman from the West an
other batch OF letters disturbed the
peace OF the church over which he had
held sway. From this time on. IL IS
said, little was seen OF Miss Do Witt.
From time TO time, other letters
have made their appearance. gradu-
ally widening their scope till their
circulation included the members OF
families In every part OF the town.
In fact. so profuse did the letter
writing become that 1t is thought that
at least four more authors hayo
| fallen victims to the disease
The postal inspectors have been ut
work on this strange epidemic for sew
eral years. their only clues being let
tors placed in their hands by Mr..
Snyder. Time and again they have set
out upon n promising trail only to be
confronted with failure. They have,
at different times. had under suspicion
several members OF Mr.. Snyder's flock,
hut In each case the suspected persons
were able to prove beyond doubt their
innocence--in one case acknowledging
an inability to read or write; in an
other proving an nllbi and IN still an :
| other responding to the suspicion with